Blue Economy Investment Specialist – Fiji

About the role

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is seeking a Blue Economy Investment Specialist to lead the origination, structuring and deployment of ocean‑positive blended‑finance investments across the Pacific, with a focus on sustainable livelihoods and coastal ecosystem protection.

Key responsibilities

• Manage the Pacific blue‑economy portfolio, including the EU‑funded Sustainable Pacific Blue Circle Fund, overseeing investment capital, technical assistance and impact monitoring.
• Prepare and implement annual work plans, budgets and activity schedules for blue‑economy programmes.
• Coordinate day‑to‑day project activities, stakeholder engagement, pipeline development and progress monitoring across multiple countries.
• Maintain project documentation, track financial delivery, oversee audits and organise steering‑committee meetings.
• Apply UNCDF Social and Environmental Standards, including safeguards for human rights, gender equality and SEA/SH prevention.
• Maintain risk registers, escalate high‑risk issues and contribute to audits, evaluations and assurance activities.
• Lead the sourcing, screening and development of a diversified pipeline of blue‑economy MSMEs, guiding them through incubation, technical assistance and investment‑readiness.
• Quality‑assure ESG and gender‑lens due‑diligence for MSMEs and financial‑sector partners.
• Structure and deploy grants, concessional loans and credit guarantees in line with UNCDF investment policies.
• Engage with local financial institutions, development banks and impact investors to crowd‑in private capital for blue‑economy projects.