Project Portfolio Specialist for West/Central Africa and LAC

About the role

The Project Portfolio Specialist will lead the launch and early implementation phases of multiple small‑scale projects across West and Central Africa (WCA) and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Based in Dakar, the role supports initiatives in clean energy, food systems, digital finance and private‑sector development, ensuring coherent coordination and alignment with UNCDF’s investment mandate.

Key responsibilities

• Coordinate project set‑up, operational planning and cross‑language support for initiatives in Mali, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Colombia.
• Establish project teams, workstreams, partnerships and reporting processes, interfacing with UNCDF investment, finance, communications and operations units.
• Maintain regular progress updates with regional investment specialists and ensure alignment with donor requirements and UNCDF strategic priorities.
• Travel to project sites as needed to support implementation and stakeholder engagement.

Required profile

• Experience managing early‑stage development projects in multi‑country, multilingual environments.
• Strong understanding of UNCDF’s blended financing approach and its focus areas (SME finance, sub‑national finance, digital finance).
• Ability to work collaboratively with donors, UN agencies, government counterparts, private‑sector partners and development finance institutions.

Required skills

• Project management and coordination.
• Multilingual communication (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese).
• Knowledge of development finance, grants, loans and guarantees.