National expert in sustainable finance

Overview
Provide expertise in sustainable finance for climate action in Uruguay.

You have:

Relevant experience of at least 3 years in the public and/or private financial sector.
Desirable: University degree in economics and/or finance; postgraduate degree in sustainable finance, climate finance, or related topics.
Fluency in English and Spanish, both written and spoken.
Excellent analytical, writing, advocacy, presentation and communication skills.
Need to demonstrate the ability to work in a team, organization and autonomy.
Experience in environmental sustainability and/or climate change, application of ESG criteria, and cost-benefit analysis of initiatives.
Personal CV or P11 with details of previous positions and duties, duration, requirements, and contacts.
Cover letter stating why the person is considered suitable for the position.
Contract
This is a NPSA-5 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Personnel Services Agreement . It is normally only for nationals . It usually requires 5 years of experience , depending on education. More about NPSA-5 contracts .

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) was established within the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change with the aim of making a significant and ambitious contribution to global efforts to address climate change. The Fund promotes a paradigm shift toward low-carbon and climate-resilient development, within the framework of sustainable development, by providing financial support to developing countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in its decision 1/CP.21 – Adoption of the Paris Agreement – ​​invites non-state actors, including the private sector, “to increase their efforts and support measures aimed at reducing emissions and/or increasing resilience and reducing vulnerability to the adverse effects of climate change” (UNFCCC, 2015). The actions taken to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and limit global warming are not sufficient to achieve the goals global society has set under the Paris Agreement, so the mobilization of all stakeholders is a priority.

In February 2024, the project financed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Preparatory Support Program ” Aligning and increasing public and private financial flows towards Uruguay’s climate commitments and priorities – (URU/24/002)” was approved.

To meet its objective of contributing to increased public and private financing flows for climate action, the project proposes to implement the following components:

Develop the capacities of the financial and non-financial sectors and integrate tools related to green/climate finance;
Improve the country’s information on financing gaps and private investment opportunities in various economic and socio-environmental sectors included in the country’s climate commitments in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs);
Building on the progress made in the green finance taxonomy development process, continue developing the next steps and support progress in its implementation;
Develop a proposal that includes tools such as guides, standards, methodologies, and training to enable the financial sector to incorporate climate-related risks and opportunities into its business models.

The Ministry of Environment (MA), through the National Directorate of Climate Change, as Uruguay’s Designated National Authority (DNA) for the GCF, is the project’s promoter and beneficiary. The Central Bank of Uruguay (BCU) and the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) are key partners in the implementation of the activities and, along with the MA, comprise the project’s technical committee.

Scope of work
The National Sustainable Finance Expert will work under the daily supervision of UNDP, in close coordination with the project’s sponsoring entities (MA) and beneficiaries (MA, BCU, MEF). They will provide their expertise in the local financial sector to help achieve the project’s outputs and outcomes. They will also provide technical input and strategic vision on how to incorporate the national climate agenda into the project’s outputs. They will work closely with the Project Coordinator to develop the expected outputs and activities.

The national expert in sustainable finance will be responsible for developing certain technical activities and products, in collaboration with team consultants, including:

To assess the capacity development needs of Uruguay’s public and private sectors (financial and non-financial) through background reviews, surveys, and structured interviews, targeting key stakeholders, and to design a training program on climate and environmental finance for national stakeholders in the private and financial sectors.
Develop, together with the Project Coordinator, a cost-benefit analysis for a set of measures prioritized by the Project Committee in the 2nd Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submitted by the country to the UNFCCC, eventually including some prioritized measures included in the 3rd NDC to be submitted by the country in February 2025 and currently in the public consultation phase.
Conduct a consultative process and working meetings with the private sector to facilitate the identification of their potential contributions to the NDCs, through an established institutional platform/working group.
As the project progresses, and in line with previous project activities, such as developing a financing strategy for the 2nd and 3rd NDCs and a climate technology/solutions action plan, meetings and consultations will be held with key stakeholders in economic activities and productive sectors such as tourism, agriculture, industry, or construction/infrastructure, to prioritize and identify two financial mechanisms/instruments or public-private schemes with the potential to leverage private sector financing for climate commitments.
It will also collaborate in the execution of the following project products and activities:

