Innovative Finance Programme Delivery and Partnerships Consultant, UNICEF Global Programme Division (GPD) - Generation Unlimited (YPA) Secretariat, New York, USA, 12 months (remote)

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to Safety.

How can you make a difference? 

This assignment aims to support Generation Unlimited’s innovative finance initiatives by mobilizing catalytic and blended financing for youth employment, entrepreneurship, climate resilience and inclusive growth, including through the Green Rising Fund and Sovereign Financing Platform.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:

Minimum requirements:

• Education:
  • Master’s degree in finance, economics, business administration, public policy, international development or a related field.
• Work Experience:
  • At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in innovative, blended or development finance and related programme delivery.
  • Relevant experience across one or more of the following areas: enterprise/MSME finance, catalytic capital, sovereign or public finance, MDB/DFI financing, guarantees and risk-sharing mechanisms, or investment-readiness and pipeline development.
  • Experience managing multi-stakeholder programmes or PMOs, including work planning, governance, critical-path and risk management, decision tracking and senior reporting.
  • Experience engaging governments, multilaterals, financial institutions, philanthropic organisations or investors in emerging or vulnerable markets.
  • Demonstrated experience supporting capital mobilisation, fundraising, investor engagement or partnership development, including the preparation of compelling investment or financing narratives for external audiences.
  • Ability to translate complex finance and development concepts into decision-ready written and visual materials.
• Language requirement:
  • Fluency in English (written and spoken) is necessary
  • Working knowledge of French or African languages is an asset.
• Skills:
  • Strong facilitation, stakeholder-management, PowerPoint, Excel and programme-management skills, with the ability to work across multiple workstreams and time zones.

Desirables:

• Experience with UNICEF, GenU or another UN agency, particularly in Africa or other priority markets.
• Experience in youth employment, climate finance, green enterprise or inclusive finance.
• Experience with sovereign financing, guarantees, debt-conversion mechanisms or results-based finance.
• Experience in MSME pipeline development, alternative data or credit assessment, or impact measurement and blended-finance additionality.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children.  The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone , irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF . Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal  TMC0006536 Financial proposal template.docx
• Technical proposal requirement:
  • A concise technical proposal (maximum 5 pages) outlining the proposed approach, indicative workplan, relevant experience and two examples of comparable assignments.

Remarks:  If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not visible on certain recruitment platforms, please visit our official page  Vacancies | UNICEF Careers .

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here .