Technical Analyst

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. Office/Unit/Project Description UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work is carried out through a network of advisors and specialists located at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, to ensure that local knowledge and context specific expertise is linked to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP provides its policy advisory and programme support functions through the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains, in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policies and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan.    UNDP's 2026-2029 Strategic Plan highlights our continued commitment to eradicating poverty, accompanying countries in their pathways towards the SDGs and working towards the Paris Agreement. Built around four core objectives—prosperity for all, effective governance, crisis resilience, and a healthy planet—the plan is powered by three accelerators: digital and AI transformation, gender equality, and sustainable finance. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP's Planet Hub promotes and scales up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas.  The Planet Hub drives UNDP’s vision of a world where economies and ecosystems thrive together, helping over 150 countries to achieve this vision through systemic change that aligns policy, finance, integrated solutions, and societal ownership to advance sustainable human development.  Backed by diverse partnerships, funding sources, and deep expertise at global and regional level, the Planet Hub helps countries advance their environmental and economic goals across eight critical thematic areas: Climate and Nature Policy, Ecosystems and Biodiversity, Forests, Land Use and Food Systems, Cooling, Circularity and Pollution Prevention, Finance for Planet, Local Action and Just Transition, Climate Adaptation and Resilient Societies, and Decarbonization and Sustainable Energy.  As the largest single operational and financial UN player in the field of environmental sustainability, UNDP is widely recognized as a global leader in supporting governments to sharpen policy, access finance and develop capacity for the management of biodiversity and ecosystems for sustainable development and poverty eradication. UNDP’s work on nature has as an overall strategic objective to maintain and enhance the goods and services provided by biodiversity and ecosystems in order to secure livelihoods, food, water and health, enhance resilience, conserve threatened species and their habitats, and increase carbon storage and sequestration.  UNDP is expanding its efforts to engage private sector in biodiversity financing, contributing to the overall objective of redirecting global finance flows from nature negative to nature positive, as a prerequisite system change for achieving the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Programme and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among the instruments in biodiversity finance, emerging attention is being dedicated to biodiversity credits. “Biodiversity credits, or ‘biocredits’ (i.e., nature credits, biodiversity tokens and alike), are emerging as a quantifiable unit of biodiversity, supported by a scientific methodology, that can incentivise nature conservation and restoration to benefit marginalised groups living with nature. The Biodiversity Credit Alliance (BCA) is a multi-stakeholder initiative aiming to provide clarity and guidance on the development of a credible and scalable biodiversity credit market. The BCA brings together methodology developers, private sector stakeholders, NGOs, and academia to advance the concept of biodiversity credits, ensuring they promote nature-positive outcomes while benefiting Indigenous Peoples and local communities. The BCA is structured around a Task Force and a Forum, with working groups dedicated to key technical areas such as biodiversity credit definitions, peer-review mechanisms, demand-side engagement, metrics, digital standards, and marine biodiversity credits. To date, the BCA Task Force brings together 20 leading biodiversity credit methodology developers, including companies, academia and NGOs, which work to generate scientific standards for biodiversity credits in different contexts and ecosystems. In addition, the BCA Forum facilitates the dissemination of knowledge to over 500 member organizations interested in contributing to and learning about the biodiversity credit market. The BCA Secretariat is funded and facilitated by UNDP, UNEP FI, SIDA, GIZ and EC. This position will play a supportive role in advancing technical discussions, facilitating working groups, and ensuring high-quality outputs that contribute to the integrity and credibility of the emerging biodiversity credit market. The Technical Analyst will operate as a part of the BCA Secretariat, ensuring that BCA’s technical working groups are well coordinated to deliver the technical outputs in a timely and consultative manner. Scope of Work The Technical Analyst will undertake the following responsibilities: Conduct Market Knowledge & Technical Analysis Maintain and apply strong understanding of biodiversity credit markets, key actors, definitions, and emerging practices Monitor and synthesize developments in biodiversity finance, carbon markets, and related standards Conduct research and analysis on market dynamics, including demand, supply, pricing, and trends Contribute to the Market Integrity, Frameworks & Demand Enablement Support screening of biodiversity credit schemes against BCA’s High-Level Principles (HLPs) using the Assessment Framework Distill lessons from assessments and contribute to continuous refinement of the HLPs and Assessment Framework Support development of technical guidance and tools, including:  1. A digital tool for demand integrity 2. A claims catalogue and code of practice for buyers 3. Guidance on claims, governance mechanisms, and market architecture Contribute to workstreams aimed at enabling and strengthening demand for high‑integrity biodiversity credits Support Establishments of the Working