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

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations’ lead agency for sustainable development, supporting countries to reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, promote social cohesion, advance gender equality, protect human rights, and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In Liberia, UNDP works closely with the Government, civil society, development partners, and communities to strengthen institutions, improve access to justice, promote inclusive governance, and advance sustainable development.

The Spotlight Initiative is a global partnership between the European Union (EU) and the United Nations, launched in 2017 to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG) and advance gender equality and women’s empowerment. As one of the largest global investments dedicated to ending violence against women and girls, the Initiative promotes a comprehensive, multi-sectoral, whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to addressing the root causes of gender inequality and violence.

Building on the achievements and lessons learned from Spotlight Initiative Phase I (2019–2023), Liberia is implementing Spotlight Initiative 2.0 (2025–2029), a four-year joint programme funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP, UNFPA, and UN Women under the leadership of the United Nations Resident Coordinator and in partnership with the Government of Liberia, civil society organizations, women's rights organizations, and development partners.

The programme aims to contribute to gender equality and women’s empowerment by significantly reducing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and harmful practices, while increasing access to justice, quality services, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for women and girls. It is implemented through four strategic outcomes: strengthening legislative and policy frameworks; transforming harmful social norms and behaviours; improving access to survivor-centered services and justice; and strengthening the capacity and influence of women’s rights organizations and civil society.

Aligned with Liberia’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), and the Sustainable Development Goals—particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)—the programme seeks to strengthen national institutions, enhance accountability, improve protection and response systems, and foster a society where women and girls can live free from violence, discrimination, and harmful practices.

Violence against women and girls remains one of the most pervasive human rights violations in Liberia. Despite progress achieved during Spotlight Initiative 1.0, significant challenges remain, including:

  • High prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence.
  • Persistence of harmful traditional practices, including FGM and child marriage.
  • Limited access to quality survivor-centered services and justice.
  • Weak institutional capacities for prevention, response, coordination, monitoring and accountability.
  • Persistent discriminatory social norms and gender inequalities.
  • Inadequate financing and institutional sustainability of SGBV prevention and response mechanisms.

Spotlight Initiative 2.0 adopts a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach and focuses on strengthening legislation, prevention systems, survivor services, institutional accountability, and the capacity of civil society and women's rights organizations.

The programme operates nationally while prioritizing interventions in Montserrado, Nimba, Lofa, Grand Gedeh, Grand Cape Mount, Bong, Grand Bassa, and Maryland Counties.

Overall Goal

To contribute to gender equality and women’s empowerment in Liberia by significantly reducing sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices while increasing access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. UNDP leading implementation of two components (outcomes) Spotlight as well as supporting the achievements of other planned activities related to the outcomes.

Strategic Outcomes

Outcome A: Legislative and policy frameworks on violence against women and girls are strengthened, implemented, monitored, and enforced.

Outcome B: Gender-equitable social norms, attitudes and behaviours are promoted to prevent violence against women and girls and harmful practices.

Outcome C: Women and girls who experience violence have access to quality, inclusive, coordinated services and justice.

Outcome D: Women's rights organizations and civil society organizations effectively influence and advance gender equality and the elimination of violence against women and girls.

In order to enhance UNDP’s capacity to implement the spotlight and fulfil its commitment under this partnership, the UNDP seeks the recruitment of a Programme Associate-Spotlight. The Programme Associate will contribute acceleration of delivery and administrative and operational management for the implementation of Spotlight Initiative 2.0 in Liberia.

The incumbent will ensure effective support is provided to planning, implementation, monitoring, reporting, knowledge management, partnership development, resource mobilization, and performance management across all programme components working in close coordination with Programme Manager, while ensuring alignment with UN standards, donor requirements, national priorities, and Spotlight Initiative principles. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Support with formulation of programme/project strategies and implementation of the Country Programme Document (CPD) focusing on the achievement of the following results:

  • Collection, analysis and presentation of background information for the preparation of CCA, UNSDCF, CPD, effective application of RBM tools and establishment of management targets (BSC); 
  • Presentation of background information for formulation of the Country Programme, draft project documents, work plans, budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements. 

Provides effective support to the CO programme focusing on the achievement of the following results: 

  • Creation of projects, preparation of required budget revisions, revision of project award and project status, determination of unutilized funds, operational and financial close of project.
  • Provision of guidance to the executing agency on routine implementation of audit recommendations. 

Provides administrative support to the Programme Unit focusing on the achievement of the following results:

  • Review of NEX project Financial Reports; preparation of non- PO invoices for development projects;
  • Maintenance of the internal expenditure control system which ensures that invoices processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in the system;
  • Timely corrective actions are taken on un-posted invoices, including invoices with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved invoices;
  • Creation of requisitions in Quantum for development projects, register of goods receipt in quantum;
  • Making budget check for requisitions, POs and invoices. 

Support resource mobilization focusing on the achievement of the following results:

  • Analysis of information on donors, preparation of donor’s profile;
  • Track and reporting on mobilized resources;
  • Review of contributions agreement, management contributions in Quantum.

Ensure facilitation of knowledge sharing in the CO focusing on the achievement of the following results:

  • Organizing training for project staff on programme;
  • Synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices in programme;
  • 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.

Institutional Arrangement

Under the overall leadership and direct supervision of the Team Leader for Inclusive Governance and Public Institutions (IGPI), the Programme Associate ensures the effective delivery of the Inclusive Governance programme. This includes data entry, data management, and supporting programme implementation in alignment with UNDP rules and regulations. The Programme Associate works closely with operations and project staff in the Country Office (CO) and UNDP Headquarters (HQ) as needed to resolve operational and programme implementation issues. 

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 plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
  • Project Management    
    • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals 

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

Administration & Operations    

  • Events management (including retreats, training and meetings)    
    • Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.
  • 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

Finance 

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

Procurement   

  • Procurement management    
    • The ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source
       

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Secondary education is required. OR
  • A university degree in (Bachelor’s degree) Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, or any related field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.

Experience:

  • Minimum of 7 years of experience (with a High School Diploma) or 4 years of experience (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant work experience, preferably in administrative/management or programme or a related field, is required.

Required Skills

  • Demonstrated experience in providing administrative and programme support, including maintaining project files, preparing documentation, coordinating requests, and supporting day-to-day project activities is required;
  • Demonstrated experience in financial transaction processing and budget support, including processing invoices, reviewing supporting documents, tracking expenditures, and supporting budget monitoring is required;
  • Experience using enterprise/resource management systems or financial platforms for processing requisitions, purchase orders, invoices, goods receipts, or budget checks (e.g., Quantum, Atlas, SAP, Oracle, or similar systems) is required;
  • Demonstrated experience preparing and compiling programme information, including reports, presentations, briefing notes, meeting minutes, and project monitoring updates is required;
  • Experience providing operational support for workshops, meetings, trainings, or stakeholder events, including logistics coordination and documentation is required.

Desired Skills

  • Previous experience working with UNDP, another UN agency, or an international development organization in a programme support capacity is desired;
  • Experience supporting projects related to gender equality, women’s empowerment, human rights, social development, or protection-related programming is desired;
  • Experience supporting donor-funded projects through documentation management, financial reporting support, or compliance tracking is desired;
  • Experience supporting knowledge management activities, including maintaining databases, compiling lessons learned, and organizing programme information is desired;
  • Experience working with government institutions, NGOs, CSOs, or development partners in support of project implementation activities is desired. 

Languages

  • Fluency in English 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.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

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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