Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

  • Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
  • Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
  • Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
  • Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

UNDP Bangladesh has been a key partner  of the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) since 1972 in a journey of governance reforms, growth and resilience of the country. In the Democratic Governance Cluster, UNDP deepened reform work after the 2024 uprising supporting relevant institutions and strengthen the space for dialogues, inclusive participation and accountability towards a greener, more resilient, and tolerant society and economy. The UNDP Bangladesh provides support to the development of effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels to promote peaceful, just and inclusive societies for Bangladesh’s sustainable development, enabling wider engagement of development partners and relevant stakeholders with the aim of achieving SDG 16 by:

  • Strengthening public institutions that can contribute to fulfilling national and international commitments and provide better service delivery;
  • Creating a more enabling policy environment that embeds the SDGs’ core principle of leave no one behind; and
  • Promoting new capabilities and leveraging technology and innovation for more effective and inclusive governance and public service delivery.
  • Advancing justice, security and human rights reforms. 

Duties and Responsibilities

The Rule of Law, Justice and Human Rights Specialist will work under the overall guidance of the Senior Rule of Law, Justice and Security Advisor and in close collaboration with the Democratic Governance Cluster. The assignment aims to ensure high quality programme design, effective stakeholder coordination, rigorous legal analysis, and the timely delivery of outputs.

The Specialist will contribute to advancing inclusive access to justice and strengthening the human rights landscape in Bangladesh by providing technical expertise in the areas of rule of law, justice, and human rights, as well as by leading capacity building initiatives for key actors within the justice and human rights sectors. Specifically, the incumbent will provide technical and management support in the following areas:

a) Substantive delivery of technical assistance, policy development and programme support

  • Provide policy advice and programming support to the Bangladesh Country Office (CO) and UNCT on rule of law, justice, and human rights, aligning with the CPD and national reform roadmaps (e.g., Commercial Court digitization, Supreme Court Secretariat reforms, Legal Aid amendments, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) institutional strengthening).
  • Work with the Democratic  Governance Cluster to ensure timely, multi-disciplinary responses to government counterparts (MoLJPA, Supreme Court, Attorney General’s Office, NHRC), including capacity-building and backstopping.
  • Support design and implementation of CO projects under the Global Programme for Strengthening the Rule of Law, Justice and Human Rights for Sustaining Peace & Fostering Development, ensuring coherence with UNDP corporate guidance and the UNSDCF.
  • Provide sector-specific and technical advice during and post crisis or fast-moving reform windows (e.g., justice sector transitions and strengthening institutional capacities).
  • Lead/assist on assessments (e.g., institutional capacity, legal frameworks, fragility/stabilization, detention/prison conditions), and integrate findings into programme design, risk logs, and management responses.
  • Contribute to national counterpart capacity development (policy drafting, SOPs, etc), supporting SDG-aligned outcomes.

b)    Capacity development and stakeholder engagement 

  • Design and implement targeted capacity-building initiatives for justice sector institutions, including the relevant ministries, judiciary, and CSOs.
  • Facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogues and workshops on justice sector reform, human rights and access to justice service delivery.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with partners, including government agencies, NGOs, and development partners.

c)    Legal analysis

  • Conduct legal and policy analysis related to rule of law, justice and human rights issues in Bangladesh.
  • Support the documentation of rule of law, justice and human rights trends and case outcomes through data collection and analysis.

d) Development of tools, methodologies and knowledge resources

  • Produce/adapt practical tools and guidance for justice-sector reforms in Bangladesh (e.g., caseflow/backlog reduction, e-filing/e-registry, commercial dispute resolution toolkits, legal aid triage, detention monitoring checklists).
  • Generate CO knowledge products (policy briefs, issue notes, lessons learned, practice notes) using data, case evidence and research, meeting corporate quality standards.
  • Design and deliver trainings for CO teams and counterparts on programming tools (theory of change, indicator design, safeguards, HRDDP, risk and results tracking), fostering innovation and continuous improvement.

