Background
UNDP Thailand is recruiting a National Project Coordinator to lead the coordination and management of the Technical Assistance Facility in Thailand, as part of a global initiative focused on the development and operationalization of the Tiger Landscapes Investment Fund.
Mobilizing sustainable development finance is essential to achieving the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement, particularly in biodiversity-rich landscapes where conservation and development must go hand in hand. UNDP has been at the forefront of innovating financing approaches to close the nature financing gap, including through blended finance instruments, guarantees, and private sector engagement. One key focus is on unlocking investments into nature-based solutions that deliver both environmental and socio-economic returns. The Tiger Landscapes Investment Fund (TLIF) is one such initiativeโdesigned as an innovative blended finance mechanism to catalyze private capital into businesses that protect, restore, and sustainably manage tiger landscapes.
With anchor investment from partners such as the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of Germany and in consultation with several members of the Tiger Conservation Coalition (TCC), UNDP is leading the development and operationalization of the TLIF. TLIF is uniquely structured to mobilize private sector capital, particularly from domestic financial institutions. It consists of two main components: a Technical Assistance Facility (TA Facility) that works with local stakeholders, including conservation organizations, government, and private sector actorsโto develop a pipeline of investable projects; and a guarantee facility administered by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), which provides risk mitigation to enable local financial institutions to lend to those projects. TLIF also features a governance structure that includes representation from donors, investors, and TCC members to ensure accountability and alignment with conservation goals.
Thailand has made remarkable strides in tiger conservation, increasing its population from 42 in 2012 to approximately 100 in 2022โnow boasting the largest tiger population in Southeast Asia, and even up to 200+ species in 2024. This progress is being driven by the implementation of Thailandโs Second National Tiger Action Plan (2022-2034), led by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), which outlines key conservation priorities through 2034. This work contributes to the broader national and global focus on the protection of iconic speciesโcharismatic wildlife that serve as important symbols for biodiversity and environmental stewardship.
The estimated finance gap for achieving Thailandโs National Tiger Action Plan amounts to 473 million baht (US$13 million) annually, or approximately 9.4 billion baht (US$275 million) over 20 years. At the same time, SMEs are vital to the countryโs economic growth, representing 99% of firms, contributing to 70% of employment, and accounting for 35% of GDP. However, their limited engagement in global value chains highlights untapped potential. TLIF aims to establish a pipeline of nature-focused businesses in the buffer zones of tiger ecosystems, including wildlife tourism, community-based enterprises, sustainable farming, and agroforestry. This alignment of economic activities with conservation efforts aims to create a resilient and sustainable future for both nature and people.
The initiative complements other key streams of work led by UNDP in Thailand to advance nature and climate financing. These include the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN), which supports the development of biodiversity finance plans and private sector engagement, and broader platforms such as the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) and the Integrated Local Financing Framework (ILFF), which aim to align public and private finance with national sustainable development priorities. TLIF will integrate closely with these and other relevant efforts on UNDP Thailand, ensuring that the pipeline of investable nature-positive enterprises contributes to Thailandโs overall financing for development strategy.
Against this backdrop, the National Project Coordinator will lead the coordination and management of the TA Facility in Thailand. The incumbent will identify and engage with partners on pipeline development and coordinate with Financial Service Providers (FSPs) to support the financing of nature-focused projects. By the end of the project, a substantial number of enterprises are expected to be established, contributing to the conservation and restoration of tiger landscapes. In addition, the National Project Coordinator will contribute to impact monitoring and evaluation, randomized verification, preparation of case studies, and engagement with the government to further enhance the scale and impact of the Fund.
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Duties and Responsibilities
The National Project Coordinator will work under the overall guidance of the UNDP Thailand Deputy Resident Representative and the direct supervision of the Integrated Team Leader. The National Project Coordinator will work in close coordination with the Global Project Manager of the Tiger Landscapes Investment Fund. ย At the same time, the National Project Coordinator will work closely with UNDP Thailandโs Biodiversity Finance (BIOFIN) team and the economist team to ensure the synergy between the TLIF and the ongoing development finance initiatives in Thailandโfrom BIOFIN to the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF)โin scaling nature-positive investment and amplifying impact on biodiversity.
