Project Manager – SDG Finance [Open to Tier 1 & 2 applicants]

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. Background UNDP Moldova supports the Government of the Republic of Moldova in strengthening public finance management, domestic resource mobilization, and development financing systems so that public resources are mobilized, allocated, and used more effectively in support of national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals. This work is closely linked to Moldova’s EU accession process and implementation of the EU-Moldova Growth Plan, which place increasing demands on fiscal governance, expenditure efficiency, public investment management, revenue mobilization, institutional capacity, and the effective implementation of reforms. In this context, UNDP works closely with the Ministry of Finance, the State Tax Service, line ministries, and other national institutions to strengthen the analytical and institutional foundations of fiscal policymaking. The approach combines support to public finance reforms with applied policy analysis, institutional capacity development, knowledge exchange, and access to regional and global expertise. Particular emphasis is placed on ensuring that reforms are embedded in government systems and processes rather than implemented as stand-alone interventions. Public Finance for Development in Moldova Since 2009, the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic, in partnership with UNDP, has supported Moldova in modernizing its public finance management system. Over successive phases, the cooperation has evolved from support to programme-based budgeting and analytical reporting towards a broader public finance agenda focused on expenditure efficiency, fiscal analysis, domestic resource mobilization, and stronger institutional capacities for evidence-based decision-making. The current Public Finance for Development in Moldova project is implemented under Component 1 of the regional Public and Private Finance for Development (PPFD) programme, financed by the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic. The project builds on previous cooperation between UNDP and the Government and supports implementation of the Public Finance Management Development Strategy 2023-2030, while contributing to broader reforms associated with Moldova’s EU accession and economic governance agenda. The project aims to strengthen the institutional, regulatory, and analytical capacities of the Government to improve the quality of public finance management and better align fiscal policies and public expenditure with national development priorities and the SDGs. It supports the transition from individual analytical exercises towards sustainable government functions, methodologies, and institutional practices that can be applied systematically across sectors. A central area of intervention is the continued development and institutionalization of spending reviews as a regular instrument of public expenditure management. UNDP supports the Ministry of Finance and relevant line ministries in applying the national Spending Review Methodology, strengthening analytical capacity, assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of public programmes, and improving the use of evidence in budget preparation and medium-term expenditure planning. The objective is not limited to identifying potential savings, but also to support better prioritization of public resources, improve value for money, and strengthen the link between policy objectives, programme performance, and budget decisions. This work builds on earlier spending reviews in priority sectors and on the progressive establishment of the legal, methodological, and institutional framework required for spending reviews to become a permanent government function. The reform is particularly relevant as Moldova faces growing investment and reform needs while fiscal space remains constrained, increasing the importance of ensuring that existing public resources generate stronger development results. A second major area of engagement is domestic resource mobilization and tax policy. Through the Tax for SDGs initiative, UNDP supports the Ministry of Finance and the State Tax Service in strengthening the analytical basis for tax policy decisions and in using taxation not only as a revenue instrument, but also as a tool to advance broader development objectives. Areas of support include health-related and environmental taxation, analysis of tax expenditures, assessment of fiscal and distributional implications of tax policy options, and institutional capacity development. Analytical work under the initiative helps national counterparts assess trade-offs between revenue, competitiveness, social outcomes, and behavioral effects and supports more evidence-based approaches to tax reform. Complementing this work, Moldova participates in the Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) initiative implemented jointly by UNDP and OECD. TIWB provides specialized technical assistance to strengthen tax audit capacities, including in areas such as transfer pricing and international taxation. The initiative contributes to protecting the national tax base, improving the effectiveness of tax administration, and strengthening national capacity to address increasingly complex cross-border tax issues. The project also supports broader analytical and policy work related to development finance, including the use of fiscal instruments to support national priorities, the assessment of financing needs and policy options, and the integration of public finance considerations into wider development planning. This builds on earlier UNDP-supported work, including the Development Finance Assessment, which helped map Moldova’s public and private financing landscape and identify opportunities to improve the alignment of financing flows with national development objectives. Biodiversity Finance UNDP Moldova also implements the GEF8 Umbrella Programme to Design a National Biodiversity Finance Plan, which supports the Republic of Moldova in developing a systematic approach to identifying biodiversity financing needs, expenditure patterns, financing mechanisms and opportunities for mobilizing and improving the effectiveness of financial resources for biodiversity. The project forms part of the global Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) and supports implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, including through development of Moldova’s first national Biodiversity Finance Plan. Technical implementation is undertaken in close cooperation with national counterparts, the UNDP Climate Change, Environment and Energy Cluster and relevant regional and global BIOFIN expertise. Within the present assignment, the Project Manager will support the effective administrative, operational and financial management of the BIOFIN project, including planning, contracting, monitoring, reporting and coordination of project implementation. Substantive and technical leadership for biodiversity policy and biodiversity finance will be provided by the Climate Change, Environment and Energy Cluster and the relevant Green Finance Specialist(s). Strategic relevance