Job Description
Background
General Assembly Resolution 2186 (XXI) decided to “bring into operations the United Nations Capital Development Fund as an organ of the General Assembly which shall function as an autonomous organization of the United Nations. The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) assists developing countries, especially least developing countries, in the development of their economies by supplementing existing sources of capital assistance by means of grants, loans, and guarantees. UNCDFs vision is to help mobilize and catalyze an increase of capital flows for SDG impactful investments to Member States to address the most pressing development challenges facing vulnerable communities in these countries and thereby contribute to sustainable economic growth and equitable prosperity.
As a Flagship Catalytic Blended Financing platform of the UN, UNCDF utilizes its unique capability in the UN system to deploy grants, loans and guarantees to crowd-in finance for the scaling of development impact. UNCDF focuses on where the needs are greatest, a deliberate focus and capability rooted in UNCDF’s unique investment mandate to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the realization of the Doha Programme of Action for the least developed countries, 2022–2031.
Preferred
As per its Strategic Framework, UNCDF works to deploy its functions as a hybrid development organization and development finance institution. UNCDF responds to Member States requests for assistance by providing targeted technical and financial advisory services on investments for development outcomes, designing bespoke financial structuring solutions, undertaking financial derisking of investments, and enhancing investment readiness of SDG aligned projects in partnership with private sector, United Nations Organizations, International and Local Finance Institutions, Development Finance Institutions as well as Foundations and Philanthropy, among others. UNCDF works to develop local financial systems, new markets and mobilize and crowd in capital from public and private sources. UNCDF is driven by a partnership mindset which enables it to deploy its different capital capabilities in highly tailored and responsive ways in order to mobilize investments flows from other sources, in particular from the private sector. By structuring transactions which are highly impactful, but also recognize the need for multiplying the impact of its own capital, UNCDF seeks to position itself as a preferred partner for different stakeholders. UNCDF’s work is focused on three priority areas, including:
- SME Finance
- Sub-National Finance
- Digital Finance
UNCDF’s organizational set up includes an Investment and Implementation Division (IID), Investment and Finance Oversight Division (IFOD), Operations and Oversight Division (OOD) and a Directorate of the Executive Office. UNCDF staff and personnel are located in regional hubs based in Dakar (Senegal), Nairobi (Kenya) and Bangkok (Thailand) with sub-regional presence in a number of locations in the Caribbean and Pacific Regions. UNCDF is led by an Executive Secretary based out of New York, USA. Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 2321(XXII, para 1.a), the Administrator of the UNDP performs the function of the Managing Director of UNCDF. UNCDF is overseen by an Executive Board comprised of UN Member States.
As part of the Directorate, the Strategic Intelligence and Analytics unit, generates actionable intelligence, designs UNCDF’s foresight and policy agenda, and translates data and analytics into organizational strategy, investor engagement, and external positioning. It connects data, policy, and finance—analyzing global and regional capital flows, identifies emerging opportunities and risks, and translates them into actionable strategies for UNCDF’s leadership, front-office teams, and partners to ensure UNCDF remains a thought leader and catalyst for private investment in least developed and frontier markets.
Scope of Work
The Strategic Intelligence and Analytics Specialist supports UNCDF’s mission by turning data and market signals into actionable intelligence that guides investment strategy, policy engagement, and partnership development. The Specialist analyzes global and regional investment trends—across digital finance, MSME finance, and subnational infrastructure—to identify where UNCDF’s de-risking instruments can unlock private capital in least developed and frontier markets. This includes mapping investor behavior, assessing barriers to market entry, and producing evidence-based insights that inform both operational design and strategic decision-making.
In addition to analytics, the Specialist plays a central role in bridging foresight, policy, and communication. They advise regional investment teams on project design aligned with emerging market opportunities, prepare policy briefs and foresight notes for global engagements, and translate complex analysis into clear, compelling products for internal and external audiences. Through collaboration with thematic leads, the Impact Measurement, Verification and Learning (IMVL) Unit, and the Strategic Engagement team, the Officer ensures that intelligence feeds directly into UNCDF’s pipelines, partnerships, and advocacy efforts—strengthening its position as a credible, data-driven actor in catalytic finance.
Key responsibilities of the Strategic Intelligence and Analytics Specialist include:
Strategic and Market Intelligence
- Analyze global, regional, and sectoral investment trends to identify catalytic entry points for UNCDF’s instruments, with emphasis on UNCDF’s capabilities: MSME finance, subnational finance and digital finance.
- Map investor patterns across developed, emerging, and South–South markets to highlight capital gaps, barriers, and entry points for UNCDF interventions.
- Generate insights on emerging market opportunities by country, sector, and investor group (including asset managers, family offices, and development finance institutions).
