JUNIOR PROFESSIONAL OFFICER (JPO) - LFI FINANCE ANALYST

Background

IMPORTANT CONDITIONS: The following position is open only to Danish and other European Union nationals, as well as permanent residents of Denmark. The applicant must be fluent in both Danish and English. According to the UNDP JPO programme framework, the age limit for JPO applicants is 32 years of age at the time of application. Only applicants with a Master’s degree diploma in hand will be taken into consideration. Applicants selected for interviews will be expected to: Partake in face-to-face Interviews planned to take place in Copenhagen in June 2015 Shoulder travel cost should he/she be travelling to Denmark for the interviews Participate in an induction course conducted by DANIDA at Danish MFA premises planned for the last week in July15 Travel to location and assume duties in Fall 2015 at the latest  Background Information The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s 49 least developed countries. It focuses on Africa and the poorest countries of Asia and the Middle East, with a special commitment to countries emerging from conflict or crisis. Within its economic development mandate UNCDF specializes in public and private financing mechanisms that catalyze economic growth and make it more inclusive and sustainable. Through country programmes and global thematic programmes, UNCDF offers a unique combination of investment capital, capacity building and technical advisory services to promote Local Development Finance and Inclusive Finance in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). UNCDF’s Local Development Finance Initiative (LFI) is an innovative programme designed to unlock financial sectors in developing countries for financing small and medium-sized infrastructure projects that are needed for local economic and private sector development. The LFI Finance Specialist will work under the direct supervision of the Senior Finance Specialist based in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Dar Es Salaam is a 'family duty station' where you are allowed to bring your family members.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions: Organization and facilitation of key programme activities related to project development and project finance Capacity building and knowledge management Project management and resource mobilization 1. Organization and facilitation of key programme activities related to developing and financing infrastructure projects (60%) Provide implementation support in the process of identifying, developing, analysing and financing small scale infrastructure projects. Interact with local stakeholders e.g. (project developers, private sector banks, equity investors, project sponsors, development partners etc.) during the project identification, development and financing stages. Provide support services directly to the project sponsors identified. This includes the review of feasibility studies, business plans, market and other independent assessments. In addition, provide financial advisory services and structuring of project finance transactions. Support the establishment of co-financing relationships with local and international financial institutions, nurture relationships and manage activities needed to secure co-financing of LFI projects. Facilitate the required project technical studies under the guidance of the LFI technical team by engaging the project sponsors, consultants, local authorities as appropriate, including the development of TORs that reflect project finance requirements and support of the procurement processes. Identify alternative financing sources and structures for LFI portfolio of projects, including the preparation of and participation in discussions and negotiations with banks, investors and other stakeholders. Participate in activities to promote LFI programme resulting in identification of projects pipeline and/or strategic partnerships/resource mobilization. Prepare and travel on technical missions nationwide as required for projects under review and pipeline development. Contribute to the setting up of a system for monitoring project revenues, expenses, risk factors on an ongoing basis. Document individual project activities, milestones, priorities and critical next steps using the LFI project management tools. 2. Organization and facilitation of key programme activities, related to capacity building and knowledge management (20%) Provide support for the LFI capacity building and training programme, ensuring programme knowledge generation and dissemination, including support to the enhancement of LFI methodologies and toolkits, case studies, briefs, research documents, and client impact evaluations. Support and ensure timely delivery of LFI training programmes. Support and ensure the implementation of the LFI stakeholder mobilization and communication plan and organise and coordinate outreach activities with a variety of stakeholders. Provide specialist input to and ensure application of the processes and tools to facilitate the transfer of knowledge, training, and scaling up of LFI nationally, building the capacity of local stakeholders in the public and private sectors. Document lessons learned and transformational impact of the investment supported by the LFI programme 3. Project Management & Resource Mobilization (20%) Ensure the delivery of the key results on time and to budget as assigned. Timely planning, budgeting and reporting in accordance with the guidelines of the Implementing Partner and UNCDF. Exercise financial management of the project, including timely submission of requests for disbursement of funds and other forms Support effective and efficient project monitoring system providing regular feedback on the project performance and to update regularly risk and issue logs. Support efforts of UNCDF to mobilize additional resources for LFI.

Competencies

Core competencies: Ethics and Values: Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity; Organizational Awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment; Development and Innovation: Take charge of self-development and take initiative; Work in teams: Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds; Communicating and Information Sharing: Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication; Self-Management and Emotional Intelligence: Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behaviour towards others; Conflict Management: Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution; Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing: Encourage learning and sharing of knowledge; Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making: Demonstrate informed and transparent decision making. Functional competences: Building Strategic Partnerships Innovation and Marketing New Approaches Client Orientation

Required Skills and Experience

Education: A minimum of a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Banking or related area and preferably a Bachelor Degree in engineering, accounting, finance or economics Work Experience: A minimum of two (2) years progressively more responsible relevant experience Knowledge of investment, financial analysis and project analysis tools and methodologies Proven experience in managing a portfolio of projects and investments Experience in providing advisory service on project formulation, project development cycles and project within the private or public sector Good listener with demonstrated ability to present and win support for ideas as well as make effective and timely decisions; Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advance knowledge of web based management systems Language: Requirement: Working knowledge of English Other working knowledge language requirements, if applicable: Working knowledge of Swahili and any other UN language is an asset Other desirable education and work experience: Knowledge of development finance and private sector finance: Demonstrated experience in investment management, banking or financial analysis with solid risk assessment skills. Experience in preliminary evaluation of project proposals for assessing their feasibility for private sector funding and/or technical support. This involves the initial screening of project applications, carrying out of desk reviews and evaluation of feasibility studies, preparing evaluation notes for presentation to management team to determine a project’s suitability for inclusion in the pipeline, and preparing more detailed project concept notes to obtain clearance for full appraisal or fact-finding field trips. Experience in planning and execution of project appraisal and site visits. This includes developing terms of reference for site visits; carrying out independent research on the investment climate, project sponsors, management, economic, financial, marketing, technical, environmental and legal aspects of the project. The work also includes assessing the risks of projects and advising sponsors on appropriate mitigating measures; structuring/restructuring of projects to minimize financial risks; participating in negotiations, or conducting preliminary negotiations with sponsors on financing terms and legal conditions for the proposed investment/loan by lenders. Experience in working with development partners or the private investors or other institutions involved in private sector development Demonstrates ability to engage across multiple stakeholders, including project sponsors, government partners and financial institutions Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments Development of proposals and different levels of report preparation and presentation The following position is only open to Danish and other European Union nationals, as well as permanent residents of Denmark.

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UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

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