Team Leader - Nature and Low Carbon Development

Job Description

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 is the United Nations’ lead agency on international development, working in 170 countries and territories to help people build better lives while protecting the planet. For 60 years, UNDP has supported countries to make progress on the issues that matter most, with human development at the core of its mandate. Our work is built on trust and long-term partnerships with governments, communities and organizations at every level.

UNDP Indonesia works with Indonesian partners to deliver an ambitious programme, fully aligned to the national priorities of Indonesia. The strategic priorities of UNDP Indonesia through its Country Programme 2026 -2030 are encapsulated under three outcome areas:

(1) Human Development

(2) Nature, Decarbonization and Resilience

(3) Economic and Digital Transformation

Operating in a Middle-Income Country brings its own set of complexities and opportunities. With 70% of the Indonesian economy directly or indirectly reliant on its natural resources, the link between nature, climate, jobs, and economic empowerment become critical. UNDP’s past experiences and support include innovative sustainable financing, digital health, energy transition and climate policies, improved service delivery that leaves no one behind. Enablers and multipliers such as digitalization and Artificial Intelligence are at the core of its efforts. Building on its vast and long experiences, and the knowledge of its entire team of professionals, UNDP Indonesia demonstrate its thought-leadership and translate knowledge into policy advice, investment opportunities and scalable solutions for Indonesia’s critical development priorities.

UNDP Indonesia is currently seeking a Team Leader - Nature and Low Carbon Development (NLCD) to guide its Nature, Environment, and Low Carbon Development (NLCD) pillar, a critical component of its overall country programme. Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative, the Team Leader serves as a strategic advisor to the Country Office Management, leading policy development, capacity building, and portfolio expansion in the NLCD pillar. The successful candidate is expected to grow the portfolio by strengthening partnerships, mobilizing financing from diverse and non-traditional partners, and position UNDP as a partner of choice in Indonesia. To do this, s/he will manage a team around 40 personnel, ensuring talent management, efficiencies, and impactful results.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Strategic Direction and Leadership of Nature, Environment, Climate and Low Carbon Development

• Set and continuously refine the strategic direction of the portfolio, translating global, regional and national priorities on nature, environment, climate and low-carbon development into clear programme priorities and areas of comparative advantage for UNDP;
• Position UNDP as a strategic partner and thought leader, identifying emerging policy and development trends and shaping UNDP’s value proposition and engagement with government and other key domestic and international stakeholders, in the public and private sector;
• Ensure coherence and strategic complementarity across the portfolio, connecting programmes and interventions across the NLCD unit, with other areas of UNDP such as Financing for Development, and Human Development and Responsive Governance, while identifying opportunities for scale, innovation and transformational impact;
• Steer the evolution of the programme pipeline, ensuring that new initiatives are strategically aligned, evidence-based, financially viable and capable of generating significant development results;
• Drive portfolio-level results and impact, using evidence, learning and performance information to adjust priorities, manage risks and ensure that the portfolio contributes to systemic and lasting change.

2. Strengthening Partnerships and Lead Financing Opportunities for Scale

• Proactively identify and cultivate strategic partnerships with government, development partners, international financial institutions, private sector, foundations, civil society and other actors aligned with UNDP’s strategic priorities;
• Anticipate and identify financing opportunities, including but not limited to, climate and environmental finance, blended finance and innovative financing mechanisms, and translate these into viable opportunities for the portfolio;
• Develop and articulate compelling propositions for partners and funders, demonstrating UNDP’s comparative advantage, the

potential for scale and the development, climate, and economic impact of proposed interventions;

• Build and manage a diversified partnership and financing pipeline, balancing short-, medium- and longer-term opportunities and reducing reliance on individual funding sources;
• Broker strategic relationships and mobilize resources at scale, bringing together partners, expertise and financing around priority national challenges and opportunities.

3. Ensure Effective Team Management for Results and Oversees Accountability, Quality Control and Effective Oversight

• Provide clear direction, priorities and accountability to the team, ensuring that staff/personnel understand how their work contributes to UNDP Indonesia’s strategic objectives and portfolio results;
• Build and sustain a high-performing, diverse and collaborative team, fostering a culture of trust, inclusion, innovation, learning and shared ownership of results;
• Deploy people and expertise strategically, ensuring the Unit has the right capabilities, structures and ways of working to respond to evolving programme priorities and opportunities;
• Enable high-quality and timely delivery, proactively address bottlenecks, performance issues and risks while empowering team members to take ownership and make decisions within their responsibilities;
• Develop people and institutional capability, providing coaching, mentoring and opportunities for professional growth while strengthening knowledge management, collaboration and succession within the Unit;
• Provides strategic planning and oversight of the assigned portfolio of programmes/projects and ensures their compliance with programme and operations policies and procedures (POPP) and quality assurance standards.

4. Lead Policy Influence and Strategic Impact and Facilitate Knowledge Management

• Influence national policy, institutional priorities and investment decisions by bringing UNDP’s evidence, expertise and convening power to key policy and development processes related to nature and low carbon development. Identify and champion innovative approaches and solutions, anticipating emerging challenges and opportunities and testing new models, technologies, financing approaches and partnerships that can deliver greater impact;
• Leverage UNDP’s convening and thought leadership role to connect government, development partners, private sector, civil society and other stakeholders around complex, cross-cutting development challenges;