Investment Officer - CookFund

About UNCDF

The UN Capital Development Fund makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world's 46 least developed countries (LDCs). It offers "last mile" finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially domestic, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.

UNCDF's financing models work through three channels:

• Local development finance, which capacitates localities through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance to drive local productive capacity for sustainable development,
• Inclusive digital economies connect individuals, households, and small businesses with financial eco-systems that catalyze participation in the local economy and provide tools to climb out of poverty and manage financial lives, and
• Investment finance, which provides innovative financial structuring, de-risking, and capital deployment to drive SDG impact and domestic resource mobilization.

UNCDF is a Fund Manager of the CookFund, which is a key component of the Integrated Approach to Sustainable Cooking Solutions Programme in Tanzania, established by the Government of Tanzania in collaboration with the Delegation of European Union (EU).

Under this context, UNCDF is looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Investment Officer to join its global technical secretariat for project development and financing. The Investment Officer will focus on implementation side of the CookFund under the direct supervision of the CookFund Programme Manager based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Scope of work

1. Ensure organization and facilitation of key programme activities related to commercially viable investments, Project development, transaction structuring, and financing:

• Support the process of investments identification, data analysis and preparation of basic information memorandum for the investment officers’ review and project structuring;
• Build, own, and operate high quality financial models for renewable energy, SMEs and public and private infrastructure projects across the portfolio;
• Produce analyses from those models to optimize returns, financial viability, support decision making in the development team, and facilitate financing;
• Interact with local stakeholders (such as central and local government officials, private sector banks, equity investors, project sponsors, development partners, etc.);
• Provide targeted technical investment support services to project sponsors identified. This includes review of feasibility studies, collection of relevant data to enhance business plans and confirm project bankability, technical due diligence market assessment, financial advisory services, and project finance transaction structuring;
• Pro-actively seek improvements in the UNCDF project financing and structuring;
• Prepare and facilitate technical missions for investment projects validation and pipeline development;
• Liaise closely with other teams from UNCDF responsible for measurement of transformative impact of investment projects, including in climate change, food security, women’s economic empowerment and local economic development. Exchange data and information to ensure that selected projects meet the criteria for transformational;
• Other duties as assigned.

2. Ensure investment process execution and portfolio management:

• Guide and support the team in planning and execution of the CookFund Programme;
• Contribute to the development of programme progress reporting on weekly basis, and as when necessary;
• Guide and support timely planning, budgeting, and reporting in accordance with UNCDF guidelines;
• Work with the Programme Manager and M&E team to establish and maintain an effective and efficient project monitoring system providing regular feedback on the project performance and to update regularly risk and issue logs;
• Contribute in the documentation and monitoring of development impact of the investment in addition to financial viability criteria.

3. Ensure capacity development of key stakeholders of the programme in the areas of commercially viable investments:

• Facilitate in capacity development and training to ensure programme knowledge generation and dissemination;
• Provide support for the CookFund capacity development, training and programme visibility ensuring knowledge generation and dissemination through case studies, briefs, reports, research documents, monitoring and evaluation;
• Support the programme activities related to delivery of CookFund training and workshops;
• Provide basic inputs in the development and application of the investment management processes and tools to assist senior investment officers in developing facilitate knowledge transfer, training, and development of capacities of local stakeholders in the public and private sectors.

4. Communicate, organize and coordinate outreach activities with a variety of stakeholders:

• Organize field visits to programme areas for due diligence, monitoring and performance review.

5. Support the establishment of co-financing relationships with debt providers and equity investors, nurture relationships, and manage activities needed to secure co-financing of supported investments:

• Establish relationships with financial institutions to ensure additional financing of the supported grantees;
• Work with financial institutions to define and design key strategies that will enhance affordability of clean cooking solutions.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

The Investment Officer - CookFund will work under the guidance and direct supervision of the CookFund Programme Manager.

Competencies

CORE

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Finance

• Investment Management
• Financial Communication and Impact
• Finance Business Partnering

Ethics

• UN policy Knowledge-ethics

Communication

• Digital capacity building

Partnership Management

• Strategic engagement
• Relationship management

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum academic education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Investments or a Business Administration related field is required; or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned fields in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Minimum years of relevant work experience:

• Minimum of 2 years (Masters) or 4 years (Bachelor) of relevant experience in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Investments or a Business Administration is required.

Required skills and competencies:

• Demonstrated experience to understand and analyze complex financial problems and find innovative solutions;
• Proven track records in communicating financial concepts and analysis;
• Demonstrated experience in developing and financing commercially viable investments, and creation/evaluation of advanced and complex financial models using advanced tools including Excel;
• Demonstrated experience of developing and defending investment recommendations for review and approval by investment committees of a fund, lender or investor;
• Work experience in project finance, financing investments through development finance, and commercial debt;
• Demonstrated experience in development of investment project through the entire project development life cycle and the financing stages.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the competencies section:

• Experience in promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
• Proven experience in informed and transparent decision making;
• Demonstrated experience in engaging across multiple stakeholders, including project sponsors, government partners and financial institutions.

Language Requirement:

• Fluency in English and Swahili is required.
• French is a desired.

Professional Certificates:

• Additional professional certifications e.g., CFA, CPA, ACCA, Financial Analysis or equivalent related areas will be preferable/have a competitive advantage.

Disclaimer

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: 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.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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Required Skills