The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is seeking a Digital Finance Specialist (IPSA 11) for a home-based, remote position. This role is a unique opportunity for experienced professionals in investment management, digital finance, and development to contribute to inclusive financial systems and sustainable economic growth in emerging markets.
UNCDF, a UN organ, supports developing countries—particularly least developed countries—by mobilizing capital through grants, loans, and guarantees. Its mission is to catalyze investment flows for SDG-aligned projects, ensuring inclusive growth and equitable prosperity.
About UNCDF
UNCDF functions as a hybrid development organization and a development finance institution. Its operations focus on:
- SME Finance – Supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises through targeted financing solutions.
- Sub-National Finance – Strengthening local financial systems and enabling municipal access to capital markets.
- Digital Finance – Building inclusive, traceable digital financial systems for underserved communities, particularly women and youth.
UNCDF has regional hubs in Dakar (Senegal), Nairobi (Kenya), and Bangkok (Thailand), with sub-regional offices in the Caribbean and Pacific regions. The organization operates under an Executive Secretary based in New York, and is overseen by an Executive Board comprised of UN member states.
Role Overview
The Digital Finance Specialist is responsible for operationalizing UNCDF’s Digital Finance Strategy and scaling its impact across emerging markets. The specialist serves as a bridge between private sector investment logic, including fintech and venture capital, and UNCDF’s mandate for risk-absorbing, developmental capital deployment.
Key objectives include:
- Implementing the Capital Pathways Model, linking diagnostics with conditional financial deployment.
- Ensuring investment conditionality is applied across digital finance initiatives to achieve systemic change.
- Catalyzing inclusive digital economies that increase MSME productivity, create jobs, and enhance household wellbeing.
This is a home-based role, requiring close collaboration with UNCDF regional teams and occasional travel.
Key Responsibilities
Diagnostics, Investment Conditionality, and Quality Assurance
- Apply the Diagnostic Filter to identify systemic failure points in digital finance ecosystems.
- Certify that proposals meet the Constraint-Based Readiness Tiers before capital deployment.
- Translate diagnostic findings into actionable investment conditionality, ensuring capital allocation addresses verified barriers.
Digital Public Infrastructure Strategy and Advisory
- Provide advisory support for Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) development, including e-KYC systems and interoperable payment rails.
- Assist sub-national governments in adopting Digital Public Goods (DPGs) to enhance financial transparency and creditworthiness.
- Ensure DPI interventions prioritize underserved groups, especially women and youth.
Market Intelligence and Knowledge Integration
- Analyze trends in fintech, AI, and venture capital to inform UNCDF investment strategies.
- Integrate commercial insights into policy advisory frameworks for financial sector deepening.
- Deliver capacity-building programs for regional teams and maintain knowledge management systems capturing lessons learned.
Capital Pathways Strategy and Investment Structuring
- Lead the strategic alignment of capital deployment across UNCDF programs.
- Provide advisory support on structuring Performance-Based Grants, concessional loans, and portfolio guarantees for digital finance projects.
- Define risk mitigation mechanisms for DPI assets, distinguishing CAPEX and OPEX risks to ensure bankable projects.
Capital Mobilization and Regional Market Development
- Support the design and negotiation of complex blended finance structures.
- Attract venture capital and impact investors to achieve a 4x leverage target in follow-on financing.
- Ensure digital finance components across other UNCDF capabilities meet investment conditionality standards.
- Develop pipelines of high-impact, bankable digital finance projects, particularly in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.
Required Qualifications and Skills
The ideal candidate will possess:
- Education: Advanced degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Finance, Economics, Development Finance, or related fields; a Bachelor’s degree with additional experience is acceptable.
- Experience: Minimum seven years (Master’s) or nine years (Bachelor’s) in investment management, digital finance, and capital mobilization, ideally in emerging markets.
- Technical Skills: Fund management, investment structuring, portfolio risk management, blended finance, financial modeling, and DPI financing.
- Sector Knowledge: Direct experience in fintech, microfinance, digital financial services, or AI-related investments.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience with multi-country funds exceeding USD 20M.
- Familiarity with UNCDF or similar UN agencies.
- Fluency in Spanish is an asset.
Competencies
The role requires strong competencies in:
- Strategic Thinking – Synthesizing global digital finance strategies with local investment realities.
- Entrepreneurial Thinking – Translating UNCDF’s value proposition into actionable service offerings.
- Partnership Management – Building trust with multilateral organizations and private investors.
- System Thinking – Understanding interrelated elements of financial ecosystems and investment flows.
Why Apply
This position allows professionals to contribute directly to inclusive digital finance ecosystems, support SDG-aligned projects, and drive financial inclusion in vulnerable communities. The home-based setup offers flexibility while maintaining close interaction with global UNCDF teams.
UNCDF promotes diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity, encouraging qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.
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