Finance for Biodiversity Specialist

The Sustainable Environmental Development Unit (UDAS) of UNDP Brazil works in close coordination with other programme areas to strengthen the environmental portfolio through technical and political support for the formulation, implementation, and monitoring of projects addressing biodiversity, climate change, sustainable production, and the ecological transition.

Brazilian biodiversity, recognized as one of the richest on the planet, constitutes a strategic asset for the country's sustainable development. However, this natural heritage faces growing threats, with deforestation rates in biomes such as the Amazon and Cerrado reaching alarming levels (INPE, 2023), alongside ecosystem degradation and increasing pressure on natural resources. Recognized by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve, the Atlantic Forest is one of the planet's primary biodiversity hotspots, home to approximately 20,000 plant species (Flora e Funga do Brasil, 2026) and 6,400 native animal species (Salve, 2026).

Rio de Janeiro holds a unique leading role in this ecosystem, as it concentrates 59% of all cataloged flora and 53% of the fauna within the biome (Flora e Funga do Brasil, 2026; Salve, 2026). These indicators reaffirm the state's strategic role as the primary guardian of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest's biodiversity.

Recent studies further estimate that about 20% of flora species are threatened with extinction (CNCFlora, 2022), and that subsidies and incentives contributing to biodiversity loss reach significant annual amounts.

In this context, the State of Rio de Janeiro has been advancing in the structuring of the State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (EPAEB-RJ) as the main planning instrument to guide conservation, restoration, and sustainable use actions at the state level, while leading its municipalities to develop their Local Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (EPALBs). However, the effective implementation of the EPAEB-RJ requires the strengthening of its institutional, regulatory, and financial foundations to ensure the feasibility and sustainability of the proposed actions.

Project BRA/25/011 – Integrated Management of Atlantic Forest Landscapes in the State of Rio de Janeiro: Knowledge, Restoration, Bioeconomy, and Carbon Credit Generation, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and executed by the State Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainable Development of Rio de Janeiro (SEAS-RJ), includes among its pillars the strengthening of planning, governance, and economic and financial instruments focused on biodiversity. Within this scope, the project seeks to support the consolidation of technical foundations that inform decision-making and resource mobilization for the implementation of the EPAEB-RJ.

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Officers of the Sustainable Environmental Development Unit and the technical coordination of the State Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainable Development of Rio de Janeiro (SEAS-RJ), the UN Volunteer Specialist will support the implementation of activities related to the BIOFIN methodology and monitoring, governance, and communication of the EPAEB-RJ implementation within the project's framework.

The selected professional will serve as a Technical and Operational Analyst in Finance for Biodiversity. The role is designed to combine technical expertise with administrative and management support, ensuring both the strategic design and the operational feasibility of financial solutions.

The analyst will focus on supporting the design, structuring, evaluation, and implementation of financial and strategic solutions related, but not limited, to: (i) green, sustainable, and other thematic bonds; (ii) frameworks for managing risks and impacts on nature; (iii) tariffs, payment for environmental services (PES) schemes, and concessions; (iv) impact investment funds and blended finance mechanisms; (v) debt and equity instruments and capital market mechanisms; (vi) innovative financing mechanisms for public policies and biodiversity conservation programs.

The professional is expected to provide technical knowledge to ensure horizontal integration and coherence between the different work fronts of BIOFIN Brazil and the cross-cutting demands of EPAEB-RJ implementation, as well as support quality assurance of technical products, processes, and deliverables. Furthermore, the professional will provide comprehensive technical coordination and administrative support for strategic activities to ensure the full operationalization of the EPAEB-RJ, which includes: (i) drafting terms of reference and producing/evaluating technical products under the Integrated Landscape Management Project (Projeto Gestão Integrada das Paisagens); (ii) preparing and supervising project reports; (iii) supporting contract management and procurement processes; and (iv) providing technical and administrative support to meet the institutional demands of the Superintendency of Ecosystem Management (SUPGECOS).

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

1. Technical Advisory in Biodiversity Finance and Public Policy (Approx. 30%)

a. Provide technical advice to project coordination on topics related to finance and biodiversity finance at national and subnational levels.

b. Support the implementation and adaptation of the BIOFIN methodology, including technical analysis of priorities, bottlenecks, and opportunities for biodiversity financing solutions.

c. Contribute to the analysis of financial, fiscal, regulatory, and institutional instruments relevant to biodiversity-related public policies.

d. Technically coordinate with government bodies, development partners, and strategic stakeholders, contributing to coordination and decision-making processes.
e. Support the design and technical qualification of instruments linked to public policy implementation, including PES, concessions, credit, environmental funds, and other financing mechanisms.

2. Strategic Coordination and Technical Quality Assurance (Approx. 30%)

a. Support project coordination in executing the technical strategy and ensuring horizontal integration across different work fronts.

b. Update and consolidate technical factsheets for the financial solutions prioritized by BIOFIN.

c. Review and ensure technical quality, methodological robustness, and analytical consistency of products, including the PIR, BER, FNA, and BFP, as well as coherence across deliverables.

d. Support consultant supervision hired under the project for BIOFIN analytical studies related to EPAEB-RJ, including reviewing methodologies, work plans, databases, and stakeholder engagement processes.

e. Contribute to the analysis of institutional and policy frameworks, biodiversity-related expenditures, financing needs, and the prioritization of financial solutions, ensuring alignment with BIOFIN standards and the state context.

f. Ensure alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the integration of human rights and gender equality approaches promoted by the UN.

3. Knowledge Production and Project Operational Support (Approx. 40%)

a. Prepare and review Terms of Reference (ToR) and other technical documents, and supervise the work of specialists, consultants, and designated counterparts.

b. Provide technical advisory in supervising and evaluating deliverables from monitoring, communication, and social mobilization consultants for the EPAEB-RJ.

c. Support contract management processes, including tracking technical deliverables, monitoring execution deadlines, and facilitating operational communication with contracted service providers.

d. Support the planning, review, and follow-up of work plans, ensuring administrative coherence, timely execution of activities, and alignment with governance arrangements.

e. Draft, review, and format progress reports, management presentations, technical notes, and other institutional inputs in Portuguese and English to support project monitoring and audits.

f. Coordinate monitoring, systematization, and knowledge management initiatives, including providing both technical inputs and logistical support for meetings, workshops, technical missions, and national/international forums.

g. Provide versatile technical and administrative support for cross-cutting demands, operational procurement steps, and emerging activities related to the management and implementation of the EPAEB-RJ.