FinWise Project Coordinator job at UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)

Vacancy title:
FinWise Project Coordinator

Jobs at:
UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)

Deadline of this Job:
Wednesday, May 7 2025

Duty Station:
kampala | Kampala | Uganda

Summary
Date Posted: Monday, April 28 2025, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:

Duties and Responsibilities

The FinWise Uganda Project Coordinator will oversee the implementation and delivery of the FinWise Projectin Uganda. This role involves leading both technical and operational teams, managing the programme's workplan and budget, and ensuring effective monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of results and impact. The coordinator will engage key stakeholders, foster thought leadership around the FinWise Strategy, and promote UNCDF’s investment mandate. Additionally, the Project Coordinator will serve as the primary liaison with donors and play an active role in resource mobilization efforts.

1.)  Lead project team at country level, coordinate all internal functions needed to deliver on the FinWise Project in Uganda 

• Supervise team members and consultants as needed to deliver on project activities.
• Provide leadership, guidance, and mentorship to project team members, fostering a collaborative and high-performing work environment.
• Conduct regular performance evaluations and provide constructive feedback to team members to support their professional development.
• Foster a culture of learning and continuous improvement within the project team, encouraging knowledge sharing and skills development.
• Ensure alignment and effective communication between internal functions, such as operations, finance, and technical teams, to meet project objectives.
• Ensure alignment and effective communication with the regional and corporate structure and instructions 

2.)         Manage FinWise project implementation in Uganda, including prepare annual work planning, budgeting, procurement, operational and financial management and stakeholder engagement.

• Provides strategic oversight of planning, budgeting, implementing, and monitoring of the FinWise Project in Uganda tracking use of financial resources in accordance with UNCDF/ UNDP rules and regulations.
• Ensure that various FinWise project documents (multi-year, annual, quarterly, operational work plans, procurement plans, budgets and reports) required for the proper functioning of the project are developed monitored and completed on time according to the required quality standards and updated.
• Coordinate project activities with relevant government activities and initiatives, UNCDF strategy, country programme document and UNSDCF;
• Ensure the grants and loans with responsible parties are well managed and produce the results as per the respective agreements.
• Conduct timely projects, budget and grant reviews, revisions and monitoring, and complete related reporting obligations, in accordance with UNDP /UNCDF policies, UN rules and regulations as well as applicable donors’ requirements
• Monitor project risks, develop mitigation strategies, and ensure that project activities of the FInWise initiative in Uganda remain on track.
• Set up a robust systems to monitor the progress of activities, compare actual performance with planned objectives, and identify any deviations.
• Manage FinWise project budgets, monitoring the financial situation of the Projects to ensure adherence to delivery rates and utilization of resources to meet agreed upon targets and results, and revise financial reports.

3.)         Manage project results measurement - monitoring, measuring and reporting programme results and impact. This includes preparation of documentation to report to key stakeholders: donors, UNRCO (UNSCDF), project board, various technical working groups, government partners

• Maintain the quality assurance and the validation of the relevant data (indicators, targets, results) in the established information management system for measuring the qualitative and quantitative impact, and report on the progress;
• Revise and supervise the preparation of Project and Donor annual/  biannual / Quarterly reports and donor reports, focusing on results, output and outcomes.
• Contribute to UNCDF reports.

4.)         Manage project knowledge management, partnerships and relationship management

• Lead communication initiatives towards building UNCDF and FinWise awareness, raise the visibility and promote results from the FinWise Project, and build thought leadership around UNCDF’s mandate and  the FinWise strategy. 
• Maintain close working relationships with all relevant stakeholders and partners to ensure adequate information flow and cooperation among the project’s participating institutions, in particular, with the Project board, government and industry stakeholders and the donor community
• Contribute to knowledge networks and communities of practice
• Lead the Identification and formulation lessons learned and recommendations to improve FinWise Project delivery and build on the thought leadership needs of the Project;
• Explore strategic partnerships (joint advocacy, social mobilization, etc.) around goals and objectives central to UNCDF’s mandate and the FinWise strategy

5.)         Contribute to resource mobilization and donor engagement

• Maintain smooth, strong and strategic working relations with donors, regional and national actors at Governmental and non-governmental level, as well as with the international community and partners at large;
• Explore and identify new initiatives and partnerships for further UNCDF Engagement in Uganda with a view to expand the portfolio of UNCDF in MSME financing  and to ensure sustainability and growth of the FinWise Project;
• Engage proactively and closely with the UN Country Team with a view to designing and implement joint programmes where relevant and participate in joint resource mobilization activities relating to MSMe financing ;
• Establishes close working relationships and creates programmatic linkages with relevant government agencies; UN Agencies, IFI’s, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, private sector and civil society;
• Suggests programmatic areas of co-operation based on UNCDF´s strategic goals, country needs and donor priorities;
• Identifies funding opportunities for FinWise Project in Uganda
• Identifies and supports development of national partnerships for service provision to projects in areas such as monitoring, training, and others;
• Actively engange at external meetings within his/her area of programming;
• Review and submit high quality donor’s reports.
• Collaborate with the regional office team on positioning and advocating for goals and objectives central to UNCDF’s mandate,
• With support from the regional team, originate and pitch new concept notes and proposals to potential donors.

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

Institutional Arrangement

The FinWise Uganda Project Coordinator will report to the Technical Advisor Inclusive Finance and FinTech-- East and Southern Afric (IPSA 13). S/he will supervise a team of six people.

This is an office-based position in Kampala, Uganda. 

Competencies

Core

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 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

People Management 

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found at the dedicated site site

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Thematic Area Name   Definition

Business Management -Results Based Management

• Ability to manage the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results. Knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tools.

Business Management - 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.

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.

Business Management – Communication

• 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.

Business Management - Monitoring& Evaluation

• Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; 
• Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results.
• Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming.
• Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools.
• Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks.
• Ability to anticipate client's upcoming  needs and concerns.

Engagement & Effectiveness – Effectiveness

• Project Quality Assurance

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.

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA

Minimum Education requirements

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Renewable Energy Development, Technology or a related discipline or related field is required, or 
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Minimum years of relevant work experience 

• A minimum of seven (7) years (with master’s degree) or nine (9) years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in financial services and/or digital financial services in East and Southern Africa countries is required.

Required  skills

• At least five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in project management, including project design, project coordination, monitoring and evaluation sector in inclusive finance for MSMEs and Fintechs is required.
• Demonstrated expertise in engaging and collaborating with multilateral and bilateral organizations, donors, private foundations as well as government bodies, to build partnerships and manage external relations is required.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

• Proven expertise in managing and supervising multi-million-dollar projects around the topics of digital, access to finance and innovation is highly desired.
• Expert knowledge and delivery experience of key challenges and opportunities in financing the last mile (MSMEs and technology startups), with a strong understanding of key underserved segments: women, youth, refugees, people living with a disability) is highly desired
• Proven experience in managing and supervising a diverse team of professionals is highly desired
• Track record of engagement with United Nations /UNDP /UNCDF and/or other development actors and donors is highly desired
• Proven track record of knowledge of UNCDF / UNDP's corporate policies and programmes is highly desired.

Required Language(s) 

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

a)           Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.

b)           A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

c)           Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 84

Level of Education: postgraduate degree

Job application procedure

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