Sustainable Finance & Financial Inclusion Associate
Organizational Context
UN Women is the UN entity dedicated to gender equality and women's empowerment, working globally to ensure women and girls benefit equally from development, humanitarian, and peacebuilding efforts. The Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean is actively enhancing its contribution to the global Sustainable Finance agenda. This involves collaborating with financial institutions, regulators, and development banks to integrate gender-responsive approaches into financial standards, policies, and data systems across the region.
Job Purpose
The Associate will support UN Women's Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean in advancing its Sustainable Finance agenda. This role is crucial for integrating gender-responsive approaches into financial standards, taxonomies, data systems, and policies, building on previous evidence. The Associate will contribute to harmonizing gender indicators, supporting institutional capacity-building, and generating evidence to promote gender-responsive sustainable finance. The position is based in San José and aims to strengthen inclusive and gender-responsive financial ecosystems throughout the region through research, coordination, and knowledge management.
Responsibilities
Under joint supervision, the UN Volunteer will support research and information compilation on sustainable finance, gender-responsive financial inclusion, and ESG frameworks. Key tasks include assisting in the preparation of briefs, concept notes, and knowledge products. The Associate will help organize gender indicators, data repositories, and programme documentation. Coordination with financial institutions, regulators, UN Women Country Offices, and development partners will involve scheduling meetings, preparing agendas, and following up on action points. The role also entails assisting in the organization of webinars, workshops, and capacity-building activities, and contributing to monitoring and reporting processes by organizing information and updating tracking tools. Communication support, including drafting content for updates and briefs, is also expected.
Work Experience
While no prior experience is strictly required, candidates should demonstrate interest or experience in sustainable finance, financial inclusion, gender equality, ESG, development finance, data analysis, or public policy. Desirable experience includes assisting with research, event preparation, coordination, or information management. An interest in gender-responsive financial inclusion and sustainable development is considered an asset.
Skills
Essential skills include strong analytical and organizational abilities, proficiency in managing multiple tasks and meeting deadlines, and excellent written and oral communication. Candidates should possess attention to detail, accuracy, and the ability to work effectively in multicultural environments. Core competencies include accountability, adaptability, client orientation, commitment, ethics, integrity, knowledge sharing, planning, professionalism, respect for diversity, self-management, and teamwork. Expertise in project management, programme development, strategy, finance, and accounting is also relevant.