Finance Specialist

Background Information - Job-specific

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects around the world. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement, and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors, and United Nations organizations. With over 8,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it. By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.

UNOPS Geneva Office is providing support to a wide range of portfolios, including UNEP, UNICEF, UNHCR, and other partners. As of July 2025, the UN Partners Portfolio has signed a UN-to-UN Agreement with UNICEF for the implementation of the GIGA Project, a joint initiative between UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that aims to connect every school to the internet by 2030, bridging the global digital divide and promoting equitable access to education. Under this agreement, UNOPS provides comprehensive operational and administrative support to UNICEF and the GIGA project team, including project management, human resources and recruitment, travel and procurement/financial management services. These services strengthen operational delivery and ensure the efficient and compliant implementation of GIGA’s strategic objectives.

Launched in 2019 as a joint initiative between UNICEF and ITU, Giga has set the ambitious goal to connect every school in the world to the internet. Half of the world’s population has no regular access to the Internet. Millions of children leave school without any digital skills, making it much more difficult for them to thrive and contribute to local and global economies. This has created a digital divide between those who are connected and those who are not, a divide that has become even wider during the Covid-19 pandemic. UNICEF and ITU have therefore joined forces to create Giga, an initiative to connect every school in the world to the Internet and address this new form of inequality.

Giga focuses on connecting schools so that children and young people have access to information, opportunity, and choice. It also uses schools as anchor points for their surrounding communities: if you connect the school, you can also connect local businesses and services. This creates opportunities for service providers to generate revenue from paying users, making connectivity more sustainable. A 2021 report by the Economist Intelligence Unit found that a 10% increase in school connectivity can increase effective years of schooling by 0.6% and increase GDP per capita by 1.1%. You can read more about Giga’s work at https://giga.global/ and by following us on X/Twitter @Gigaglobal

The Giga Finance team, based in Geneva, plays a key role in mobilizing the capital required to connect schools and health centers around the world to the internet. The Finance Specialist will work at the intersection of development finance and digital infrastructure to unlock sustainable investment pathways for connectivity.

This role will be co-managed by Giga and the UNICEF Office of Innovation to support UNICEF Country Offices and their government partners with designing bankable projects and identifying financing solutions, including through collaboration with development finance institutions, private investors, and public donors.

The Finance Specialist demands collaboration across various Giga teams, Country Engagement, Partnerships and with UNICEF’s 135 country offices, to scale connectivity solutions that deliver long-term impact for children and communities.

Functional Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Giga Finance Lead, the Finance Specialist will be responsible for:

1- Financial Analysis and the Development of Innovative Financing Mechanisms

Support the design and implementation of innovative financing mechanisms to mobilize capital for school and health connectivity by:

Identifying and assessing new financial instruments and capital market opportunities aligned with Giga’s objectives to unlock project-level financing

Contributing to resource mobilization strategies, including donor mapping, and assisting in the creation of compelling investment cases

Supporting financing workstreams, including instrument structuring, negotiations with IFIs and DFIs, and project pipeline refinement

Assisting in the design and deployment of blended and innovative financing solutions tailored to digital infrastructure investments

2- Finance Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement

Deepen and operationalize Giga’s financial partnerships by strengthening relationships at the multilateral, regional, and national levels through:

Maintaining a Funding Tracker and Capital Provider database to monitor donor and investor activity in connectivity-related sectors

Tracking funding flows, commitments, and emerging opportunities from IFIs, development banks, and private/public donors and other relevant capital providers, while supporting country teams in pursuing aligned financing streams

Monitoring and reviewing IFI-supported portfolios and preparing strategic updates for senior management

Collaborating with UNICEF’s Public Partnerships Division (PPD) and Private Fundraising and Partnerships Division (PFP) to align engagement strategies with donor priorities

Expanding relationships with key stakeholders, including development banks and institutional investors, to co-develop and advance investment opportunities that align with Giga’s strategic objectives

3- Project-Level Financing Solutions

Support the development of a bankable project pipeline and provide country-level financing assistance by:

Developing and managing a robust pipeline of eligible connectivity projects in emerging and developing countries

Building economic and business cases and evaluating connectivity cost estimate scenarios to support investment in digital infrastructure

Supporting project preparation, including cost estimation, cost-benefit analyses, and financing strategies

Assisting Country Offices in resource mobilization, and connectivity cost evaluations

Supporting preparation of project documentation and investment proposals for stakeholder approval

4- Support the commercialization of Giga services into sellable products

Assist the expert in the development and execution of the following:

Coordinating product positioning and aligning it with market demands to ensure successful adoption.

Conducting competitive analysis to identify market trends, customer needs, and product differentiation.

Developing and preparing product launch plans, including timelines, resource allocation, and execution strategies.

Collaborating with the expert to ensure the seamless execution of the go-to-market strategy.

5- Knowledge Sharing and Event Management

Enhance the visibility and positioning of Giga’s financing efforts through targeted events and knowledge exchange by:

Coordinating Giga’s participation in key finance and infrastructure events—such as investment forums and donor roundtables—to position school and health connectivity as priority investment areas

Organizing knowledge-sharing sessions, side events, and stakeholder convenings to share best practices and strengthen partnerships with the finance and development community

Supporting trainings, webinars, and briefings to update both internal and external stakeholders on Giga’s financing strategy, innovative instruments, and project progress

Documenting and disseminating lessons learned, best practices, and financing models to inform future strategies

Supporting regular coordination and review meetings with stakeholders, ensuring knowledge systems are updated and maintained

An Advanced University degree (Master’s Degree of equivalent) preferably in Finance, audits, business administration, economics or a related field is required.

A first-level university degree (Bachelor`s degree or equivalent) preferably in the related fields with an additional 2 years of experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree;

b. Work Experience

Experience in the telecommunication infrastructure sector is an asset.

c. Language requirements :

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement **
Contract level: IICA 2 / ICS 10
Contract duration: Until June 30, 2026, with possiblity if extension subject to availability of funds, satisfactory performance and continued business needs.

** Please note that this position is advertised on behalf of UNICEF. Contract terms and conditions will be in accordance with the partnership agreement signed between UNOPS and UNICEF. For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.

Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions

For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.

For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.