Sustainable Public Finance and Economic Policy Expert

Job Posting Organization:
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the designated entity within the United Nations system that addresses environmental issues at both global and regional levels. Established to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus, UNEP plays a crucial role in keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. UNEP's Industry and Economy Division collaborates with national and international governments, non-governmental organizations, businesses, and industries to develop and implement policies, strategies, and practices that internalize environmental costs, utilize natural resources efficiently, reduce pollution, and mitigate risks to both humans and the environment. The Economics and Fiscal Policy Unit (EFPU) within UNEP leads the organization's efforts on sustainable public finance, supporting Ministries of Finance and Planning to align fiscal frameworks with sustainable growth, competitiveness, resilience, and the simultaneous achievement of economic, social, and environmental objectives. UNEP operates in multiple countries, engaging with various stakeholders to promote sustainable practices and policies.

Job Overview:
The Sustainable Public Finance and Economic Policy Expert will play a pivotal role in supporting the Ministry of Finance of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) in developing a tailored, sequenced, and costed environmental fiscal reform plan. This plan will be grounded in a documented evidence base and comparative practices, validated by officials from the Ministry of Finance. The expert will assess the performance of the existing fiscal system against its stated objectives and the environmental and fiscal pressures relevant to the Lao context. The position involves engaging with Ministry of Finance counterparts through workshops to shape the direction of the reform plan, ensuring that it aligns with the tax reform agenda of the 10th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP). The expert will also document methodological refinements and country evidence generated through the assignment, contributing to EFPU's broader environmental fiscal reform offerings and informing applications in other partner countries. This role is integral to the UN Joint Programme on Green and Climate Finance in the Lao PDR, which aims to mobilize and align public and private finance with the priorities of the 10th NSEDP.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities of the Sustainable Public Finance and Economic Policy Expert include:

• Developing a comprehensive environmental fiscal reform plan that is sequenced and costed, ensuring it is usable by the Ministry of Finance as a working input into the tax reform agenda.
• Documenting the environmental fiscal instruments currently in force in the Lao PDR, including subsidies, exemptions, and preferential tax treatments that counteract these instruments.
• Assessing the performance of the existing fiscal system against its objectives and relevant environmental and fiscal pressures, benchmarking against practices in comparable lower middle-income and ASEAN economies.
• Engaging with Ministry of Finance counterparts through workshops to shape the reform plan, ensuring stakeholder input and ownership of the process.
• Documenting methodological refinements and country evidence generated during the assignment to strengthen EFPU's environmental fiscal reform offerings.
• Collaborating with other UN agencies involved in the Joint Programme to ensure coherence and alignment of activities related to sustainable public finance.
• Providing technical advice and support to the Ministry of Finance on fiscal policy, public revenue analysis, and public expenditure analysis.
• Designing and delivering technical workshops for senior government officials, ensuring materials are effective and engaging.
• Producing analytical work, guidance notes, or country case studies that can be utilized by government counterparts or partner institutions. 1
• Contributing to the broader goals of the UN Environment Programme in promoting sustainable economic practices.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires the following qualifications:

• An advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in economics, public finance, public policy, environmental economics, or a closely related field.
• A minimum of five years of professional experience in tax policy, public revenue analysis, public expenditure analysis, or fiscal policy advice, particularly in collaboration with Ministries of Finance, revenue authorities, national planning agencies, or international financial institutions.
• Demonstrated experience in environmental fiscal reform, including fossil fuel or environmentally harmful subsidy reform, tax expenditure analysis, or green budgeting, with evidence of government ownership of the outputs produced.
• Proven command of revenue estimation methods and distributional incidence analysis, with the ability to produce defensible indicative estimates from incomplete data and transparently state methods and assumptions.
• Experience in designing and delivering technical workshops for senior government officials, ensuring that materials are engaging and effective.
• Familiarity with the political economy of tax reform in fiscally constrained economies, particularly in the context of extractive sector fiscal regimes.
• A proven track record of producing analytical work, guidance notes, or country case studies that have been utilized by government counterparts or partner institutions.
• Experience working in emerging and developing economy contexts, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region or ASEAN member states.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess an advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in a relevant field such as economics, public finance, public policy, or environmental economics. This educational background is essential to ensure that the candidate has the necessary theoretical knowledge and analytical skills to effectively contribute to the development of environmental fiscal reform plans and policies.

Experience:
The position requires at least five years of professional experience in relevant fields such as tax policy, public revenue analysis, public expenditure analysis, or fiscal policy advice. Candidates should have a strong background in working with Ministries of Finance, revenue authorities, national planning agencies, or international financial institutions, demonstrating their ability to navigate complex fiscal environments and provide actionable policy recommendations.

Languages:
Fluency in oral and written English is mandatory for this position, as it is one of the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Knowledge of French is also required, as it is another working language of the UN. Additionally, proficiency in another UN language would be considered an asset, enhancing the candidate's ability to communicate effectively in a multilingual environment.

Additional Notes:
The expected duration of the assignment is six months. The position is likely to be full-time, and the United Nations does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process, including application, interview, or training. The organization emphasizes that it does not require information regarding applicants' bank accounts, ensuring a transparent and ethical recruitment process.