Background

UNDP has been working in India since 1951 in almost all areas of human development. Together with the Government of India and development partners, we have worked towards eradicating poverty, reducing inequalities, strengthening local governance, enhancing community resilience, protecting the environment, supporting policy initiatives and institutional reforms, and accelerating sustainable development for all.

With projects and programmes in every state and union territory in India, UNDP works with national and subnational government, and diverse development actors to deliver people-centric results, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalized communities. As the integrator for collective action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the UN system, we are committed to supporting the Government of India’s national development vision and priorities and accelerating the achievement of the SDGs for the people and the planet.

UNDP India’s new Country Programme (2023-2027) builds on our prior work and aims to provide an integrated approach to development solutions in three strategic portfolios:

Strong, accountable and evidence-led institutions for accelerated achievement of the SDGs.
Enhanced economic opportunities and social protection to reduce inequality, with a focus on the marginalized.
Climate-smart solutions, sustainable ecosystems and resilient development for reduced vulnerability.

South-South cooperation, gender equality and social inclusion are promoted across the pillars. The programme is supported by a framework of renewed partnerships and blended finance solutions, strategic innovation and accelerator labs, and data and digital architecture.

You are invited to join a team of future-smart development professionals to support India in achieving the national and globally agreed goals. As part of the UNDP team, your focus will be to work with diverse stakeholders to find country-specific solutions that lead to sustainable development and reach those furthest behind first.

Office/Unit/Project Description

More than half of all livelihoods in India is primarily dependent on agriculture. A massive 54.6% of the total workforce is engaged in agricultural and allied sector activities, and 57% of the rural households are directly dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods. However, the agricultural sector is facing various challenges like small landholding, declining productivity, rising input costs, declining farm income, the adverse impact of climate change, and decline in the percentage share of workers engaged in the agriculture sector. Agricultural production shocks have huge social and financial repercussions, impacting rural income levels, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and poverty rates.
The Government of India’s flagship schemes Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and KCC/MISS have become important tools to strengthen the resilience of Indian farmers. The schemes ensure maximum benefits for the farmers by providing financial risk protection against natural calamities and catastrophic events including pests, climate uncertainties, and environmental shocks. Apart from providing comprehensive risk coverage for the entire crop cycle, PMFBY also enables direct claim transfer into farmers’ accounts through e- remittance. Additionally, to address agrarian distress, Kisan Credit Card/ Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) was introduced by the Government of India to provide cheap and hassle-free credit for millions of farmers and to ensure continued investment into agriculture to bring in mechanisation, modernise agriculture practices and eventually enhance productivity.

UNDP’s Country Programme Document (2023-2027) intended outcome 2 states that “By 2027, people will benefit from and contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth through higher productivity, competitiveness and diversification in economic activities that create decent work, livelihoods, and income particularly for youth and women”. UNDP leverages its expertise in systems strengthening to support the Ministry of Agriculture through setting up of Central Program Management Unit (CPMU) for the implementation of PMFBY and KCC, to improve institutional and programme responsiveness, increase coverage and better access among marginalised and excluded farm households, offering innovative measures and support mechanisms for Agri- value chain financing, risk management and reduced crop loss for the rural population in India. The PMU will also focus on providing Capacity Building and Training support to participating state-level government departments involved in PMFBY and KCC and advancing the scheme among new states for improved uptake.

Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting To1: National Programme Coordinator (NPSA 11)
Reportees to this position (if applicable):

Agri Finance & Investment Analyst (NPSA 9)
Product R&D & Compliance Analyst (NPSA 9)
Agri Value Chain Finance Analyst (NPSA-9)
Digitial Banking Analyst (NPSA-9)
Agri Economist Analyst (NPSA 8)

The Agri Finance and R&D Specialist - Technical Support Unit will work under the overall guidance and supervision of the National Programme Coordinator-PMU. She/He will ensure engagement of all direct stakeholders and delivery of project objectives, in coordination with the, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DoA&FW), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare (MoA&FW) when needed.

Strategic Assessment of Agricultural Finance Needs

Lead comprehensive assessments of the financial needs of farmers, FPOs, agripreneurs, and entities engaged in agriculture, horticulture, and allied sectors, taking into account regional, crop- specific, and value-chain-specific requirements.
Analyse financing gaps across production, post-harvest, processing, storage, logistics, and marketing stages, with a focus on small and marginal farmers.
Provide strategic inputs on long-term capital needs, working capital cycles, risk mitigation requirements, and affordability constraints in the agri and allied sectors.
Develop sector-specific financing frameworks for horticulture, poultry, fisheries, dairy, floriculture, agricultural biotechnology, and emerging agri-enterprises.

Leadership in Product Design for Agriculture Value Chain Finance

Conceptualise and guide the design of innovative, scalable, and inclusive financial products to support agriculture value chain financing, including input financing, warehouse receipt finance, processing finance, and market-linked credit.
Provide strategic oversight on integrating risk-sharing mechanisms, credit enhancement tools, and blended finance structures into agri-finance products.
Review and recommend improvements in the roles, incentives, and operating models of Business Facilitators (BFs) and Business Correspondents (BCs) to enhance last-mile delivery of agricultural credit.
Ensure product designs are aligned with digital platforms, data-driven credit assessment, and regulatory frameworks.

Analysis of Challenges and Strategic Solutions in Agri and Agri-Infrastructure Finance

Lead high-level reviews of structural, institutional, regulatory, and operational challenges affecting agricultural and agri-infrastructure finance.
Identify systemic bottlenecks related to risk perception, collateral constraints, repayment capacity, climate vulnerability, and market volatility.
Propose innovative and sustainable financing solutions, including long-tenure loans, hybrid instruments, public–private partnerships, and credit guarantee mechanisms.
Provide strategic recommendations for strengthening financing for warehousing, cold chains, processing units, logistics, and market infrastructure.