Technical Assistance: Pipeline Development and Ecosystem Strengtheningย
Establish the pipeline development programme by identifying business incubator and conservation NGOs through a competitive process Develop business incubators in enhancing outreach to local enterprises to be incubated. Build the capacity of business incubators, focusing on improving the biodiversity impact of incubated enterprises. Establish and manage relevant inclusive and multi-stakeholder decision making committees, ensuring alignment with the Terms of Reference of the Tiger Landscapes Investment Fund and inclusion of relevant expertise for effective decision-making. Facilitate exchanges between business incubators, conservation NGOs, and Financial Service Providers (FSPs) to enhance collaboration. Conduct field visits to financed enterprises to monitor impact and provide strategic support for strengthening biodiversity impact. Coordinate with the Impact Investment Specialist to ensure FSPs have the necessary capacity to apply the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) and monitor biodiversity impact. Similarly coordinate with the Impact Investment Specialist to ensure that the necessary capacity on finance among the business incubators and the enterprises financed. Demonstrate a proof of concept for using blended finance and risk-mitigation strategy to mobilize private investment for nature and into SDG-related sectors. Encapsulate key lessons from TLIF implementation to inform policies and regulations on scaling nature-based finance and hence strengthening impact on nature. ย This includes applying nature-based KPIs for Thailandโs sustainability linked bond and other financial instruments as well as replicating blended finance model and other similar financial models across various nature and SDG-aligned development priorities in Thailand (such as including marine conservation, regenerative agriculture, and clean energy).Project coordination and management
Oversee the day-to-day coordination of the project in the country, ensuring timely mobilization of inputs and supervision of responsible parties, consultants, and subcontractors. Develop and manage the annual work plan and budget, monitor progress, and implement corrective actions as needed. Lead the implementation of project activities, ensuring the production of approved project outputs and coordination with responsible parties. Coordinate annual and third-party verification processes and consolidate impact and other relevant reports. Monitor project risks, provide updates on evolving or materialized risks, and propose mitigation and management actions. Ensure compliance with project frameworks and funding requirements. Support knowledge-sharing and learning efforts to enhance the effectiveness of the Tiger Landscapes Investment Fund. Coordinate with UNDP Thailandโs BIOFIN team and the economist team to ensure the synergy between the TLIF implementation and the ongoing development finance initiatives in UNDP Thailandโfrom BIOFIN to the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF).Stakeholder engagement and other responsibilities
Ensure regular engagement with the government and other stakeholders to share updates, challenges, and opportunities. Maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector partners, financial institutions, conservation organizations (including members of the Tiger Conservation Coalition), and local communities. Organize, facilitate, and/or participate in events, meetings, workshops, and conferences to enhance the visibility of TLIF and strengthen stakeholder engagement. Support South-South cooperation and facilitate government participation in relevant regional and international platforms. Contribute to strategic planning and ideation and lead efforts to mobilize additional resources and partnerships to scale up the TLIF initiative.Facilitate knowledge and capacity building, knowledge sharing, and advocacy relevant to the assigned thematic areas.
Identify capacity building needs and opportunities. Ensure appropriate training, project workshops and other relevant activities are organized and implemented in a consultative manner, involving technical experts and stakeholders that may include the government, private sector, NGOs, donors, and/or academia. Ensure project reports capture results, lessons learned and good practices for possible wider application. Participate in and ensure sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice on development and project related issues. Support establishment of knowledge platforms for the project, facilitate innovative mechanisms for dissemination of knowledge from the project, and develop knowledge resources and products to share with project partners and to support UNDPโs engagement in this area. Promote advocacy for UNDPโs work and opportunities for collaboration in addressing development trends in coordination with the project partners, stakeholders, and UNDP communications staff.The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Competencies
Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impactย Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problemsย 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 demandsย 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 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivityย
Cross-Functional & Technical competenciesย
Business Direction & Strategy
Strategic Thinking: Develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDPโs mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight. 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.Business Management
Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals Working with Evidence and Data: Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making. Operations Management: Ability to effectively plan, organize and oversee different parts of corporate operations, simultaneously and in an integrated way, to convert the organization's assets into the best results in the most efficient way. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.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 Resource mobilization: Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirementsRequired Skills and Experience
Education:
Advanced university degree (masterโs degree or equivalent) in Public Administration, Business Administration, Environmental Science and Policy, Economics, Finance, or a related field is required, or A first-level university degree (bachelorยดs degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience, will be given due consideration in lieu of Masterยดs degree.Experience:
Minimum 5 years (with masterโs degree) or 7 years (with bachelorโs degree) of experienceย in the field of impact investing, sustainable business incubation, entrepreneurship or related field. Experience in nature conservation. Experience in project managementย Experience in business incubation/pipeline development Experience of the UN and/or UNDP's rules, policies and procedures. Experience in coordinating and maintaining strategic partnerships on private sector engagement, sustainable finance, nature finance, and other related areas.Required Languages:ย
Fluency in English and Thai are required.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.ย
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.ย
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.ย 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.
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