Public Finance Specialist [Open for Tier 0,1 &2 applicants]

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0 : UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1 : Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2 : UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated : All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

As the lead United Nations agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries develop policies, leadership skills, partnerships and institutional capabilities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. UNDP’s work is guided by four strategic objectives that together define our contribution to human development: expanding prosperity for all, strengthening effective governance, safeguarding a healthy planet and building crisis resilience. These objectives are enabled by three accelerators that drive transformative impact across our portfolio: digital and AI innovation, gender equality and sustainable finance. Through this integrated approach, UNDP supports countries to deliver tangible improvements in people’s lives and to advance sustainable development at scale.

UNDP, through its Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH) ( supports partners in promoting financing for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As an accelerator of the UNDP Strategic Plan, sustainable finance strengthens countries’ ability to mobilize, align and deploy finance at scale for national priorities. UNDP supports international and country level policy reform as a catalyst for system-wide change, stronger policy environments, better-functioning markets and more coherent financing strategies for sustainable development. SFH work is delivered through three interconnected portfolios: 1) Public Finance for the SDGs; 2) Private Finance for the SDGs; and 3) Global & Country Financing Policy Frameworks.

SFH Public Finance for SDGs (PF4SDGs) portfolio supports governments to strengthen public finance systems for sustainable development. Operating across 99+ countries with a portfolio exceeding $200 million, PF4SDGs provides integrated technical assistance across three core pillars: (1) Fiscal Policy Coherence, (2) Tax Systems for Sustainable Development, and (3) Public Expenditure Management. The portfolio works with Ministries of Finance, Planning, and line ministries to align fiscal policies, tax systems, debt strategies and public expenditure with national development priorities and the 2030 Agenda. UNDP’s comparative advantage in public finance stems from its unique position at the nexus of fiscal policy and development outcomes. Rather than focusing on isolated technical reforms, UNDP empowers governments to adopt whole-of-government and whole-of-society strategies that link fiscal instruments directly to sustainable development impact. This includes facilitating cross-ministerial policy dialogue, building coalitions for reform, integrating governance, climate, gender, health, and resilience priorities into fiscal frameworks, and supporting countries in translating SDG ambitions into fiscally viable implementation pathways.

Position Purpose

The Public Finance Specialist will serve as the lead technical advisor on public financial management (PFM) within the Public Finance portfolio. The incumbent will guide the design, implementation, and monitoring of PFM-related efforts at country level, including budgeting for the SDGs, inclusive budgeting processes, and broader PFM-ecosystems strengthening, working closely with Country Offices (COs), Regional Bureaus (RBx), and specialists within the PF4SDGs team. The incumbent will also be responsible for leading research, analysis, and learning on PFM and related issues, with a view to strengthen UNDP’s service offer and capacities in this area.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. This is a recognition of interconnected nature of development risks & crises that the world is facing and that call for assembling of multidisciplinary teams for an integrated & systematic response. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

Lead policy advisory support

• Provide strategic and technical leadership in the implementation of country-level PFM- related reforms, with a focus on public expenditure reviews, SDG budgeting, budget tagging/coding, participatory and transparent budgeting processes, and inclusive budget oversight, and working closely with other thematic advisors, regional specialists, RBx, COs, and other teams across the Global Policy Network (GPN) and the SFH to provide integrated support.
• Oversee policy advice to Ministries of Finance, Ministries of Planning, sector ministries, oversight institutions, and others to ensure that public expenditure is equitable, inclusive, and aligned with national, regional and global development goals, as well as to reinforce links between planning, budgeting, and results.
• Support the Head of Public Finance for SDGs in strengthening linkages between public financial management work and other SFH portfolios, including private finance and Global Financing Policy and Country Frameworks, to ensure coherence and complementarity across SFH initiatives.
• In coordination with the SFH Regional Advisors, engage in the country-level implementation of PFM reforms and their linkages across the P4SDG portfolio and broader SFH portfolios, including preparing proposals; drafting/reviewing Terms of Reference (ToRs), concept notes, etc.; drafting technical reports; monitoring and reporting; and general backstopping/problem solving.
• Lead/guide the research and analytical work required to guide the identification of PFM reforms as part of the PF4SDGs fiscal policy approach, working closely with the Fiscal Policy Coherence Specialist and drawing on PF4SDGs analytical tools.
• Facilitate dialogue and coalition building with relevant country-level stakeholders, including government, donors, civil society, and the private sector, to define and implement shared PFM reform agendas.
• Develop new and/or refined frameworks, methodologies, guidance, and tools to facilitate the identification and implementation of the PFM reforms.

Lead knowledge, evidence and learning

• Conduct horizon scanning and original research and analysis on topics related to PFM, ensuring new data and evidence inform the future direction of the fiscal policy coherence approach.
• Lead the production of policy papers, case studies, and other knowledge products related to public expenditure and SDG budgeting that communicate technical insights to expert and non-expert audiences.
• Support UNDP and SFH thought leadership and contribute to flagship publications, policy briefs, working papers, and other knowledge products on topics related to PFM.
• Contribute to global discussions on PFM through participation in UN inter-agency groups, the Financing for Development (FfD) process, and dialogues with technical communities.
• Ensure systematic documentation of lessons learned, innovations, results, and impact from PFM interventions across countries, and promote their uptake globally.
• Support the management of communities of practice, facilitating knowledge exchange among practitioners on topics related to PFM.
• Support the design of training materials, e-learning modules, and capacity-building resources, and deliver related trainings, as required.
• Facilitate South-South and triangular cooperation, enabling peer learning on PFM across countries and regions.

Advocacy, engagement and partnerships

• Represent UNDP’s PFM support in international conferences, expert meetings, technical workshops, and policy dialogues, articulating UNDP's distinctive value proposition.
• Support senior leadership in participating in relevant global fora and processes by preparing background papers, briefing notes, talking points etc.
• Cultivate partnerships with International Financial Institutions (IFIs), including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), UN entities, bilateral donors, technical networks, civil society organizations (CSOs), and research institutions to align approaches and leverage complementary expertise in support of the P4SDGs and broader SFH portfolios.
• Provide technical inputs to resource-mobilization efforts, including funding proposals, donor briefings, and project documents focused on fiscal policy coherence.
• Contribute to the development of communications products, ensuring consistency with the PF4SDGs portfolio and UNDP’s PFM offer.

Ensure programme management and coordination

• Contribute to results-based management for the PF4SDGs portfolio and broader SFH portfolios, including indicator tracking, performance monitoring and documenting outcomes, working closely with the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) focal point.
• Prepare technical inputs