Energy Finance Specialist at UNDP Tanzania

Please note the appropriate Tier indicated in the vacancy title and ensure that you hold the applicable contract as defined below.

• Tier 1: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed term (FTA) appointments (defined as “internal” candidates)
• Tier 2: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers

BACKGROUND

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the leading organization for sustainable development within the UN system, acting as the key integrator to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP's work spans headquarters, regional, and country levels, leveraging local expertise alongside global insights to deliver effective advocacy and solutions. The Global Policy Network (GPN) is central to this effort, mobilizing technical expertise to support UNDP's strategic objectives and six "signature solutions."

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) have the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP's Strategic Plan. BPPS's staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP's Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP's development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working.  BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

As per UNDP’s new Strategic Plan 2026-2029, four strategic objectives – prosperity for all, effective governance, crisis resilience and healthy planet – define the organization’s strategic direction, powered by three accelerators: digital and artificial intelligence (AI) transformation; gender equality; and sustainable finance.

The central purpose of the Rome Centre is to ensure the effective implementation and further development of the strategic partnership between UNDP and the government of Italy across the objectives of sustainable development and in doing so advancing the broader partnership between UNDP and G7 and G20 countries.

The Rome Centre focuses on the critical policy areas of youth engagement in climate action, energy for development and climate finance.

Energy is one of UNDP’s six signature solutions, alongside poverty reduction, governance, resilience, environment, and gender equality. These solutions guide countries towards three key goals: structural transformation, leaving no one behind, and resilience. UNDP's energy strategy aligns with SDG 7, focusing on three action areas: increasing access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy; improving energy efficiency; and expanding the share of renewable energy in the energy mix.

To achieve these objectives, UNDP employs integrated interventions, including policy reform, technology adoption, financial solutions, delivery systems, capacity development, community mobilization, and awareness-raising. These efforts aim to eliminate barriers to sustainable energy investments and facilitate energy transitions globally.

In Tanzania, the government has set bold energy access and transition goals, including through Mission 300, which aims to connect 8.4 million new customers to the national grid and off-grid solutions. Achieving these ambitions will require substantial and sustained investment, robust planning, and strengthened public-private collaboration. UNDP is supporting these efforts through technical assistance, policy advice, and innovative financing mechanisms.

A key initiative supporting this agenda is "Energy for Growth in Africa", which aims to identify and support clean energy projects across the continent that face difficulties accessing finance. The initiative, developed in partnership with the G7 and building on the Italy–UNDP Energy Partnership, provides technical assistance, risk mitigation tools, and access to concessional finance to improve project viability and attract private sector investment. Operated through UNDP Country Offices, the initiative works with governments to ensure alignment with national energy priorities and to help scale up investment-ready projects.

Currently active in twelve African countries, the initiative focuses on markets with limited access to commercial finance, working in close coordination with multilateral efforts to streamline support and enhance the delivery of sustainable energy solutions.

Duties And Responsabilities

The UNDP Rome Centre for Climate Action and Energy Transition is seeking an Energy Finance Specialist to support the implementation of the “Energy for Growth in Africa” programme in Tanzania. The Specialist will work in close coordination with the UNDP Country Office in Tanzania and under the technical guidance of the Rome Centre’s Energy for Growth in Africa Team to accelerate clean energy investments aligned with national priorities and UNDP’s global energy strategy.

The primary objective of this role is to identify, develop, and support energy initiatives that unlock financing and contribute to a just, inclusive, and sustainable energy transition in Tanzania. The Energy Finance Specialist will provide strategic insights and technical expertise to ensure that interventions respond to national development goals while advancing regional and global objectives under SDG 7.

Responsibilities

The Energy Finance Specialist will serve as the focal point for the UNDP Rome Centre’s “Energy for Growth in Africa” initiative in Tanzania. The Specialist will provide technical expertise, strategic advice, and stakeholder coordination to accelerate clean energy investments that contribute to Tanzania’s sustainable energy and climate goals, in alignment with UNDP’s regional and global energy strategy. The key responsibilities include:

Ensure Project Identification and Origination

• Identify promising clean energy projects in Tanzania that face financing barriers and require targeted support to reach bankability.
• Develop and maintain a pipeline of clean energy projects in collaboration with the UNDP Tanzania Country Office, national institutions, and private sector stakeholders.
• Ensure project identification is aligned with Tanzania’s national energy priorities, SDG 7 targets, and the objectives of the Energy for Growth in Africa initiative.
• Support the development of a country engagement strategy, including the analysis of economic trends and opportunities in the energy sector.

Build Strategic Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination

• Engage and coordinate with key energy stakeholders—government entities, private investors, development institutions (including G7 partners), and financial actors—to facilitate partnerships and co-investment opportunities.
• Advise and support the UNDP Country Office in developing and implementing partnership strategies to advance policy dialogue and investment mobilisation for clean energy.
• Organize and contribute to technical meetings, stakeholder roundtables, and outreach events to promote the Energy for Growth in Africa initiative and related energy access and transition programmes.
• Participate in Development Partner coordination meetings and technical workshops, including the Energy Development Partners Group (EDPG). Actively engage in discussions to identify strategic opportunities, track sector progress, and share updates on the energy portfolio and pipeline projects. Provide regular briefings to the Portfolio Manager on key developments, emerging partnerships, and potential areas for collaboration.
• Map relevant stakeholders in Tanzania’s energy landscape and maintain active communication to ensure inclusive and coordinated engagement.
• Establish and coordinate an advisory investor committee composed of representatives from DFIs, MDBs, impact investors, and fund managers to provide strategic guidance on project vetting criteria, strengthen alignment with investor expectations, and support the full investment journey—from project origination and due diligence to structuring and deal closure.
• Lead efforts to mobilize grant and concessional financing from development partners, climate funds, and philanthropic sources to support project preparation and de-risking activities, with the aim of ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the Energy for Growth in Africa programme in Tanzania.