Groups & Knowledge Products Support establishment and coordination of working groups and interest groups Facilitate co-leads in defining scopes, priorities, and deliverables Identify and engage relevant experts and community members Develop and manage workplans with clear timelines and outputs Organize and facilitate consultative meetings, manage divergent views, and build consensus Analyze inputs and produce issue papers and technical reports Coordinate consultations, finalize publications, and support dissemination through briefs, webinars, and events, in line with BCA protocols Facilitate Country Support & Capacity Building Provide technical inputs to country readiness assessments, feasibility studies, and pilot design Support delivery of training, workshops, and knowledge exchange Synthesize country-level insights to inform BCA’s global guidance and market development work Support the development of Nature Market Accelerator (NMA) Apply and refine integrity assessment tools, including the HLPs Assessment Matrix, to ensure consistent evaluation of all NMA pilot projects. Provide independent integrity oversight across all phases of the initiative, ensuring all activities uphold the BCA High Level Principles (HLPs). Identify crosscutting integrity risks related to safeguards, governance, benefit sharing, and MRV, and provide recommendations. Ensure that insights from the pilots inform ongoing international development of biodiversity credit methodologies and policy dialogue. Ensure Partnerships, Outreach & Technical Collaboration Support technical collaboration with partner institutions and initiatives Ensure alignment with BCA processes, protocols, and High-Level Principles Contribute to outreach and advocacy to promote adoption of high-integrity biodiversity credits across public and private sectors Support organization of targeted stakeholder events and workshops The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.  Institutional Arrangements The incumbent will work from home base. The incumbent will work in the BCA Secretariat, under the overall guidance of the Senior Nature Economist as the Lead of the Nature Investments Team and will report directly to the BCA Global Coordinator. The role involves engagement with different stakeholders within the BCA Governance Structures including Indigenous Peoples and local communities and external partners. The incumbent will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment.  The incumbent will be responsible for providing her/his own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, assignment specific software, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection.  Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the incumbent is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations, taking into consideration different time zones.  Competencies Core Achieve Results: Level 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline Think Innovatively: Level 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements Learn Continuously: Level 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback Adapt with Agility: Level 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible Act with Determination: Level 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident Engage and Partner: Level 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Level 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination Cross-Functional & Technical competencies  Business Development- Collective Intelligence Design Ability to bring together diverse groups of people, data, information, ideas, and technology to solve problems and design solutions or services. Knowledge and understanding of Collective Intelligence Design principles, methodology and practices.  Business Development- Knowledge Generation Ability to research information and turn it into useful knowledge, relevant context, or responsive to a stated need. Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations. Business Management-Communication Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.  Data-Data Analysis Ability to extract, analyze and visualize data to form meaningful insights and aid effective business decision making. Partnership Management-Relationship Management Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA Min. Education requirements Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Environmental Science/Management or related field is required, OR  A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree. Min. years of relevant work experience  Applicants with a master's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience. Applicants with a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of 2 years working experience with biodiversity credits, nature financing, policy development and research. Desired skills Experience of the UN and/or UNDP’s rules, policies, and procedures Experience facilitating public and bilateral consultations on topics such as carbon and/or biodiversity credits Experience providing technical guidance and/ or capacity building to governments, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and/or UN Country Offices on topics related to biodiversity credits Experience presenting at high-level international events and/or delivering workshops related to nature finance topics such as the biodiversity credit market Experience reviewing and/or applying the policy guidelines related to the biodiversity credit market such as the “High Level Principles to Guide the Biodiversity Credit Market”. Required Language(s) Fluency in the English is required. Working knowledge of another UN language is an asset. Equal opportunity As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.  UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all. Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.  Right to select multiple candidates 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. Use of AI by candidates Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection [https://www.undp.org/careers/using-ai-responsibly-undp-recruitment-and-selection] Scam alert UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.  #LI-DNI