Job Description

Background

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

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.

The development sector is changing very quickly, and innovation is becoming the central ingredient in any development intervention. Business as usual no longer has a place in development. UNDP is at the forefront of deploying innovative solutions to development challenges in order to help nations achieve sustainable development goals. One of those initiatives is the integrated innovation ecosystem support programme, the Funguo Innovation Programme (also simply referred to as FUNGUO).

Building on the work of the former Human Development Innovation Fund programme (HDIF), the ultimate aim of FUNGUO is to increase the number of successfully scaled innovation ventures/start-ups to contribute to the national development goals and the SDGs in Tanzania. This will be achieved through the programme’s contribution to addressing the stumbling blocks and gaps in the innovation ecosystem that hinder innovative impact ventures from scaling, while promoting an environment that empowers innovators and enablers. The three main pillars of the programme are:

Innovation Financing: This will include, but not be limited to, building a viable pipeline of innovation impact ventures/start-ups, working with partners to provide relevant and flexible financial and technical support to innovation ventures/start-ups and ultimately setting up an autonomous Funguo Innovation Facility that will leverage public funding to unlock private / third party financing and investment.
Innovation Service Delivery: Contributing to strengthening the capacity of service delivery institutions (hubs, incubators, accelerators, professional business development services providers, etc…) in order to support and lead innovative start-ups to a stage where they could attract impact and/or commercial investments.
Innovation Enabling Environment: working with and supporting policymakers and other innovation stakeholders to promote strategic dialogues, policy influencing and engagement across the innovation ecosystem.
The programme is initially being funded by UNDP, the European Union Delegation to Tanzania, as well as the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO). The implementation is being led by UNDP Tanzania in partnership with the United Nations Capital Development Fund, UNCDF.

Duties and Responsibilities
The Portfolio and Investment Lead will assume the overall responsibility for the innovation financing function of the Funguo Innovation Programme. S/He will be expected to design mechanisms, strategies, and interventions to ensure a viable pipeline of innovation impact ventures/start-ups is built and mobilize strategic partnerships and resources to adequately support a portfolio of selected start-ups. Under the guidance of the Programme Manager and technical oversight of the UNCDF Head of Inclusive Digital Economy, the Portfolio and Investment Lead will be responsible for the following:
A. Build a pipeline of investable innovative ventures from promising early-stage innovations

Working with the Innovation Technical Assistance Lead, explore innovative venture building schemes to build and nurse a critical mass of early-stage innovations;
Explore partnerships to implement and co-fund the identified venture-building scheme;
Launch the venture building scheme and implement with identified partners;
Work with the Communications Lead to document and disseminate lessons to inform future initiatives.
B. Build and manage a portfolio of innovative impact ventures through financial and technical assistance

Design the call for proposals through co-creation with partners and the wider innovation ecosystem;
Design/reconfigure and test an online application and processing portal;
Work with the Communications Lead in launching and promoting the call for funding applications;
Oversee the processing, review and technical & financial appraisal of submitted funding applications;
Collate the programme team’s funding recommendations and package the same for the onward approval process;
Constitute and convene the local investment committee to review and approve the programme team’s funding recommendations;
Coordinate the financing structuring and agreements documentation;
Organize a series of targeted workshops for innovative impact ventures (e.g., Information and Learning sessions, Induction workshops, Investor readiness programmes, etc.) in partnership with respective partner innovation enablers;
Oversee the fund disbursement to selected ventures;
Oversee the development of digital portfolio management and reporting tools;
Ensure adequate monitoring and reporting.
C. Oversee the establishment of a network of local and international impact and commercial investors

Coordinate the mapping exercise for potential investors interested in partnering with the Funguo Innovation Programme;
Convene regular virtual or physical sessions with mapped impact investors;
Coordinate the formalization of partnerships with interested impact investors;
Work with the Partnerships Lead in developing and implementing a resource mobilization strategy for the programme.
D. Oversee the establishment and operationalization of an autonomous Funguo Innovation Facility

Explore the design and legal status of the Funguo Innovation Facility through consultations with key partners;
Develop Terms of Reference for the procurement of legal and organizational design consulting services;
Work with the Procurement unit to launch the legal and organizational design consulting services tenders and oversee the selection process;
Coordination of the resource mobilization efforts for the facility.
E. Coordinate the establishment of the programme’s and facility’s network of technical advisors and implementing partners.

Work with the Innovation Technical Assistance and Communications Leads to establish a network of “modern-day” technical advisors and consultants;
Work with the Innovation Technical Assistance and Communications Leads to convene a learning session for potential technical advisors and partners;
Establish a database for local technical advisors and consultants;
Oversee the design and launch of terms of reference for the procurement of Long-Term Advisory services form the established technical advisors and consultants’ database.
E. Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:

The Portfolio and Investment Lead will work with HR and procurement unit in recruiting and onboarding Investment Associates/ volunteers/ Interns and consultants respectively as and when needed.

Institutional Arrangement

The Portfolio & Investment Lead works with the UNCDF IDE team and UNDP FUNGUO team, and reports to the FUNGUO Programme Manager. He/she will also supervise Investment Associate and Intern.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Achieve Results: Level 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work;
Think Innovatively: Level 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking;
Learn continuously: Level 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning;
Adapt with Agility: Level 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process;
Act with Determination: Level 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously;
Engage and Partner: Level 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships;
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Level 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Resource mobilization: Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements;
Investment management፡ Ability to manage organization’s assets such as equity, bonds, cash, etc. according to the investment guidelines;
SDG Finance: Impact Investment, incl. SDG Impact Finance;
SDG Finance: Social impact investments;
SDG Finance: Responsive investment and impact measurement;
Portfolio design & management: Ability to identify leverage points in systems and design interventions that address them. The value of the interventions are determined not in isolation, but as part of the overall portfolio and their coherence;
Management and cost accounting: Ability to produce periodic qualitative and quantitative performance reports to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring. Ability to use a range of costing techniques and analyze cost related data to provide quantitative information to the users of reports.
Required Skills and Experience

Education:
Master’s Degree in Finance, Business Administration, project management, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Engineering, or related field is required. Bachelor’s degree in combination with qualifying experience (4 years) may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:
Minimum 2 years of professional experience (for Master’s Degree) or 4 years of experience (for Bachelors degree) in Investment Appraisal, Project Financing, SME Financing, Business Development, Development Banking, Investment Banking, Credit Risk Analysis, or other related fields;
Relevant Graduate degree is an added advantage;
Any relevant professional certification will be considered an asset;
At least 2 years experience working with innovators, SMEs or Start-ups in Tanzania or wider East Africa
Solid understanding of innovative business and financing models for African startups;
Demonstrated experience in preparation of project financial analysis and creation/evaluation of advanced and complex financial models;
Demonstrated experience in project proposals evaluation and assessment of economic and technical feasibility for private sector funding;
Demonstrated ability to engage across multiple stakeholders, including project sponsors, government partners and financial institutions;
Demonstrable network within the Tanzanian innovation ecosystem;
Track record of running a venture building or acceleration programme in Tanzania or East Africa;
Track record in stakeholders’ engagement in private, public and development partners’ circles;
Past work experience with a UN agency and/or international organization in Tanzania is considered an asset;
Experience in project proposal writing and/or resource mobilization.
Language

Strong Communication skills (written and oral) in both English and Swahili is required;
Knowledge of an additional international language will be considered as an asset.
Disclaimer

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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.

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