Policy Advisory Support to the Ministry

Provide senior-level policy advisory support to the Ministry in matters related to agricultural and agri-infrastructure finance.
Review existing agricultural finance schemes administered by the Department and recommend policy modifications, rationalisation, or redesign to improve outreach, efficiency, and impact.
Contribute to policy notes, cabinet briefs, concept papers, and inter-ministerial consultations related to agri-credit and financial inclusion.
Support alignment of departmental schemes with national priorities, financial sector reforms, and international best practices.

Financial Needs Assessment and High-Level Stakeholder Coordination

Oversee assessments of formal and informal financing mechanisms used by farmers and agri enterprises and recommend strategies to deepen formal credit penetration.
Lead engagement with State Governments, banks, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD, RBI-regulated entities, fintechs, and agri-tech firms to strengthen agricultural financing ecosystems.
Review and provide strategic guidance on new financing models, including co-lending, co- origination, risk-participation, and platform-based lending, and recommend improvements for scale and sustainability.

Collaboration With Financial Institutions and Market Stakeholders

Engage at a senior level with commercial banks, cooperative banks, NBFCs, development finance institutions, and insurance providers to gather inputs for product redesign and innovation.
Facilitate structured consultations and working groups with key stakeholders to ensure market- responsive and implementable financing solutions.
Provide leadership in aligning financial institutions’ products with government schemes and agri- value-chain requirements.

Promotion of Digital Financial Channels and National Agriculture Market (eNAM) Integration

Provide strategic inputs to promote digital financial channels, including digital payments, account aggregation, alternative data-based credit assessment, and end-to-end digital lending in agriculture.
Support national initiatives to enhance adoption and integration of the eNAM mandi system with formal credit, warehouse receipt finance, and market-linked lending solutions.
Advise leveraging digital platforms for transparency, traceability, and efficiency in agri-financial transactions.

Engagement With International Crop Financing Practices

Liaise with international organisations, multilateral agencies, and global experts engaged in agricultural and crop-financing programmes.
Analyse global best practices in crop finance, climate-smart lending, value chain finance, and risk mitigation, and adapt them to the Indian context.
Support knowledge exchange and incorporation of innovative global models into domestic agri- credit frameworks.

Review of Business Practices and Strategic Risk Assessment

Review domestic and international business practices in agri-finance to identify financial, operational, climate, and market-related risks.
Provide strategic inputs on risk assessment frameworks, portfolio management, and early- warning systems for agricultural lending.
Ensure alignment of financing approaches with market realities, sustainability considerations, and prudential norms.

High-Level Support to Stakeholders and Scheme Implementation

Provide senior-level support and guidance to States, banks, and fintech/Agri-tech partners for smooth implementation of agricultural finance schemes.
Resolve strategic implementation issues through coordination, policy clarification, and stakeholder facilitation.
Act as a key interface between the Ministry, States, and financial institutions for effective programme delivery.

Strategic Oversight of Credit Appraisal, Monitoring, and Recovery

Provide high-level inputs on credit appraisal frameworks, underwriting standards, charge creation mechanisms, and recovery processes for agricultural lending.
Support development of monitoring frameworks to track performance, asset quality, and impact of agri-credit interventions.
Ensure sound financial management practices and adherence to regulatory and policy guidelines.

Other Senior-Level Responsibilities

Performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Mentor junior professionals and contribute to institutional capacity building within the CPMU and partner organizations.

Competencies

Core competencies:

Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

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

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Finance

Emerging partnerships. Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing
and managing these new strategic partnerships
Financial reporting and analysis. Understands changes in regulatory, legal and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in the public sector. Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring. Understands the benefits of integrated reporting, including non-financial resources such as human, social and intellectual capital, and environmental and governance performance.
Technology and data in Finance. Ability to understand developments, opportunities and challenges in technology relating to public finance.
Commercial understanding within the public sector. Understands the role, importance and accounting practices for commercial activities. Understands income generation options and related risk and reward. Understands the importance of commercial suppliers to the public sector and evaluating their financial resilience. Is adept with private sector accounts and their use within commercial offshoots and subsidiaries. Possesses influence and negotiation skills and can facilitate and engage with ‘productive competitive dialogue’. Understands the procurement cycle and the scope and features of good
contract management.

Business Management

Digital Awareness and Literacy. Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skilfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed

Business Direction & Strategy

Effective Decision Making. Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with ones authority, area of expertise and resources
System Thinking. Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element
can impact on other parts of the system

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced University Degree (master's degree or equivalent) specialization in Agriculture/ Rural Management/ Insurance/ Finance/ Banking/ Investment or related field is required. Or
A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional 2 years of qualifying
experience.

Experience:

Minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in national or state level working with Governments, Public Sector private sector entities in the banking and
finance sector.

Required skills:

Demonstrates broad-based knowledge of current rural insurance and finance is required.
Substantive technical expertise and the capacity for strategic planning, results-based management, and effective reporting to meet the
responsibilities and requirements of the post with excellence.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section:

Leadership in designing agriculture value chain finance products and financing solutions for Agri and Agri-infrastructure sectors.
Demonstrated ability to analyze challenges in Agri-finance and develop strategic, practical solutions.
Demonstrates experience in policy advisory support and alignment with government schemes and financial sector reforms.
Proven capability to collaborate with financial institutions and market stakeholders for effective program design and implementation.

Required Language(s):

Fluency in English and Hindi is required.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.

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