Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a UN agency that works in about 170 countries and territories, helping eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience. It thereby helps them sustain progress and achieve Sustainable Development Goals. In Ukraine, UNDP operates in three programme priorities, such as Democratic Governance and Inclusive Social Fabric, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Recovery and Growth, and Sustainable Environment and Energy Transformation.

Since the start of the hostilities in 2014 and the full-scale invasion in 2022, UNDP in Ukraine has been present on the ground, through its hubs around the country, supporting regional and local authorities and civil society partners in their emergency response and crisis management.

Lessons from the past years informed the development of UNDP’s Country Programme Document (2025-2029) and the scale-up of the Area-Based Recovery (ABR) Framework. The Framework’s programmatic pillars of Reconstruction, Returns, Resilience, and Reforms are focused on ensuring community recovery and creating conditions for the return to a development pathway in Ukraine.

Addressing the country’s complex reconstruction and recovery requires a holistic, systems-based response that empowers all parts of society — including government, local authorities, the private sector, and citizens — with the capacity and resources to respond effectively. To ensure a whole-of-society approach, the framework offers an integrated, participatory, and inclusive methodology to advance recovery in communities most affected by the war.

In this context the Grants Associate will support UNDPs partnerships with community-based organizations and civil society in achievement of the whole of society approach

Duties and Responsibilities


1. Assist in developing, implementation and monitoring of grants programs, preparing and maintaining related records, reports, and documentation
•Providing initial review of grant applications for completeness and compliance, assist with tracking grant applications and managing timelines and deliverables.
•Processing and sending final grant agreements, amendments, and routine correspondence, keep Project team abreast of progress of agreements/amendments/correspondence.
•Supporting monitoring grantee performance to ensure achievement of project performance targets and proper use of funds by reviewing grantee programmatic and financial reports, performing site and events visits to grantees.


2.  Facilitate liaison and cooperation between the Project, donors and key partner stakeholders
•Assisting in the development and maintenance of knowledge and familiarity with current and potential partners, support to establishing and maintaining strategic contacts with relevant partners, follow-up proactively on plans and agreed actions;
•Supporting organization and coordination of capacity development activities, meetings, training sessions, conferences and other project events in online and offline format through liaison with project partners, maintaining events’ calendar, providing input to compilation and preparation of agendas and briefings, background and presentation materials, engaging and registering participants, documenting the results.
 

3.  Support knowledge building, knowledge sharing and capacity building
•Participate in trainings on internal procedures for the project staff.
•Provide support in the dissemination and sharing of relevant data and lessons learned within the ABR and the Country Office. Keep pulse on emerging best practices nationally, regionally, and internationally that relate to the work of the assigned project.
•Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice. Support compiling and systematizing project knowledge, products and tools as well as their wide distribution to partners.

4. Support the mainstreaming of gender equality and women’s empowerment considerations in the field of expertise; promote a safe and enabling environment free of discrimination and abusive behaviour corporate standards.
•Assist with ensuring the project contributes to the promotion of gender equality by reaching, involving, and benefiting both women and men.
•Use the principles of gender-responsive communications in line with the UNDP corporate standards.
•Be aware of relevant gender issues and concerns in the field of expertise.
•Support the promotion of team culture of gender equality and zero tolerance to any sexual misconduct in the team through leadership and personal example.
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 guidance of Local Governance and Public Financing Specialist and Head of Area Based Recovery and the direct supervision of the Small Grants Officer, the Grants Associate will be responsible for assisting and supporting the management and oversight of the grant-making process, its operations and efficient delivery of the results.

Competencies
 

Core

Achieve Results:

LEVEL 1: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work

Think Innovatively:

LEVEL 1: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems

Learn Continuously:

LEVEL 1: Create andact on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt withAgility:

LEVEL 1: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process

Act withDetermination:

LEVEL 1: Think beyondimmediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner:

LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

LEVEL 1: Create ethicalculture, identify/address barriers to inclusion



Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Thematic Area

Name

Definition
Business Direction & Strategy Entrepreneurial Thinking
  • Ability to create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners and to develop service offers responding to client needs based on UNDP’sorganizational priorities and mandate
Business Direction & Strategy Negotiation and Influence
  • Ability to reachan understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates ‘win-win’ situations
Business Development Knowledge Facilitation
  • Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally
Business Development

UNDP

Representation
  • Ability to represent UNDP and productively share UNDPknowledge and activities; advocate for UNDP, its values, mission and work with various constituencies
Business Management Partnerships Management
  • Ability to 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
Business Management Communication
  • Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner boththrough written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience
  • Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, socialmedia and other appropriate channels
External Relations & Advocacy Partnership management
  • Knowledge and ability to forge multi- stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms




Required Skills and Experience

Minimum education requirements
  • Secondary Education is required, or
  • A university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in Development Studies, Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Law, Social Sciences, Communication or other relevant areas will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.
Min. years of relevant work experience
  • Minimum of 6 years (with Secondary Education) or 3 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in administration, finance, programme/project support or other relevant fields.
Experience, Knowledge, and Skills
  • Experience in theuse of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.)
Desirable Criteria
  • Experience in engaging with local stakeholders.
  • Experience in grant management, especially in the areas of community security, localdevelopment, social cohesion, civic engagement, and/or support to civil society.
  • Previous experience with UNDP or other UN agencies, a governmental, other multilateral or civil society organization.
  • Proven knowledge and experience working with UNDP enterprise resource planning software for finance and administration (Quantum) 
Required Language(s)
  • Fluency in English and Ukrainian is required.

Professional

Certificates

 n/a


 

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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