Tax for SDGs Specialist for Southern Africa Full Time

BBPS has the responsibility for developing all relevant policies and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan and help countries to achieve the SDGs. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, South-South and Triangular cooperation initiatives, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. The UNDP Tax for SDGs Initiative is managed by the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH) with resource persons embedded in the SDG Finance Teams in Amman, Bangkok, Istanbul, Panama and Pretoria.

The UNDP Tax for SDGs Initiative expands on the joint OECD/UNDP Tax Inspectors Without Borders Initiative (TIWB), which UNDP continues to support through one of its workstreams. Tax for SDGs has a particular emphasis on linking tax administration and tax and fiscal policies with the broader SDGs. Building on UNDP Country Office portfolios and already existing engagements with Ministries, UNDP will bring a stronger focus on the role of tax and fiscal policy in achieving Agenda 2030. The project places a particular focus on reducing gender and social inequalities in tax and fiscal policy as well as taking forward climate action and environmental goals, and health outcomes. Representing the views of developing countries in the global normative tax discussions is critical and to this effect Tax for SDGs will also work to bring evidence and perspectives from developing countries into the regional and international discussions on taxation.

Position Purpose:

Under the supervision of the Head of Tax for SDGs, SFH in BPPS, the Sustainable Finance Hub, Bureau for Policy, and Programme Support and co-supervision of SDG Advisor, AFSH, Pretoria will work as a member of the UNDP Tax for SDGs Initiative.

Key Duties and Accountabilities

Strategic and Multi-stakeholder Engagement:

• Lead the UNDP Tax for SDGs Initiative in Southern Africa. Specifically, the Regional Specialist is expected to work with the following countries: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Gabon, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Seychelles, South Africa, U.R. Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe (hereinafter referred to as the “Countries”).
• Lead implementation and multi-stakeholder engagement for the UNDP Tax for SDGs Initiative in Southern Africa including engaging with tax experts, bilateral, regional and multilateral organizations, governments and UNDP Country Offices (COs) in the region.
• Among the different partnership, the Regional Tax for SDGs Specialist for Southern Africa will lead the Tax for SDGs partnerships with The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) and The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF).
• Support UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa and COs in building strategic alliances and partnerships with governments, think tanks, academic institutions, development partners and others in Southern Africa to expand UNDP’s work on tax and fiscal policy.
• Work with the rest of the Tax for SDGs team to support UNDP COs in designing and implementing Country Engagement Plans (CEPs) and in their broader engagement on tax and fiscal policies.

Policy and Programme Support:

• Engage with UNDP Country Offices to analyze local context and identify potential synergies with UNDP’s policy and development work in-country at national/federal/ sub national level and map out emerging trends and opportunities for the region.
• Provide technical advice to support the implementation of the activities under the Tax for SDGs project and to backstop experts working under the project.
• Create demand and facilitate the setting up of TIWB programmes under the project as well as coordinate their implementation as per standard operating procedures, including knowledge capture from past programmes.
• Identify potential synergies between the tax and fiscal policy work of RBA, the Pretoria Regional Hub and UNDP COs with the project.
• Engage with policymakers on tax and fiscal policy matters and further develop the role of UNDP in taxation in the African region.
• Coordinate the development of policy papers to promote understanding and integration of tax and fiscal policies and SDG issues.
• Support the regional economist in relevant analytical and policy-oriented work on tax policy and administration, and COs on technical tax topics.
• Draft internal UNDP briefing notes and talking points for Senior Management in the UNDP for the Tax for SDGs Initiative and the TIWB Initiative.
• Support the technical specialists in finalizing concept notes and other technical documents for implementation of different thematic areas of the project (e.g., taxation and the environment, health taxation, digitalization of tax systems, etc.)

Knowledge Management:

• Collaborate on the Tax for SDGs and TIWB projects’ terms of reference and coordinate selection of roster experts, including in their procurement and contracting as per UNDP standard operating procedures.
• Collaborate on evidence collection and lessons-learned from the implementation of Tax for SDGs and TIWB projects. This includes promoting best practices and peer learning through case studies.
• Collaborate on knowledge management between various stakeholders, including UNDP COs and tax technical experts (including through expert engagement platform).
• Develop concept notes for technical workshops/webinars/side-events for the UNDP Tax for SDGs Initiative and TIWB Programme.
• Manage the Tax for SDGs and TIWB reporting in Southern Africa.

Outreach Engagement:

• Collaborate on project communications, including Annual Reports and Newsletters.
• Coordinate the organization of events, including high-level dialogues, regional workshops and TIWB programme launches.
• Develop resources to enhance capacities within UNDP on tax, fiscal policy issues and SDGs.
• Follow technical discussions in other fora and represent UNDP Tax for SDGs in the relevant meetings.
• Perform other duties, as may be required by the Supervisor.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: None

Expected Demonstration of Competencies

Core:

Achieve Results:

• Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact

Think Innovatively:

• Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems

Learn Continuously:

• Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility:

• Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands

Act with Determination:

• Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner:

• Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

• Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management: UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical:

Business direction and strategy – Strategic Thinking:

• Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP

Partnership Management – Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding:

• Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms

Partnership Management – Resource Mobilization:

• Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements

Business Development – Knowledge Generation:

• Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for content, or responsive to a stated need

Business Management – Results-Based Management:

• Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results

Business Management – Communication:

• Public Sector Finance (Tax and domestic resource mobilization, public financial management and public expenditure)

Required skills and Experience:

Education

• Master’s degree in taxation, law, economics, finance, public policy or related field OR a Bachelor’s degree in said fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

• Atleast 5 years (with Master’s degree) or 7 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible work experience in a position directly related to taxation is required.
• Experience in advising international institutions and/ or governments on public finance management, taxation and financing for development in Africa is required.
• Experience in project management is required.
• Experience of working in or with different developing countries, other than home country, in African region is desired.
• Knowledge of current trends & debates regarding development financing and taxation issues in Africa is desired.
• Experience in policy research and writing for different audiences is desired.
• Experience with UNDP or UN-system is an advantage.

Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• French is desirable.

Tagged as: South Africa, UNDP