Background

With a total gross domestic product (GDP) of over USD 430 billion, Bangladesh is the second-largest economy in South Asia. Between 2000 and 2019, Bangladesh’s economy registered high GDP growth, averaging around 6% per annum. During this period, there were several notable improvements across different socioeconomic indicators, putting the country on track for a formal graduation from the group of least developed countries (LDCs) in 2026. Bangladesh’s score on the human development index (HDI) increased from 0.49 in 2000 to 0.68, placing it among countries categorized as medium human development. The national poverty rate fell from over 48% in 2000 to less than 19% in 2022. 

Despite the progress, Bangladesh faces several development challenges, and with the current trend, the country is unlikely to meet several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Even before the political crisis in 2024, Bangladesh was grappling with double-digit inflation. According to the latest estimate, GDP is expected to grow by 3.7% in 2025, much slower than the GDP growth in the past. Without an uptick in private investment, the economy cannot diversify, a necessary condition for creating decent jobs. With low social spending and weak capacities, the government is constrained from providing quality services to the people. Bangladesh is also one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change and is prone to natural hazards, including climate-induced disasters. 

As the UN’s development agency, UNDP has been in Bangladesh since 1972, promoting democratic governance, climate adaptation, environmental protection and inclusive growth and, helping the country to achieve equitable and sustainable development. UNDP has been a close partner of Bangladesh in co-designing policy solutions, building national capacities, and promoting innovations to help meet its developmental aspirations.   

Over the past decades, Bangladesh made remarkable human development progress, despite frequent intensive and extensive disasters, impact of climate change and, more recently, the Rohingya refugee crisis. As one of the world's fastest growing economies, the country is an aspirant of LDC graduate and aims to become a developed nation by 2041. However, its development gains have not been distributed in an equitable way resulting in widening inequality despite making good progress women economic empowerment. Its economic reliance on foreign remittances and RMG have increasingly being exposed to 4th Industrial Revolution and more recently COVID-19. While urbanization and industrialization continue to offer an economic dividend, they have a compound negative impact on eco-system health. Besides, climate and disaster remain major fault-line in the economy and society. In addressing the challenges, the country was able to maintain a forward-facing policy environment. As a result, the reduction of poverty and inequality, and becoming a resilient nation remain the GoB's top priority. The country is also known for its accelerated implementation approach of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through nationally driven policies and investments. In support of the country's ambition, UNDP has been a strong partner of the government in co-designing policy solutions, capacity building and promoting innovations. The expectation from UNDP to play an SDG integrator role is growing in the context of the post-UN reform.

The programme portfolio of UNDP Bangladesh is organized in two substantive Clusters: a) Democratic Governance; and b) Resilient and Inclusive Resilient Growth (RIG). 

The Programme Unit works to support achievement of UNDP strategic objectives to create a world where people and planet thrive together, and to help the Country Office act with both ambition and scale to address urgent problems facing the country as well as global climate deteriorating conditions. Programme staff assist the Country Office in formulating and implementing programme strategies that go beyond solving immediate development challenges to create future smart and integrated systemic changes in resilience and capacity building within the country.The Programme Clusters are led by a well-qualified Cluster Team Leaders with the functional title of Assistant Resident Representative with considerable focus on ensuring programme and project quality, the achievement of results, and management of fruitful working relationships with Implementing Partners and donors, requiring effective coordination, information-sharing, and stakeholder outreach.
 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of Assistant Resident Representative, the Programme Associate, will perform the above-mentioned responsibilities in coordination with relevant Country Office teams and the Clusters.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Assistant Representative (ARR), Democratic Governance, the Programme Associate provides leadership in execution of services in the CO Programme Unit and supports the design, planning, budgeting and management of the country programme. The Programme Associate promotes a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations. 

The Programme Associate works in close collaboration with the Operations, Programme and project teams in the CO, UNDP staff in HQs and Regional Hubs, UN Agencies, government partners, and internal specialists to exchange information and resolve programme/complex finance-related issues. 
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

The Programme Associate will carry out the following key responsibilities:
 

Ensure effective management and implementation of programme strategies and policies, and adapt processes and procedures.

• Provide thoroughly researched information for preparation of Country Program Documents (CPDs) and establishment of Baselines, Milestones and Targets (BMT).  
• Compile information / evidence to guide future programming. 
• Ensure that the pipeline and approved programme and projects comply with the cost recovery policy. 
   

Provide effective support to management of the Country Office programme.  

• Support formulation of programme and projects, work plans, initiation of a project, entering project into ERP, and preparation of required budget revisions.
• Provide day-to-day guidance to implementing partners on implementation of projects, and track use of financial resources. Contribute to managing digital technology solutions in programme implementation towards scalability and sustainability in line with UNDP’s digital standards.
• Contribute to the effective management of data in programme implementation, across the data lifecycle.  Follow up on programme and project performance indicators/ success criteria, targets and milestones, and preparation of reports. Implement corporate results-based management mechanisms and tools. 
• Initiation of a project, entering project into Quantum (ERP), preparation of required budget revisions.
• Analysis of the situation in programme, identification of operational and financial problems, development of solutions.
• Proper control of the supporting documents for payments, review of NEX projects Financial Reports.
• Maintenance of the internal expenditures control system which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Quantum.Timely corrective actions on unposted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers. 
• Identify programme related bottlenecks and propose solutions.
• Make preparations for external and internal programme / project audits, and support implementation of audit recommendations.
• Provide support to the Programme unit by maintaining internal expenditure system and performing quality assurance review of financial reports and payments that includes following up with other units and taking timely corrective actions. 
• Track and report on programme finance.
• Review of disbursement forecasts and monitoring of programme/cluster project portfolio delivery.

Support implementation of Country Office partnerships and resource mobilization strategies.  

• Collect information on donors, prepare donor profiles and maintain donor database. 
• Track and report on mobilized resources.

Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the Country Office.

• Organize and deliver programme related training for relevant programme and operations personnel.
• Compile lessons learned and best practices.
• Provide sound contributions and support to knowledge networks, communities of practice, and digital knowledge platforms.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.  
 

Competencies

Core competencies:

• Achieve Results: Level 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively: Level 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements 
• Learn Continuously: Level 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: Level 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible 
• Act with Determination: Level 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: Level 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Level 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies: 

Business Management            

• Customer Satisfaction/Client Management. Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs.  Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy.
  Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns. 
• Project Management. Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals    
• Results-based Management. Ability to manage the implementation of strategies,
  programmes, and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results. Knowledge
  and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tools.
• Risk Management. Identify and organize action around reducing, mitigating and proactively managing risks 

Procurement    

• Contract Management. Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles
  and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations 

Finance                    

• Budget Management. Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets 

Business Development                

• Knowledge Generation. Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations. 
   

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary education is required. Or
• A university degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, or related field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.
   

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years (with high school diploma) or  4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant progressively responsible finance/ administrative/management or programme support experience is required at the national and/or international level. 

Required skills:

• Documented experience with UNDP programmes or similar international development initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability in managing resources and budgets, and financial reporting 
• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP

Desired additional skills and competencies:

• Knowledge and Experience of UN/UNDP Programme and Project Management rules, regulations and procedures highly desirable.
• Knowledge and Experience of Programme Finance support is desirable
• Experience in research, analytical and writing abilities and the ability to work in teams is desirable. 
• Experience working with UN or other international organizations is an advantage 
  Experience in thematic area is desirable. 

Required Language (s):    

• Fluency in written and spoken English and Bangla 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.

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