Ensure Project Risk Mitigation and Investment Facilitation

• Provide technical analysis of project risks, including financial, regulatory, and operational risks affecting project bankability and investment readiness.
• Recommend and support the deployment of de-risking mechanisms, such as technical assistance, blended finance, and insurance solutions (e.g., political risk, off-taker risk).
• Liaise with financial institutions, investors, and multilateral partners to ensure appropriate risk mitigation tools are applied and investment barriers are reduced.
• Identify opportunities for clean energy projects to generate carbon credits under voluntary or compliance carbon markets (e.g., Article 6 of the Paris Agreement) and support the integration of carbon revenue streams into project financing structures

Provide Technical Assistance, Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing

• Offer technical inputs to clean energy project developers on feasibility studies, business models, power purchase agreements, and compliance with environmental and social safeguards.
• Guide and support the UNDP Country Office in strengthening national and institutional capacity for project preparation, financing, and long-term energy planning, including links to NDCs and national development strategies.
• Facilitate the exchange of lessons learned and best practices with other participating countries under the Energy for Growth in Africa initiative.
• Provide guidance and capacity building to national stakeholders on carbon market access, methodologies (e.g., Gold Standard, Verra), and certification processes to enable eligible clean energy projects to benefit from carbon finance.
• Identify, assess, and collaborate with suitable investment intermediaries—fund managers, transaction advisors, and financial structuring firms—that possess strong knowledge of Tanzania’s energy landscape and international investor expectations, and where appropriate, support their procurement and engagement to enhance the investment readiness of the national clean energy project pipeline.

Reporting, Monitoring, and Impact Assessment

• Prepare quarterly progress reports detailing project identification, pipeline development, risk mitigation efforts, and stakeholder engagement outcomes.
• Provide regular updates on cooperation with development partners, particularly G7 entities, including challenges, opportunities, and strategic recommendations.
• Develop and apply monitoring tools to track project outcomes related to energy access, investment mobilization, and sustainable development impact.
• Capture and share insights to improve programme design, execution, and overall contribution to Tanzania’s energy transition.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities

N/A

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT

The Energy Finance Specialist will be based in Dodoma, Tanzania, and will be embedded within the Ministry of Energy, working closely with the Compact Delivery and Monitoring Unit (CDMU). This arrangement will facilitate direct collaboration with government counterparts, ensure stronger alignment with national energy transition priorities, and enable day-to-day coordination of the Energy for Growth in Africa programme with the Ministry.

The Specialist will work under the direct supervision of the “Energy for Growth in Africa” Team Lead at the UNDP Rome Centre, with a secondary reporting line to the Deputy Resident Representative at the UNDP Tanzania Country Office. While physically embedded in the Ministry/CDMU, the Specialist will remain contractually engaged by UNDP and will be fully integrated into UNDP’s performance management, reporting, and accountability frameworks.

The Specialist will also collaborate with complementary UNDP-supported initiatives aimed at unlocking capital for sustainable development in Tanzania, such as the Tanzania Investment Growth Facility, to ensure strategic alignment, reinforce synergies in project pipeline development, and contribute to a coordinated approach to investment mobilisation across sectors.

COMPETENCIES

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 13: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site .

CROSS-FUNCTIONAL & TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Business Management

• Partnership Management: Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
• Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization's programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.
• Operation Management: Ability to effectively plan, organise and oversee different parts of corporate operations, simultaneously and in an integrated way, in order to convert the organisation’s assets into the best results in the most efficient way. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.

Business Direction and Strategy

• System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Partnership Management

• Resource mobilization: Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements.

2030 Agenda: Partnership

• Sustainable Energy Hub: Energy Finance, Energy Efficiency

Qualifications

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Renewable Energy, Climate Change, International Development, Finance, Energy Policy, Engineering, or other related fields 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

Experience, Knowledge, And Skills

• Minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of professional work experience in energy or development finance, project origination, or the provision of technical assistance.
• Experience in developing a pipeline of bankable projects, energy investment facilities, and resource mobilization for clean energy investments is required.
• Proven experience of substantive understanding of energy policies, regulations, and incentives at local and national levels, notably in Africa, is required.
• Experience in providing operational and project/programme management support for projects/programmes related to sustainable energy and climate change, prior work experience with UNDP is an advantage.
• Demonstrated capacity in elaborating investment plans in the field of energy, particularly in the field of energy access and transition with a focus on energy financing mechanism is desired.
• Experience in developing energy investment facilities, resource mobilization and risk management for clean energy investments within UNDP or other international organisation is an advantage.
• Experience in developing strategies for unlocking renewable energy financing (working experience with actors such as IFC/ World Bank, Africa Development Bank, Africa Finance Corporation, European Investment Bank and other Multilateral Development Banks) will be an asset.
• Experience in fostering partnerships between public and private entities to leverage resources and finance energy projects is an asset.
• Experience with development policy financing for clean energy projects is an advantage.
• Experience in active engagement with multiple public and private stakeholders in Africa in the energy sector.
• Experience at a professional level in a large international or governmental organization, prior experience working with UN system agencies is a strong asset.
• Experience with policy research and publications on topics such as sustainable development, green transition, climate, environment, and sustainable energy is a strong asset.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate terms and conditions of financing agreements, contracts, and partnerships with stakeholders is desired.
• Technical/advisory experience in the UN System related to climate change and energy desirable.
• Proven relevant relationship and network building in the field of SDG7 in Africa is desired.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English is required (with exceptional writing, presentation, and communication skills.)

Disclaimer

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.