Head, Impact Measurement, Verification, and Learning (IMVL)

The Head of Impact Measurement, Verification, and Learning (IMVL) leads the generation, verification, and use of high-quality impact intelligence to support investment decisions, portfolio performance management, accountability, and organizational learning at UNCDF. The role involves leading the IMVL unit, providing strategic impact intelligence, overseeing impact verification and evaluation, and contributing to strategic areas including transaction structuring and knowledge sharing.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and provision of forward-looking intelligence that informs investment strategy, pipeline development, and portfolio performance.
• Lead development of impact intelligence products to support strategy and investment decisions.
• Lead analysis of sectoral, geographic, and thematic trends relevant to blended finance and impact investing.
• Lead development of impact theories aligned with organizational priorities as defined in the UNCDF Strategic Framework.
• Lead development, production and dissemination of portfolio-level impact insights to inform resource allocation and risk management.
• Lead institutionalization of learning and contributions to sector-wide knowledge.
• Lead development of internal guidance materials and technical notes.
• Oversee and ensure development and maintenance of repositories of lessons learned and best practices.
• Lead production of thematic briefs and research outputs and ensure support and contributions to publication of case studies.
• Promote innovation in impact methodologies.
• Ensure reliable infrastructure for collecting, managing, and analyzing impact data and coordinate with Corporate IT on the development and maintenance of impact data platforms.
• Lead definition of system requirements for data collection and reporting and ensure data interoperability across programs and investments.
• Lead support to visualization tools and dashboards.
• Oversee and ensure IMVL data governance standards.
• Ensure robust, standardized, and practical measurement of impact across UNCDF investments and programs.
• Lead integration of contextual intelligence (fragility, climate vulnerability, market gaps) into decision frameworks.
• Ensure support to due diligence by assessing theory of change coherence, environmental and social safeguards adherence and expected development outcomes.
• Safeguard the credibility, integrity, and reliability of reported impact results.
• Lead verification of impact data reported by investees and partners.
• Oversee and ensure periodic data quality audits, spot checking and validation exercises.
• Lead development and consistent organization-wide implementation of impact assurance protocols.
• Manage relationships with external verification partners where applicable.
• Lead identification of risks related to impact overstatement or data gaps.
• Oversee and ensure traceability from reported outcomes to source evidence.
• Lead development and dissemination of actionable learning through structured evaluation of UNCDF investments and programs.
• Oversee the UNCDF evaluation function.
• Lead development of evaluation frameworks suited to blended finance models.
• Oversee the carrying out of midterm, final and ex post evaluations.
• Commission and supervise external evaluators.
• Ensure integration of learning loops into program and investment design.
• Lead translation of evaluation findings into practical recommendations.
• Ensure accurate, credible reporting to internal leadership and external stakeholders.
• Lead preparation of impact reports for senior leadership, donors, and investors.
• Lead support to reporting against development and Strategic Framework commitments.
• Ensure alignment between reported results and verified evidence.
• Lead IMVL contributions to UNCDF annual reports, impact disclosures, and strategic reviews.
• Lead development of briefing materials on impact results for the UNCDF Executive Secretary, Managing Director, and Executive Board.
• Ensure productive relationships with internal and external partners contributing to impact outcomes.
• Coordinate with investment teams to integrate impact into decision-making, including participation in the UNCDF Investment and Disbursement Impact Committee.
• Liaise with investees to strengthen their measurement capacity.
• Engage donors, development partners, and co-investors on impact matters.
• Represent the organization in technical working groups.
• Lead a small team of staff and consultants delivering high-quality analytical and technical outputs.
• Develop and manage the IMVL annual work plans, ensuring that all planned deliverables are meeting time and quality expectations.
• Supervise and mentor IMVL team, assigning workloads and ensuring efficient task management.
• Set performance expectations and development plans.
• Build team capacity in evaluation methods and data analytics.
• Maintain a collaborative, results-oriented team culture.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Finance, Economics, International Development or related fields is required.
• 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 of 10 years (with a master’s degree) or 12 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in international finance and development experience including at a senior level is required.
• At least 5 years of experience in impact investing, blended finance, private equity or sustainable finance required.
• Experience partnering with the private sector to deliver measurable development outcomes required.
• Experience in designing and implementing impact management frameworks, strategic selectivity approaches, and portfolio management tools within development finance institutions required.
• Proven experience with financial modelling and transaction structuring, including loans and guarantees preferred.
• Proven experience and knowledge of underwriting, due diligence and structuring processes for bankable projects in developing countries are desirable.

Skills

• Impact Investing
• Blended Finance Structuring
• Private Equity
• Sustainable Finance
• Impact Measurement
• Impact Verification
• Impact Evaluation
• Impact Management
• Strategic Selectivity Approaches
• Portfolio Management
• Financial Modelling
• Transaction Structuring
• Loans and Guarantees
• Underwriting
• Due Diligence
• Bankable Project Structuring
• Development Finance
• Investment Decision Support
• Organizational Learning

Languages

English