Provide the national context and needs baseline, key stakeholders, and case studies to design and implement the capacity building and training program on climate and environmental finance.
Plan the agenda for a regional workshop on climate finance in Uruguay to (i) learn from the region’s experiences and apply lessons learned, and (ii) provide its own knowledge to other countries with similar objectives and initiatives. It should also collaborate in identifying regional participants who would add value to Uruguayan stakeholders.
Identify, within the framework of the analysis of climate solutions/technologies with potential for private investment and an action plan associated with their implementation, cost gaps (or cost analyses) for financing opportunities in the private sector.
Collaborate in the implementation of a training program to understand the characteristics of the financial mechanisms/instruments eligible under the Green Climate Fund criteria and the design of two prioritized financial mechanisms, including public-private schemes. In particular, the consultant should facilitate local participation in the training and facilitate interconnections with other previous project outputs, such as the NDC Financing Strategy and the Climate Technologies/Solutions Action Plan.
Support the sustainable finance taxonomy development process, including collaborating on the pilot implementation of the taxonomy at the local level; developing a tool and methodological guide for its application by financial institutions; and holding at least two workshops to present the tool and methodological guide and receive feedback from relevant stakeholders. In particular, the consultant will facilitate the engagement and validation process with local stakeholders.
Collaborate in the analysis of international experiences and local methodologies for integrating climate risks into financial evaluation and information disclosure; in assessing the current use of climate risk data in Uruguay by the local financial sector and the incorporation of climate change into its governance processes, strategic framework, risk management (identification, measurement, and mitigation/adaptation proposals), and reporting, through surveys and structured interviews; develop a report on data gaps and needs; and develop a guide and work plan for implementing tools to improve climate risk integration and disclosure in local financial institutions. In particular, the consultant will facilitate the interaction and validation process with local financial stakeholders.
The scope and purpose of the aforementioned activities and products may be adjusted by project governance throughout the project implementation process.

The position reports to the UNDP Inclusive Sustainable Development Program Analyst, in close coordination with the Project Coordinator and the other members of the Project Technical Committee, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Central Bank of Uruguay.

Competencies:

Thematic area

Name

Definition

Business management

Working with tests and data

• Ability to inspect, debug, transform, and model data to uncover useful information, base conclusions, and support decision-making.

Business management

Awareness and

digital literacy

• Ability and inclination to quickly adopt new technologies, either by mastering their use or by understanding their impact and training others to use them as needed

Business management

Customer Satisfaction/Customer Management

• Ability to respond promptly and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide coherent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to meet and understand customers’ real needs. Contribute to the development of the customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond immediate customer requests. Ability to anticipate future customer needs and concerns.

Business management

Communication

• Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and unambiguously, both in writing and verbally; to tailor messages and choose communication methods based on the audience. Ability to manage internal and external communications through the media, social media, and other appropriate channels.

Business management

Supervision

• Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and program performance and results

Essentials

Achieving Results

LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors work, paying attention to details, performs quality work on time.

Think Innovatively

LEVEL 1: Open to new ideas, knows the risks, solves problems pragmatically, makes improvements.

Continuous Learning

LEVEL 1: Open-minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.

Adapt with Agility

LEVEL 1: Adapts to changes, handles uncertainty/ambiguity constructively, is flexible.

Act with Determination

LEVEL 1: Demonstrates control and motivation, able to face adversity calmly, confidently.

Participate and Associate

LEVEL 1: Shows compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.

Facilitating Diversity and Inclusion

LEVEL 1: Appreciates/respects differences, is aware of prejudices, confronts discrimination.

Minimum academic education required

Complete secondary education.

Desirable: University graduate in economics and/or finance, as well as postgraduate qualifications in finance, sustainable finance, climate finance, ESG criteria, climate risks, and disclosure of information in the financial sector, or related topics.

Relevant work experience

Candidates with a bachelor’s degree require a minimum of three years of relevant experience. Those with a minor academic background require at least six years of relevant experience.

Relevant work experience in the public or private financial sector
Experience in environmental sustainability and/or climate change, application of ESG criteria in the private and/or financial sector and/or experience in cost-benefit analysis of initiatives will be valued.
Participation and/or knowledge of programs and projects related to the national climate and/or environmental agenda and/or sustainable finance, taxonomies, as well as knowledge of recent developments, both nationally and internationally, in climate finance and climate finance sources (such as the GCF) will be valued.

Required skills and competencies

Excellent analytical, writing, advocacy , presentation, and communication skills. Strong organizational and executive skills.

Desirable skills and competencies

Ability to organize work, ability to work in a team, autonomy and proactivity, flexibility.

Language(s) required (at work level)

Fluency in English and Spanish, both written and spoken.

The following documents must be required from applicants:
Personal CV or P11 , indicating previous positions and their responsibilities, the duration (month-year), requirements, as well as the candidate’s contact details (email and phone number), and at least three job references from previous supervisors. References may also include colleagues.

A cover letter (maximum one page) indicating why the person is considered suitable for the position.

Managers may request any other relevant material from your experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns, or other materials.

General: The consulting service will be conducted under a NPSA contract for a period of one year, with a 30-hour weekly commitment, under UNDP supervision. The work location will be at UNDP offices. The monthly salary is approximately $107,358.88 plus 8.33% pension and a $121 mutual benefit.

The contracted individual must invoice as a sole proprietorship or university professional. During the term of the contract, the contracted individual may not be a public official or have contractual ties to government agencies, with the exception of the University of the Republic. The contracted individual must be a Uruguayan citizen (natural or legal) or a foreigner with a registered address and the intention to remain in the territory of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay for as long as the tasks involved in the contract require.