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 is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. 

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization in fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. Learn more at undp.org or follow at @UNDP

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development within the UN development system and an integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through its Pacific MultiCountry Office (MCO) based in Fiji, UNDP supports ten countries—Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu—as well as regional initiatives. The current MultiCountry Programme Document (MCPD, 2023–2027) aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF, 2023–2027) and regional priorities under the 2030 Agenda and the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. UNDP’s strategic focus is organized under three outcome areas: Planet, Prosperity, and Peace. 

The Pacific Digital Economy Programme (PDEP)—a joint initiative of UNCDF, UNDP and UNCTAD—aims to build inclusive, safe, and interoperable digital economies across the Pacific, in line with UNSDCF 2023–2027 and UNDP MCPD Outcome 2/Output 2.1. PDEP addresses persistent gaps in access, usage, and quality of digital financial services, particularly affecting women, rural communities, persons with disabilities, youth, and labour mobility workers. Barriers include limited affordability and coverage of services, low digital and financial literacy, and fragmented enabling environments (e.g., payments interoperability, digital ID, data governance). COVID19 accelerated digital adoption while magnifying exclusion from finance, health, education, social protection and jobs. 

PICAP (Pacific Insurance and Climate Adaptation Programme) is a joint UNCDF–UNDP–UNU-EHS initiative that strengthens Pacific Small Island Developing States’ financial preparedness for climate- and disaster-related shocks. It targets the “protection gap” created by high hazard exposure, low insurance penetration, and limited strategies for rapid disaster financing, which often force households and governments to rely on savings, borrowing, budget reallocation, or aid.  PICAP works through four linked workstreams: enabling policy and regulation (including parametric/index insurance standards and country CDRF/CDRFI strategies); building a digital ecosystem with MNOs and FinTech/InsurTech partners for onboarding, premium collection and payouts; supporting inclusive innovation to design, pilot and scale customer-centric micro- and meso-level CDRFI products, including “macro-to-micro” approaches connected to social protection; and empowering customers via literacy, outreach and tailored communications, prioritising women, youth, persons with disabilities and MSMEs.

UNDP seeks a national Project Finance Associate to work on finance for PDEP and PICAP from UNDP side.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Finance Associate works under the general supervision of the  PDEP and PICAP managers and PDEP Programme Coordinator.    Programme Coordinator and collaborates closely with the Finance Analyst of the programme. 

Under the overall guidance of the Programme Coordinator, the Project Finance Associate is responsible for ensuring the highest efficiency in financial resources management and the provision of accurate, thoroughly researched and documented financial information, effective delivery of financial services, and transparent utilization of financial resources. The Finance Associate is expected to: 

Summary of Functions:

1. Provision of administrative services and implementation of operational strategies focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Support full compliance of procurement activities with UNDP rules, regulations, policies and strategies in the implementation of the projects;
  • Implement and guide on contract management within the project, constantly guided by legal framework of the organization and assessing/minimizing all forms of risks in procurement;
  • Prepare procurement plans for the project, upload in UNDP’s Corporate ERP system (Quantum) and regularly monitor their implementation;
  • Support in preparing procurement documents such as of RFQs, ITBs or RFPs, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals; their evaluation and support the negotiation of certain conditions of contracts as may be required;
  • Manage reporting requirements to Project Management on delivery of procurement services and goods;
  • Prepare Purchase Orders and contracts under UNDP Corporate ERP system (Quantum);
  • Evaluate offers and make recommendations for the finalization of purchases and the award of contracts; analyze and evaluate commodity tender results;
  • With support from the Fiji MCO Procurement Team, prepare the submission and response to the Contract, Asset and Procurement (CAP) or Advisory Committee on Procurement (ACP) committee for project-related procurement.

2. Ensures management of project finance and budgets and functioning of the optimal cost-recovery system focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Guide the Programme Coordinator in day-to-day management and oversight of project finance activities;
  • Contribute to the preparation of documents for use in the formulation of the work plans, progress reports, and periodic reviews with government counterparts and project partners;
  • Update work plans and budgets in the UNDP Corporate ERP system (Quantum)
  • Ensure timely preparation and submission of payment requests from project partners and consultants to Finance;
  • Guide with monitoring of project budget implementation/expenditures;
  • Advise and support in the development of contacts with national and provincial government institutions and authorities, NGOs, civil society organizations, and resource persons on project matters and maintain and regularly update the contact database as needed;
  • Provide necessary support to the Programme Coordinator and project staff with complete administrative services;
  • Responsible for administrative and logistical support to organization of events, workshops, and missions;
  • Facilitate in the preparation of agendas, prepare minutes and circulate to stakeholders to include arrangements for different project related meetings;
  • Prepare reports, memos, letters, presentation and other documents, using word processing, spreadsheet, MS project, MS power point, database, among others.
  • Facilitate in organizing project-related meetings and sessions with various stakeholders
  • Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing

3. Maintenance and archiving of project documentation and management of project assets

  • Ensure all project related documentation are properly maintained in hard and electronic copies to include project document, correspondence, reports and other materials ensuring safekeeping of confidential materials by following the established filing and archiving standards and procedures for the office
  • Ensure proper assets management, monitoring, recording and disposal;

4. Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing

  • Synthesize lessons learned and best practices in programme and project finance.
  • Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice

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:

Finance    

  • Accounting (General): Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, frameworks, standards, regulations, policies and trends, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations

Business Direction & Strategy    

  • System Thinking: Develop effective strategies and prioritised plans in line with UNDP’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight.

Procurement    

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

Business Management    

  • Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals. 
  • Communication: 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: Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies

Administration & Operations

  • Assets management: Knowledge of policy & procedures on PP&E; ability to prepare financial statements on PP&E; maintain Asset Management Module in ATLAS, Asset Dashboard; develop supporting tools for assets certification and further enhancements for AM module; design and run training programs, etc. on assets management and assets recording; run AP- AM interface; perform AP-AM-GL reconciliation; perform analytical review of AM reports and asset information to ensure completeness and accuracy of asset information.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Secondary education is required, OR
  • A university degree(Bachelor’s degree) in Finance, Accountancy or relevant related field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.
  • Fully Qualified Accountant, from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy or Full Completion of the UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP). No UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (AFT) is required.
  • Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications, but with degrees that major in accountancy and/or finance must complete UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited. However, no UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (AFT) is required.
  • Candidate with no professional accountancy qualifications but with relevant experience must successfully undertake UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (AFT) before shortlisting and must complete the UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited

Experience:

  • Minimum of seven (7) years (with a Secondary degree) or four (4) years (with a bachelor’s degree) of of progressive relevant experience in the area of project financial management/ reporting in UNDP/UN Agency or an international development agency.

Required skills:

  • In depth knowledge of the Enterprise Resource Planning- ERP Financials and any other corporate tools such as PowerBi.
  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and working knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, as well as experience in the handling of web-based management systems.

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

  • Demonstrated experience in financial audit and assurance process of projects 
  • Demonstrated experience in financial management and oversight, including managing multi-donor budgets and meeting donor reporting requirements. 
  • Experience from previous UN assignments and/or multilateral and bi-lateral aid organizations.
  • Demonstrated experience of work in various aspects of administration including general administrative, procurement and human resources.
  • Demonstrated extensive experience in developing grant budget proposals, estimation and costing of detailed budgets of development projects.

Required Languages:

  • Fluency in English is required. 
  • Working knowledge of local languages Fiji Hindi or iTaukei will be considered as desired.

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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