Under the supervision of the DBSA Principal: Climate and Nature Finance, the Specialist (Seconded) will provide technical, financial and programme management support to the DBSA’s Climate and Nature Finance team for the design, operationalisation, fundraising and implementation of Biodiversity projects. The assignment specifically integrates youth economic participation, green skills development, digital credentialing and outcomes-based finance aligned with UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited (GenU).

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. 

How can you make a difference?  

UNICEF, through its Generation Unlimited (GenU) initiative, supports young people to transition into learning, earning and active citizenship. GenU’s digital youth platform, YOMA (Youth Agency Marketplace), has reached over 1.25 million young people globally, providing access to learning, earning and social impact opportunities. YOMA’s YoID - its digital identity architecture - issues portable, verifiable achievement records for youth, while YOMA Impact Marketplace offers gig-work/livelihood opportunities to youth combined with digital Measurement, Reporting and Verification (dMRV) of tasks completed. Together, these systems provide the technical foundation for generating biodiversity and SDG impact certificates that institutional investors and multilateral co-funders can trust, while directly providing livelihood support for young people.

1. Facility Design and Structuring

•     Support refinement of the structure of biodiversity blended finance instruments and governance frameworks

•     Integrate youth inclusion, green livelihoods and employment-generation considerations into biodiversity investment criteria and deal structures

•     Develop a framework that embeds youth participation and digital verification standards

•     Identify blended finance approaches supporting youth-led and youth-inclusive biodiversity enterprises

•     Advise on outcome metrics and payment triggers for the proposed Youth in Biodiversity Outcomes Facility

2. Pipeline Development and Project Preparation

•     Identify and develop a pipeline of biodiversity and nature-based projects with clear youth employment and livelihoods potential

•     Support feasibility assessments, financial modelling and project preparation

•     Map biodiversity and green economy value chains with potential for youth employment, entrepreneurship and stewardship income

3. Youth Skills, Employment and Entrepreneurship Integration

•     Develop strategies and opportunities linking biodiversity investments to youth skilling, employment and entrepreneurship through DLAB precincts

•     Support partnerships with government, private sector, training institutions and implementing partners to create green jobs and livelihood pathways

•     Design youth enterprise development frameworks within biodiversity and nature-based sectors, including stewardship income models

•     Facilitate linkages to the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) and other national youth employment frameworks

4. Digital Platforms and YOMA Integration

•     Lead operational integration of the YOMA platform with DBSA DLAB precincts as opportunity providers

•     Support deployment of digital credentials for DLAB and Biodiversity investment youth participants

•     Coordinate rollout of YOMA Impacts Exchange for biodiversity stewardship tasks performed by youth in pilot geographies

•     Facilitate the dual-credential mechanism: ensuring youth biodiversity stewardship simultaneously generates employment and biodiversity impact certificates

•     Leverage the YOMA Impacts Exchange to route impact certificates to appropriate buyers/investors; to employers and PYEI/PES for employment credentials; to ESG investors and the Impact Funder for biodiversity stewardship certificates/credits.

5. Fundraising and Outcomes-Based Capital Mobilisation

•     Prepare funding proposals, concept notes and investor materials for potential investors

•     Position the Youth in Biodiversity dual-credential model as a bankable investment proposition

•     Support the development of a Youth-Biodiversity Outcomes Facility

•     Support DBSA’s engagement with national and international investors/funders to channel biodiversity funding through verified youth-led project pipelines.

6. Programme Management and Implementation

•     Track implementation progress against agreed KPIs including biodiversity outcomes and youth economic participation metrics

•     Coordinate stakeholder partnerships across UNICEF, DBSA, DLabs, government, private sector, civil society and other stakeholders

•     Manage the phased partnership roadmap from DLAB-YOMA integration pilot, through to Outcomes Facility capital raising

•     Ensure DBSA’s reporting obligations to the Auditor-General and international funders are met using verified dMRV data.

7. Knowledge Management and Thought Leadership

•     Develop thought leadership, learning products and reports positioning DBSA as a leading DFI in youth-integrated biodiversity finance

•     Document lessons on biodiversity finance, youth participation, dual-credential mechanisms and digital innovation in the green economy.

•     Represent the programme at relevant forums and events.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: Download File ToR_ext TMC0006387.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have... 

QUALIFICATIONS / SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE / EXPERIENCE/ COMPETENCIES (CORE/TECHNICAL/FUNCTIONAL) / LANGUAGE SKILLS REQUIRED FOR THE ASSIGNMENT  

 Education:

  • Master’s in environmental finance, Conservation Economics, Development Finance, Sustainable Development, Climate Finance, or related field.

 Work Experience:

  • Minimum 10 years-experience in climate finance, biodiversity investment, blended finance or nature-based solutions.
  • Demonstrated experience in outcomes-based finance, impact investment or development results frameworks.
  • Strong track record in fundraising, investor engagement and proposal development for multilateral or development finance contexts.
  • Experience working across public, private and development-sector partnerships.
  • Experience in youth development, livelihoods programming, or green economy skills (highly desirable)
  • Experience with digital service platforms, online youth employments systems, digital public goods, and similar, will be advantageous. Language Requirements:

 Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:

  • Familiarity with digital credentialing systems, decentralised identity systems or digital MRV platforms (highly desirable)
  • Knowledge of GEF project cycles, external financing instruments or Just Energy Transition programming in Southern Africa is desirable
  • Exposure to YOMA, ZLTO, SA Youth or comparable youth digital marketplaces (advantageous)
  • Understanding of South African biodiversity policy frameworks and nature-related financial disclosure standards
  • Excellent analytical writing and communication skills; proven ability to produce strategy documents and policy frameworks
  • Experience working with United Nations agencies and development banks advantageous
  • Knowledge of the South African youth development landscape including PYEI, NYDA, YES and SA Youth Platform

 

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 detailed technical proposal (5-10 pages) outlining understanding of the assignment; approach and methodology; workplan and timeline; deliverables; team composition (if applicable); risks/assumptions.

Remarks: If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not downloadable 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. 

At Impactpool we do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.