Background As the lead United Nations agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. These objectives are enabled by three accelerators that drive transformative impact across our portfolio: digital and AI innovation, gender equality and sustainable finance. Through this integrated approach, UNDP supports countries to deliver tangible improvements in people’s lives and to advance sustainable development at scale. At UNDP, through its Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH) ( supports partners in promoting financing for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As an accelerator of the UNDP Strategic Plan, sustainable finance strengthens countries’ ability to mobilize, align and deploy finance at scale for national priorities. UNDP supports international and country level policy reform as a catalyst for system-wide change, stronger policy environments, better-functioning markets and more coherent financing strategies for sustainable development. 1) Public Finance for the SDGs; 2) Private Finance for the SDGs; and 3) Integral & Country Financing Policy Frameworks. SFH Public Finance for SDGs (PF4SDGs) portfolio supports governments to strengthen public finance systems for sustainable development. 1) Fiscal Policy Coherence, (2) Tax Systems for Sustainable Development, and (3) Public Expenditure Management. The portfolio works with Ministries of Finance, Planning, and line ministries to align fiscal policies, tax systems, debt strategies and public expenditure with national development priorities and the 2030 Agenda. UNDP’s comparative advantage in public finance stems from its unique position at the nexus of fiscal policy and development outcomes. Rather than focusing on isolated technical reforms,



UNDP empowers governments to adopt whole-of-government and whole-of-society strategies that link fiscal instruments directly to sustainable development impact. This includes facilitating cross-ministerial policy dialogue, building coalitions for reform, integrating governance, climate, gender, health, and resilience priorities into fiscal frameworks, and supporting countries in translating SDG ambitions into fiscally viable implementation pathways. The Local Finance Specialist will serve as the lead technical advisor on subnational public finance within the SFH UNDP’s Public Finance for the SDGs portfolio, working at the intersection of PF4SDGs pillars, the INFFs and UNDP’s leadership of the Local2030 Coalition, playing a strategic integrator role across these agendas, to ensure integrated, whole-of-government fiscal policy support to countries. Under the overall supervision of the Head of Public Finance for the SDGs, the incumbent will guide the design, implementation and monitoring of subnational fiscal policy coherence efforts, including leading the application of the “cost of fiscal incoherence” methodology at the local level, and supporting the integration of fiscal redistribution—incorporating work on High-Net-Worth Individual (HNWI) taxation—into coherent fiscal frameworks that translate national reforms into territorial SDG outcomes. The Specialist will also drive thought leadership and knowledge sharing on subnational public finance,



represent UNDP in global fora, and build partnerships. The Specialist will work closely with Country Offices (COs), Regional Bureaux (RBx), and specialists across the PF4SDGs team to strengthen UNDP’s integrated offer on local finance for SDG delivery. Accordingly, UNDP personnel are expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance horizontal collaboration and strengthen UNDP’s service offer on public finance for the SDGs at both national and subnational levels. Provide high level policy advisory support Provide strategic and technical leadership in the application of the fiscal policy coherence approach – including the cost of fiscal incoherence methodology – at subnational level, working closely with other thematic advisors, regional specialists, RBx, COs, other teams across the Global Policy Network (particularly with the Local Hub and Prosperity team), and the SFH to provide integrated support. Work closely with the Head of Public Finance for the SDGs and the INFF team to act as a technical bridge between PF4SDGs, ILFFs and the Local2030 Coalition, integrating subnational fiscal policy coherence considerations into national financing strategies and territorial implementation in line with the Local2030/SDG Fund Agenda and the Bilbao Blueprint. Integrate fiscal redistribution (including the HNWI SPA agenda) into public and subnational finance reforms through a fiscal policy coherence approach, to support equitable, SDG-aligned local investment outcomes. In coordination with the Public Finance Specialists and SFH Regional Advisors, lead and support country-level analytical, diagnostic and implementation work on subnational public finance and fis

📌 Local Finance Specialist (Madrid)
🏢 UNDP Careers
📍 Madrid