Technical Director, TISFD (Home based)

Remote | New York City

Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
Location: Remote | New York City
Grade: Level not specified - Level not specified
Occupational Groups:
- Managerial positions
Closing Date: Closed

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Job Purpose and Organizational Context

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNDP's policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP's Strategic Plan. BPPS's staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. In addition, BPPS works closely with UNDP's Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response.

The world needs an economic governance architecture deliberately designed to support governments, development agencies, civil society, and the private sector to make decisions that prioritize investment in the SDGs. Thus, UNDP established the Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH) in 2019, aggregating UNDP’s existing work and expertise on financing the SDGs. UNDP aims to promote the investment of over $1 trillion of public expenditure and private capital in the SDGs and maximize development impact for country partners. With this goal, UNDP will mobilize governments, institutional and commercial investors, financial institutions, and enterprises alike to take a more integrated approach to sustainable investment, enabling and promoting the impact integrity of actual and realized investments to enhance transparency, and optimize private and public sectors contributions to achieving the SDGs. Through SFH, UNDP has been increasing its engagement in global financial and economic policy making through the work carried out in different forums (i.e., G7, G20, UN’s Financing for Development process, etc.) as well as other regulatory and market-based networks.

In this context, UNDP supports the Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures (TISFD or Taskforce), a global initiative for reporting and managing inequality and social-related risks, opportunities, impacts, and dependencies. The Taskforce is a multistakeholder initiative involving investors, business, labor, civil society, policy makers and regulators, service providers, and academia working together to co-create a global framework for inequality and social-related disclosures, guidance and education and capacity building resources. For more information see: TISFD

It is anticipated the framework will be developed over two years, from September 2024 through September 2026, with the production of critical outputs throughout this period and further work on implementation to follow. The Taskforce Secretariat will coordinate and facilitate the Taskforce’s activities according to the direction defined by the Steering Committee and Working Groups. This includes coordinating inputs from a body of subject matter experts structured around the TISFD Alliance participating through Regional Hubs.

The Secretariat will operate mostly virtually with key Secretariat partners spread across the globe and be led by an Executive Director.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Technical Director will oversee the overall technical development of the TISFD’s framework, ensuring that it meets the practical needs of the market while being technically rigorous and aligned with the principles and over-arching mission of the TISFD.

The Technical Director will oversee and manage the work of the initiative’s Technical Team delivering the scientific and technical expertise needed to realise the TISFD mandate.

The technical deliverables of the Taskforce involve a set of foundational resources including but not limited to: definitions concerning inequality and social-related risks and opportunities; a stakeholder landscape assessment to help maximise alignment and complementarity with existing initiatives, frameworks, and standards, and avoid duplication; a set of user principles to help users understand how to adapt the framework to the context of their organisation and a classification system for inequality and social-related risks and opportunities by industry, building on existing work in this space, and an integrated, accessible, and practical disclosure framework.

Lead TISFD Technical Team, work planning, and implementation.

Developing and overseeing implementation of plans for all technical deliverables of the TISFD, working consultatively according to TISFD’s governance principles across the initiative while effectively managing trade-offs to maintain momentum.
Attracting, deploying, and overseeing the diverse range of talent and resources needed to deliver on these plans, including managing a Technical Team of 4-5 FTE.
Identifying and commissioning new applied research from leading experts and relevant institutions worldwide, as required.

Lead development of technical deliverables in collaboration with TISFD Working Groups

Overseeing the development of all technical deliverables of the Taskforce.
Managing engagement of the TISFD’s Working Groups, ensuring Working Groups’ guidance and feedback are properly incorporated into technical outputs and followed through.
Providing independent expertise and advice to the TISFD Working Groups on technical matters upon their request.
Establishing processes and working methods to ensure the integration of feedback the TISFD Alliance, the Taskforce’s broad multi-sectoral and cross-regional network, at every stage of development of technical outputs.

Piloting, testing, learning and capacity development

Organising and facilitating systematic piloting of the framework across priority sectors, asset classes, instruments, and stakeholders.
Promoting and engaging stakeholders for testing of the final framework and market consultations before its launch in 2027, synthetising and integrating feedback of results for informing finalization of the framework.
Advising on the formulation of learning modules and capacity development resources of the TISFD.
Working closely with the TISFD’s Regional Hub Coordinators to ensure technical outputs are enriched and reflective of contextual issues across geographies.

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

Institutional arrangements

The Technical Director work under the supervision of the Executive Director of the TISFD’s Secretariat in UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub.

The initial contract is concluded for 1 year with extension based on performance results. The role is expected to last a minimum of 2 years.

Core

Core Competencies
Achieve Results:	LEVEL 4: Prioritize team workflow, mobilize resources, drive scalable results/strategic impact
Think Innovatively:	LEVEL 4: Easily navigate complexity, encourage/enable radical innovation, has foresight
Learn Continuously	LEVEL 4: Create systems and processes that enable learning and development for all
Adapt with Agility	LEVEL 4: Proactively initiate/lead organizational change, champion new systems/processes
Act with Determination	LEVEL 4: Able to make difficult decisions in challenging situations, inspire confidence
Engage and Partner	LEVEL 4: Construct strategic multi-partner alliances in high stake situations, foster co-creation
Enable Diversity and Inclusion	LEVEL 4: Create ethical culture, identify/address barriers to inclusion

People management

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-functional and technical competencies

Thematic Area	Name	Definition
Business Direction and Strategy	Negotiation and Influence	Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates ‘win-win’ situations
Business Direction and Strategy	System 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 management	Project management	Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
Business management	Working with evidence and Data	Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making.
2030 Agenda: Engagement and Effectiveness	Strategic Policy Engagement	Influencing the policy agenda and collaboration with UNSDG, IMF, World Bank, G20, EU, OECD, SIDA, WEF
2030 Agenda: Peace	Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights	Human rights institutions/compliance
2030 Agenda: Partnerships	SDG Finance	ESG standards

Minimum requirements

Min. Academic Education	An advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent), in International Development, International Relations, Law, Anthropology, Business Administration, Economics, Physics, Mathematics, or other relevant field 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.
Min. years of relevant work experience	A minimum of 10 years (with master’s degree) and 12 years (with bachelor’s degree) of experience in sustainable finance, sustainability standards, social responsibility and/or business and human rights in the public sector, the private sector or academia is required.
Required skills	Experience in standard-setting in the field of corporate and/or finance sector reporting. Experience leading teams and working collaboratively within an interdisciplinary setting.
Desired additional skills	Track record in managing inequality and/or social-related risks and opportunities for the corporate and/or finance sectors is an asset. Experience translating complex technical information to private and finance sector audiences, and to a diverse range of other stakeholders desirable. Proven track record in successfully delivering complex, interdisciplinary projects across multiple partners and regions is desirable. Experience in scoping, commissioning, and integrating applied research from a diverse set of technical experts to inform private sector decision-making is an asset. Experience with relevant policy making processes and dynamics at international and national levels concerning sustainable finance reporting and disclosure frameworks and regulations is an advantage. Experience with the development or implementation of the recommendations of TNFD or TCFD and/or comparable initiatives involving sustainability reporting and disclosure by the private sector is an asset.
Required Language(s) (at working level)	Fluency in English required.

Travel

This is a home-based assignment, so no travel to/from the duty station is envisaged.

Costs of other travel, as deemed necessary by UNDP while performing the outlined functions, shall be at UNDP’s expense and in accordance with the applicable UNDP travel policy.

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: 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.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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This vacancy is now closed.