- Support the development of evidence-based strategies to attract co-investment from public and private partners.
- Identify systemic constraints and diminishing returns in last-mile markets, and propose ways UNCDF can address them.
- Translate complex data analytics (e.g., MDB/DFI portfolios, risk benchmarks) into intelligence that informs programming.
Provide Advisory Support to Front Office
- Advise regional investment and programme teams on structuring initiatives and projects aligned with identified opportunities and intelligence outputs.
- Guide the design of project-level interventions to ensure coherence between strategic foresight, private sector trends, and UNCDF’s financial instruments.
- Collaborate with thematic leads (digital finance, energy, climate, MSME, and nature) to integrate data-driven insights into country programmes.
- Incorporate scenario planning into the design of project-level interventions.
- Develop framing questions that help colleagues pivot from legacy approaches to the new Strategic Framework focus.
Ensure Policy Analysis and Thought Leadership
- Produce policy briefs, foresight notes, and strategic papers on market dynamics affecting private investment in LDCs and SIDS.
- Develop content for high-level engagements (e.g., G20, World Bank/IMF Spring and Fall Meetings, SDG Investment Forums) showcasing UNCDF’s intelligence-driven approach to development finance.
- Contribute to shaping UNCDF’s positioning as a thought leader in investment intelligence, catalytic capital, and de-risking.
- Conduct foresight analysis on trends shaping finance for LDCs, SIDS, and fragile states.
Facilitate Communication and Knowledge Products
- Translate analytical findings into accessible formats for policymakers, investors and UNCDF staff (briefing notes, dashboards, presentations, infographics, webinars, newsletters)—that reinforce UNCDF’s positioning.
- Work with IMVL colleagues to capture lessons from UNCDF’s portfolio and communicate evidence of impact.
- Contribute to UNCDF’s knowledge platforms and outreach events to strengthen external visibility and investor confidence.
- Establish a rhythm of outputs (e.g., 1-2 knowledge products every quarter, quarterly newsletter/intelligence notes and Directorate briefings).
- Leverage journalistic/storytelling techniques to improve accessibility and impact.
Collaboration and Coordination
- Collaborate with the Strategic Engagement Unit to align narratives for partner outreach based on market data and investment analytics.
- Liaise with regional IMVL staff to ensure coherence between data collection, monitoring, and strategic analysis.
- Provide regular updates to the Directorate and front-office teams on key investment insights and trends.
- Coordinate with external partners, including MDBs, DFIs, institutional investors, and private sector alliances, to validate intelligence outputs and co-develop market entry strategies.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Institutional Arrangement
She/ He will work under direct supervision of Strategic Intelligence and Analytics Manager.
Competencies.
Core
Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity
People Management
UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site .
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
Business Direction & Strategy Strategic Thinking - Develop effective strategies and prioritised plans aligned to UNCDF’s Strategic Framework, based on the structured analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight.
Business Direction & Strategy Futures and Foresight - Ability to look at information from the past and present, identify patterns and trends and use them to inform decision making with a long-term view. Being sensitive and able to scan horizons and pick up weak signals of change, explore their potential implications and assess their impact and urgency. Using creativity and imagination to communicate insights in compelling and engaging ways to challenge current mental models; ability to develop scenarios, speculative designs to present future visions or by making it experiential. Being able to facilitate debate and discussion about possible futures; help people to feel comfortable with the discomfort of uncertainty.
Business Direction & Strategy, System Thinking - Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
Business Development, Knowledge Generation - Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.
Partnership Management, Relationship Management - Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.
Partnership Management, Strategic Engagement - Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives.
Education
Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA
Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Economics, Public Finance, Development Finance Public Policy, Politics, Development Studies, or related field is required, or
A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience
A minimum of 7 years (with a master’s degree) or 9 years (with a bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in data analytics and market intelligence.
Required Skills
- Demonstrated experience in developing and aligning intelligence and analytics frameworks with organizational strategy and planning.
- Demonstrated experience in translating complex analytics into actionable policy or investment guidance.
- Experience in synthesizing market intelligence and communicate findings to diverse audiences.
- Experience in international development finance, blended finance, capital mobilization in LDCs/SIDS.
- Experience producing high-level reports and presentations.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section:
- Experience with AI-driven analytics.
- Experience with digital finance solutions.
- Proven track record of experience in building partnerships with research institutions, think tanks, or technology firms.
- Experience engaging with high-level stakeholders.
- Published work or thought leadership in strategic foresight, development finance or analytics.
- Experience within the UN development system, familiarity with UNCDF.
Required Language(s)
- Fluency in English is required.
- Working knowledge of another UN language is desired.
The Following Documents Shall Be Required From The Applicants
Completed P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.
Equal opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Scam alert
UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.