e) Knowledge management and community of practice networking

  • Support the preparation of policy briefs, case studies, and communication materials in collaboration with the communications team.
  • Represent the project in external forums, consultations, and relevant working groups as required.
  • Build capacities of UNDP staff and implementing partners to use UNDP tools/practices and comply with safeguards.
  • Strengthen linkages with peacebuilding, governance, and human rights communities of practice across the UN system and with academia/think tanks.

f) Advocacy and partner engagement for effective policy positioning and resource mobilization

  • Advocate integrated Rule of Law and Human Rights approaches to accelerate the SDGs, justice-sector independence, and people-centred service delivery, including digital transformation and inclusion (women, children, vulnerable users).
  • Provide technical inputs for resource mobilization and donor engagement concept notes, proposals, results reporting, and visibility; coordinate approvals per corporate guidelines.
  • Manage and grow strategic partnerships with parliament, government, judiciary, bar/academia, civil society, private sector and development partners to support reforms at scale.

4.      Institutional Arrangement

Under the supervision of the Senior Rule of Law, Justice and Security Advisor, the incumbent will work closely with the Democratic Governance Cluster.

Competencies

Achieve Results:    LEVEL 4: Prioritize team workflow, mobilize resources, drive scalable results/strategic impact
Think Innovatively:    LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems 
Learn Continuously:    LEVEL 4: Create systems and processes that enable learning and development for all
Adapt with Agility:    LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands 
Act with Determination:     LEVEL 4: Able to make difficult decisions in challenging situations, inspire confidence
Engage and Partner:    LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion:    LEVEL 4: Create ethical culture, identify/address barriers to inclusion

Cross-Functional & Technical Competences

Thematic Area    Name    Definition
Business Direction & Strategy    Strategic Thinking    Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions;
        Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.
Business Direction & Strategy    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
Business Development    Knowledge Facilitation    Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally
Business Management    Project Management    Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals
Business Management    Communication    Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience
        Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels
Partnership management    Relationship Management    Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum academic qualifications

  • Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Law is required; or
  • A first-level university degree in the above field(s) plus two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree.

Minimum years of relevant work experience

  • Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience with a Master’s degree, or nine (9) years with a Bachelor’s degree, in project management, coordination, monitoring, evaluation and reporting in justice and human rights sector.
  • Demonstrated experience providing technical assistance to government and other stakeholders on project design, implementation, coordination, and M&E is required.
  • Proven experience in legal analysis, policy research, or working with justice-sector institutions is required.

Required skills and competencies

  • Strong knowledge and experience in advocacy, partnership building and resource mobilization.
  • Proven track record in capacity-building support to national counterparts and CSO partners in justice and human rights sector.
  • Experience providing professional partnership coordination with senior government representatives, donors, UN agencies, CSOs and the private sector.
  • Experience developing high-quality knowledge products.

Desired additional skills and competencies

  • Experience in South Asia is an asset; direct experience working with the Government of Bangladesh is an advantage. Knowledge of Bangladesh’s current political context is a strong advantage.
  • Experience coordinating with government counterparts, NGOs or international organizations on access-to-justice or legal reform programmes in conflict-affected or fragile settings is desirable.
  • Direct experience within a donor organization managing grant-/ODA-funded projects is an asset; experience with donors operating in Bangladesh is an advantage.
  • Knowledge of the country’s legal framework and key features of its criminal justice system is highly desirable.
  • Prior experience engaging directly with parliamentary or governmental institutions in advocacy-related work is highly desirable.
  • Knowledge of the country’s legal framework and key features of its criminal justice system is highly desirable.
  • Expertise across civil, common, and Islamic (Sharia) law, as well as their interaction within national legal frameworks and international human rights standards, is highly desirable.
  • Familiarity with UNDP rules and procedures is an asset.
  • Prior experience in the security sector, including military or police contexts, is an additional asset.
  • Advanced project management certification (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2 Practitioner) is an additional asset.

Languages

  • Fluency in English (written and oral) is required.
  • Working knowledge of Bangla is highly desirable.

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.

At Impactpool we do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.