Programme Coordinator

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

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.

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.

The Programme Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating activities, projects, or programmes across teams or partners, plan, organize and monitor implementation, and will serve as a focal point for coordination across programme in Ethiopia.

This role will involve managing projects and programmes in alignment with the country's strategic goals and work plans, ensuring quality standards, and achieving targeted outcomes. The coordinator will actively support the implementation of the projects through UNCDF’s financial tools and grow the project portfolio focusing on segments like Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) and sectors such as fintech, ag-tech and climate-tech.

Key responsibilities include managing personnel, building strategic partnerships, advising government entities, and engaging with financial service providers. The Programme Coordinator will support the resource mobilization, knowledge sharing, and communication efforts to sustain and expand UNCDF’s visibility and impact in Ethiopia.

UNCDF adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNCDF personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Programme Coordinator will hold supervisory responsibilities for staff and non-staff project personnel, including consultants engaged under the project, and will provide direction, guidance and oversight to all such personnel.  As well as provide guidance and oversight to other non-staff  personnel.

1.    Ensure Effective Programme Coordination for projects in Ethiopia
•    Plan strategically and support the development of country strategies, work plans, and programme priorities
•    Coordinate the implementation of UNCDF programmes in line with annual work plans, ensuring quality assurance and achievement of outputs.
•    Monitor projects’ milestones and outputs, tracking performance, and implementing corrective actions as needed
•    Provide strategic oversight of planning, budgeting, implementing, and monitoring of the projects in Ethiopia tracking use of financial resources in accordance with UNCDF/ UNDP rules and regulations.
•    Conduct timely project reviews, revisions and complete related reporting obligations, in accordance with UNDP/ UNCDF policies, UN rules and regulations as well as applicable donors' requirements 
2.    Establish, strengthen and maintain strategic partnerships, contribute to resource mobilization, and engage effectively with donors 
•    Establish, strengthen and maintain strategic partnerships with local and regional stakeholders, including government ministries, regulators, donors, financial institutions, and development partners. This function is pivotal in supporting UNCDF’s resource mobilization efforts by cultivating relationships with funders at national, regional, and global levels, securing funding for both existing and new initiatives. 
•    Create a robust network of allies and funding sources, explore and identify new partnerships and funding opportunities to ensure the long-term sustainability and scaling of UNCDF’s interventions.
•    Provide advisory support to government entities, regulators, and private sector stakeholders to promote policies and frameworks that foster effective engagement in Ethiopia. 
•    Collaborate with the regional office team to position and advocate for goals and objectives central to UNCDF’s mandate.
3.    Ensure provision of leadership and management
•    Foster a collaborative and high-performance environment through regular feedback, professional development opportunities, and capacity-building initiatives to empower project managers
•    Manage project managers and coordinate with colleagues across different functional areas such as operations, finance, and technical teams, to meet project objectives. 
4.    Facilitate knowledge management and result measurement 
•    Oversee result measurement and knowledge management activities to document and share lessons learned, best practices, and insights from UNCDF’s projects in Ethiopia. 
•    Support results measurement by working closely with the Performance Management Support Unit (PMSU) and the Regional Market Systems Development and Impact Specialist to track and evaluate project impact against established benchmarks and targets. 
•    Coordinate with UNDP and other UN agencies to align efforts, promote synergies, and integrate UNCDF’s work within broader UN development frameworks, enhancing the collective impact of the UN’s presence in Ethiopia. •    Lead the identification and formulation lessons learned and recommendations to improve delivery and build on the thought leadership needs of the country

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

Competencies

Core competencies:

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 

Thematic Area

Name

Definition

Business Direction and Strategy

Systems 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 Direction and Strategy

Strategic Thinking

Develop effective strategies and prioritised plans in line with UNCDF’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight.

Business Management

Portfolio Management

Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization's programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity. Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.

Business Management  

Partnership Management 

Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies

Business Development

Knowledge Generation

Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. 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.

Digital 

Digital Inclusion  

Knowledge of how digital inclusion works, opportunities and challenges for governments and society 

Digital

Alternative Finance 

Ability to identify potential alternative forms of finance and mobilize them for the purpose of addressing development challenges.  

Ability to review the skills, capacities, procedures and protocols that are needed to enable new financial mechanisms.  

Ability to assess the risks, limitations and implications of using new financial mechanisms. 

Set up the processes and structures to design, testing and implement new financial mechanisms. Managing outreach and stakeholder engagement 

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

•    Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Economics, Finance, Accounting, Development Studies, Management, or related discipline 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:

•    Minimum of five (5) years (with master’s degree) or seven (7) years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in designing, coordinating and implementing development projects from conceptual level to implementation level focusing on access to finance, agriculture finance, digital finance, digital innovation, or MSMEs finance for low-income segments
•    At least five (5) years of work experience focused on access to finance and digital financial services in Ethiopia is required.
•    Experience leading and managing a diverse and largeteam is required.
•    Demonstrated experience working with the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), including familiarity with NBE regulations, reporting requirements, and procedures relevant to project implementation is required. 
•    Demonstrated experience working with United Nations agencies on the coordination, implementation or management of a development project is required.
•    Experience working with international donor organizations around the topics of MSME Finance and business development support is desired.
•    Extensive experience working with governmental entities and regulators in Ethiopia, coupled with a deep understanding of government stakeholders is desired.
•    Proven record of experience in strategic resource mobilization for programmes targeting low-income populations is desired.
•    Demonstrated experience with UNDP and UNCDF financial rules and regulations is desired. 
•    Proven experience in the coordination and submission of project documents (prodocs), multi-annual workplans (MAWPs) and annual workplans (AWPs) is desired.

Language(s):

•    Fluency in English and Amharic is required;

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.

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