Under the overall supervision of the Senior Technical Advisor on Biodiversity Finance, the BIOFIN Programme Manager is responsible for the overall development and implementation of the UNDP Biodiversity Finance Initiative, providing strong leadership on strategic, technical, policy, and management matters – especially relating to building partnerships, visibility, quality assurance, and the strategic development of the initiative. The BIOFIN Programme Manager is responsible for leading and overseeing the development of all knowledge products emerging from the Initiative, guiding and overseeing work carried out at the national level.
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. This is a recognition of the interconnected nature of development risks & crises the world is facing, calling for assembling multidisciplinary teams for an integrated & systemic response. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
Duties and Responsibilities
Ensure Effective Programme and Team Management
- Manage BIOFIN at a global scale under the supervision of UNDP Nature Hub’s Senior Technical Advisor for Biodiversity Finance, working to maximize and showcase impacts, grow and develop the initiative, and strengthen relationships with stakeholders at all levels, including strategic partners inside and outside UNDP, partner governments, and donors.
- Co-manage the global BIOFIN Team, regularly reviewing progress reports, deliverables, disbursements, and budgets to ensure implementation is on track, and troubleshooting and adapting management as required.
- Ensure the global BIOFIN team operates productively through a clear division of labor, the setting of specific annual goals by all team members, and regular online and face-to-face meetings, including an annual planning meeting at the start of each year.
- Ensure that the management and administrative requirements (technical, financial, communications, audits, evaluations, etc.) of the different partners/donors of the Initiative are met.
- Ensure that UNDP-specific processes (integrated work planning, budgeting, procurement, monitoring and evaluation, performance planning of global BIOFIN staff, and appraisals, etc.) are met.
- Establish and convene meetings periodically of the Global Steering Committee (GSC) to define priorities, evaluate progress and management, and exchange information.
- Manage and monitor risks and issues, submitting newly identified ones to the global head of Biodiversity and/or GSC for consideration and decision if required.
- Identify and source necessary technical expertise and support, and oversee the recruitment of global BIOFIN staff members, international consultants, and service providers; ensure necessary training and ongoing capacity building are carried out.
- Ensure that relevant UNDP projects and the Biodiversity Finance Initiative draw from and feed into each other, avoiding duplication and maximizing synergy, particularly across BPPS, the Nature Hub, and the Sustainable Finance Hub.
- Work closely with the team leading the GEF-funded project on National Biodiversity Finance Plans under the Biodiversity Finance Unit.
- Liaise with other relevant UNDP staff, including in-country colleagues regarding the Initiative, including sharing information about trends and issues in the thematic area.
- Lead on and contribute to defining indicators and benchmarks for the overall Initiative to form the basis for M&E and ensure an adequate M&E Framework is in place for BIOFIN.
Overseeing the Technical Work at Global and National Levels
- Lead on technical and policy matters and establish structures for fruitful cooperation between global BIOFIN team members and other relevant teams within BPPS, especially relating to public and environmental finance, soliciting/securing additional technical input as required from UNDP colleagues, external experts, and international and national consultants.
- Guide the BIOFIN Technical Advisor team and Country Offices to identify implementation modalities that set out a process of transformative change in participating countries.
- Ensure BIOFIN’s global technical team provides key guidance materials to implement BIOFIN at the national level.
- Ensure planning and implementation in countries align with the Initiative’s global methodologies and standards, that these are reconciled with national NBSAPs and other national development processes, and that key milestones are met.
- Ensure an adequate system is in place to monitor and provide technical support to improve the quality of in-country deliverables.
- Oversee and support implementation progress in core participating countries, contributing to implementing the global BIOFIN methodology.
- Support monitoring and evaluation missions to provide guidance and training, gain insight into progress, and develop an analytical understanding to feed cumulative learning into national and global processes.
Lead Partnership Management and Development
- Maintain and develop partnerships with financial, technical, and political partners, positioning BIOFIN outputs and outcomes.
- Regularly liaise with relevant global and regional initiatives and stakeholders related to biodiversity finance.
- Oversee and contribute to developing suitable communication and knowledge materials and knowledge-sharing platforms, tools, and mechanisms.
- Lead the development of funding proposals linked to further BIOFIN work.
- Contribute to preparation, design, submission, and approval of programme/project concepts and full-fledged proposals by country teams.
- In consultation with the Senior Technical Advisor on Biodiversity Finance, present and position the outcomes and outputs of the Initiative in relevant technical and policy circles.
- Contribute to the further development of UNDP’s global and regional work on sustainable and nature finance, such as by contributing to the development of strategic UNDP policy position papers, blogs, and internal briefing notes.
- Contribute relevant biodiversity finance input to UNDP publications, presentations, websites, newsletters, and other outreach products as required.
Facilitate Knowledge Generation, Management, and Exchange
- Ensure global knowledge products are developed periodically, drawing on lessons from national implementation.
- Lead the development of knowledge products and knowledge-sharing events, such as global and regional conferences, the BIOFIN website, other platforms, and publications.
- Oversee the preparation and organization of global and regional workshops aimed at developing and discussing methodologies, ensuring these build on and inform relevant policy processes at national and global levels.
- Ensure BIOFIN produces a consolidated set of outputs/products aimed at addressing the biodiversity finance gap that can be replicated globally.
- Work with UNDP staff and partner organizations to feed lessons learned from BIOFIN into specific case studies.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Public Finance, Economics, Environmental Economics, Public or Business Administration, Natural/Environmental Sciences, Human Geography, Social Sciences, or another closely 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.
Experience:
- Minimum of 7 years (with a master’s degree) or 9 years (with a bachelor’s degree) of professional experience in environmental management and/or biodiversity conservation, environmental finance, development finance, environmental economics, or other relevant field.
- At least 3 years of professional experience working in developing countries on internationally financed environment/development programmes/projects is required.
- Professional experience working on a programme/project at the international level is desired.
- Experience in results-based and results-oriented portfolio/programme/project implementation and/or management is desired.
- Experience in managing teams, inspiring and mentoring staff, facilitating their capacity development, and resolving conflicts is desired.
- Experience in overseeing and guiding the development of knowledge management strategies and products is desired.
- Working experience in an international organization, and knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures, and practices are advantageous.
Language:
- Fluency in English is required.
- Fluency in Spanish and/or French is an advantage.