Under the supervision of the Project Manager, administers elements of technical cooperation programme focused on Islamic Finance and Arab financing agencies, SME development, and investment de-risking mechanisms, by identifying challenges and utilizing data as an input to corrective actions. The goal is to promote effective project delivery aligned with UNIDO’s strategic objectives on economic transformation and SDGs.
Responsibilities
Select, organize and summarize background information to describe the overall context and background relevant of Islamic Finance initiatives, technical cooperation activities, and SME engagement within target countries or regions (e.g., ACP, MENA, ASIA and Latin America). Assess the local financial and policy environment relevant to individual project planning and execution.
Analyze and interpret project background history and documentation particularly those aligned with the five programme pillars (e.g., capacity building to Islamic financial institutions, pipeline development, technical assistance to SMEs, policy advisory, and financial de-risking mechanisms). Reconstruct and document significant decisions, milestones, or deviations for accurate monitoring and evaluation.
Draft sections of project documents such as project background, justification, stakeholder mapping, and expected impact — particularly in the context of SDG- and ESG-linked financing using UNIDO platforms such as Invest-in-ACP Portal, COMFAR, and EDIP.
Draft policy briefs, communication materials related to the programme, legal documents and any other materials which contribute to the programme.
Coordinate and inform experts, consultants and financial institution representatives (e.g., AAOIFI, UAB members, guarantee agencies, Member States of UNIDO) of internal procedures for project delivery, monitoring, and reporting. Ensure that programme activities align with Islamic and conventional finance standards and multilateral coordination frameworks.
Monitor specific aspects of project execution including SME technical assistance activities and investment appraisal support. Identify challenges in delivery and recommend actions to accelerate implementation, with a focus on high-impact sectors in priority countries.
Draft comments on designated aspects of project progress including technical input on activities such as policy advisory work with recipient governments or financial risk-sharing mechanisms. Contribute to programme-level monitoring and knowledge-sharing.
Provide support to UNIDO project managers across the organization, coordinating activities and engaging with external partners to ensure alignment with strategic objectives. For example, assist the Head of IET/PST/SEF with Silatech organization on results-based financing, including drafting legal agreement materials and supporting fund mobilization efforts.
Draft project revisions, including adjusting individual project budgets, based on changed work plans.
Education:
Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in economics, business administration, international relations or other relevant discipline with specialization in international management is required.
Work Experience:
At least three (3) years of work experience in supporting programme and project implementation and coordination in areas of technical cooperation or development finance is required.
Ability to research, analyse information and provide recommendations and feedback is required.
Experience in SME development, Islamic and Arab finance, or investment facilitation is required.
Experience supporting public-private partnerships, pipeline development, or impact-oriented SME technical assistance is an asset.
Languages:
Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
and/or working knowledge of another official UN language is desirable.
