Technical Specialist Consultant

The consultant will support UNEP FI's Nature team in Colombia by advancing the integration of nature into financial sector decision-making. Responsibilities include supporting the use of the ENCORE tool, developing replicable case studies, capacity building, and aligning financial institutions with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to promote sustainable finance and biodiversity conservation.

Responsibilities

• Enable the use of the ENCORE tool by PRB signatory banks in their nature-related risk assessments, fostering interpretation of results and documentation in replicable case studies relevant to Colombia.
• Support the use of UNEP FI frameworks and guidance to help PRB signatory banks incorporate nature-related considerations into risk management and decision-making relevant to the local context.
• Lead development of replicable use cases for ENCORE to build best practice models for banks in Colombia to mainstream nature in business models and risk management.
• Provide capacity building to PRB signatory banks on UNEP FI PRB Nature Guidance to drive uptake of priority actions and target setting aligned with the Global Biodiversity Framework.
• Bridge the gap between global guidance on private nature finance and Colombia’s national context, fostering awareness of locally relevant opportunities.
• Lead development and execution of awareness and training activities for PRB signatory banks on nature-related impacts, dependencies, risks, and opportunities for critical economic sectors in Colombia.
• Lead sharing sessions with the financial sector in Colombia and the UNEP FI PRB nature community.
• Coordinate with UNEP FI nature team and provide updates to the SECO project.
• Support development of frameworks and case studies to aggregate and interpret ENCORE analysis for PRB signatory banks.
• Collaborate with ENCORE partnership to enhance tool use tailored to Colombian banks.
• Provide capacity-building support enabling portfolio-wide nature assessments and guidance on interpreting nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities.
• Demonstrate PRB Nature Guidance activities related to setting practice-level targets and facilitate board awareness-raising sessions.
• Compile case studies illustrating maturity of banks reporting in line with TNFD for publication on UNEP FI and ENCORE websites.
• Develop guidance to derive tailored engagement strategies on nature-related issues within Colombia.
• Develop training and deep dive sessions to enhance capacity of key stakeholders within banks.
• Expand and tailor PRB Nature Sector Action Guidance for Colombia, including risk mitigation measures and engagement tools.
• Compile case studies demonstrating replication of actions for Colombian or Latin American financial sector for publication.
• Lead sharing sessions fostering collaborative environment for best practice exchange.
• Facilitate board awareness-raising sessions to ensure senior leadership engagement.
• Facilitate compilation and demonstration of relevant case studies published on UNEP FI / ENCORE websites.
• Adhere to regular updates with UNEP FI and ENCORE partnership.

Requirements

• A master’s degree in natural sciences, environmental engineering, business, finance, or a related discipline is required. A bachelor’s degree could be taken in lieu of master’s degree provided the selected candidate has 7 years of relevant experience.
• At least five (5) years of progressively responsible work experience related to the financial sector, biodiversity, and natural capital is required.
• Fluency in English and Spanish is required. Knowledge of other United Nations languages is an asset.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in Spanish and English, strong interpersonal abilities, and proficiency in digital technology; adept at managing multiple tasks across diverse projects in an organized and timely manner with strong attention to detail.
• Demonstrated credibility in working with senior professionals on environmental issues, particularly in environmental risk assessments for the private sector, with a focus on the agricultural sector preferred.
• Experience in providing technical assistance to financial institutions, with a background in designing and delivering strategic projects and working with financial institutions in Colombia.
• Experience in ESG risk assessments and due diligence processes in the financial sector, including credit risk management and scenario analysis, with a preference for candidates who have worked on climate- and nature-related aspects within these processes.
• Comfortable working with large datasets to perform comprehensive analyses and assessments.
• Expertise in capital markets and financial instruments, including sustainable finance products, would be a valuable addition.
• Proven experience in capacity building or developing learning materials, with regional experience living or working in Colombia and across the Latin American region preferred.
• Strong soft skills: highly positive, enthusiastic, self-driven, ability to confidently engage senior stakeholders, excellent collaboration and teamwork, strong interpersonal skills, ability to foster a constructive and motivating environment.
• Autonomous, proactive, and able to push projects forward with energy and professionalism.

Skills

• Environmental Risk Management
• Financial Sector Experience
• Biodiversity Conservation
• Natural Capital
• Technical Assistance to Financial Institutions
• ESG Risk Assessment
• Due Diligence
• Credit Risk Management
• Scenario Analysis
• Data Analysis
• Financial Markets Knowledge
• Sustainable Finance Products
• Capacity Building
• Learning Material Development
• Project Management
• ENCORE Tool Application
• Strategic Project Design
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Bilingual Communication
• Digital Technology Proficiency

Languages

English, Spanish