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.   

UNDP Bangladesh’s Democratic Governance programming aims to accelerate effective governance so that all citizens can openly and peacefully contribute to Bangladesh’s development story. It focuses on making the country inclusive, capable, rule-based accountable, and transparent by 1) strengthening effective and accountable governance that responds to the need of people in addressing equitable and improved access to justice and rule of law, 2) strengthening civil society and promoting participatory governance to ensure that the voice of all citizens are heard, and 3) enhancing civic, political and economic empowerment of women and youth.

UNDP Bangladesh is implementing an Initiation Plan (IP) to enhance the capabilities of interim authorities, national institutions, and civil society in Bangladesh to drive democratic reforms and foster inclusive development. It houses the early phase of UNDP support for democratic and institutional reforms in Bangladesh and the advancement and repositioning of ongoing governance programming. Central to this initiative is a commitment to restoring trust among stakeholders, engaging systematically with young people, civil society and citizens, and ensuring risk-informed and collaborative approaches. This IP will also serve as a foundational framework to consolidate and align UNDP’s democratic governance programming in Bangladesh, and for transitioning to a longer-term portfolio of strategic interventions thereafter. 

IP SARG is looking to recruit a Project Associate (Admin and Finance) who will carry out all day to day administrative, operational, budgetary and financial management functions of the project, support management of budgets and functioning of the optimal cost-recovery system. She/he will assist in preparing periodic accounting records, maintain delivery records, make project transactions in UNDP format, prepare draft budget revisions, shadow budgets, cost sharing and other financial and accounting reports. She/he will support disbursement from petty cash and maintain expenditure statement, cashbookand bank register.

Duties and Responsibilities

i. Effective and efficient administrative and logistical support: 

• Support the Project Manager with overall administration of financial planning and budgeting of the Project 
• Support the Project Manager in preparation and submission of monthly and annual project budget and Annual progress reports in line with UNDP and donor requirements 
• Regularly monitor the project budget, to inform the Project Manager and other staff on the project expenditure rate and give advice on any necessary adjustments.
• Support acquisitions of goods and services and manage project assets and maintain control over project property through a log that indicates the property, value of property, condition and location. 
• Responsible for ensuring adherence to administrative processes of the organization regarding the project. 
• Ensure implementation of regulations and procedures for procurement. 
• Any other duties assigned by the supervisor.

ii. Support project financial and operational management: 

• Oversee all payments issued under the project (including those made to vendors, grantees, consultants, subcontractors, and staff) and ensure that they are issued in compliance with UNDP financial & accounting policies and procedures and that they are in line with the project budget. 
• Analyse the project combined delivery reports and subsequent evaluation and compliance.
• Routinely monitor and follow up on any outstanding advances and ensure appropriately liquidated within a timely manner. 
• Routinely prepare financial projections (including accrued and projected costs) with the project team in order to ensure that project expenses are in line with the budget and provide accurate forecasts
• Proper planning, expenditure tracking of financial resources following full compliance with UNDP POPP and Donors rules and regulations of financial process.
• Ensure all QUANTUM related transactions, a.i, budget analysis, upload budget, monitor project budget, enter necessary GLJE in Quantum etc.
• Monitor the financial performance of supply management systems/procurement/inventory management.

iii. Ensure strategic direction of Project finance management, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Compliance of operations with UNDP rules, regulations, policies, procedures and monitoring achievement. 
• Establish or fine tune UNDP and Donor financial procedures: e.g., receipts, payments, disbursements, and bookkeeping, filing procedures for the Project.
• Ensure that financial procedures are in place complying with the financial/accounting and procurement requirement of UNDP.
• Ensure the preparation of the Project’s Quarterly and Annual reporting.

iv. Ensure proper financial reporting, control of Project accounts and support to Audits focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Prepare and submission of periodic financial reports to the donors. 
• Prepare financial reports for Project Board, Project management and others.
• Ensuring preparation of other financial reports to be submitted to the donors and government counterparts as and when required. 
• Oversee the preparation of monthly financial statements, QUANTUM reconciliations, payroll reconciliations etc.
• Ensure receipts of bill/vouchers and record of filed level expenditures in a timely manner.
• Facilitate financial audits, FAPAD, HACT Audit, UNDP, UNBOA, and ensure that external auditors have all relevant information.
• Prepare audit reply and do follow-up on audit reports to ensure that all audit observations are addressed and unqualified. 
• Complying with the internal expenditures control system, which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded in the books of Accounts and posted in QUANTUM.
• Management of project assets and facilitate to project closure process.

v. Support knowledge building, knowledge sharing and capacity building relevant to the assigned project.

• Participate in training and organize briefings on internal procedures for the project staff. Provide support to other capacity building activities, including to the design and delivery of tools, materials for workshops, or platforms that tap into the collective intelligence of communities and mobilize action. 
• Provide support in the dissemination and sharing of relevant data and lessons learned within the CO and regionally. 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.

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

4. Institutional Arrangement

The Project Associate (Admin and Finance) will work under the direct supervision of the Project Manager and liaise with project team. The Project Manager will be responsible for the service evaluation of the Project Associate (Admin and Finance).   

Competencies

Core Behavioral Competencies

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies: 

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary Education or completion of High School Diploma is required. 
• University degree in Finance or Accounting desirable,but 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) required.
• Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications but degrees that major in accountancy and/or finance must complete the UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP). However, no UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (AFT) is required.
• Candidates 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 6 years (with Secondary Education) or 3 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible finance and  accounting experience in development projects implemented by national/international NGOs/ Government  is required.

Required Skills:

• Working knowledge for the preparation of Donor, INGO’s and GoB financial Reporting i.e. Annual Development Programme.

Desired Skills:

• Experience of working with international organizations, financial institutions, NGOs/ INGOs. 
• Experience in the use of information/databases/other management systems is desired.
• Experience in supporting project logistics is an asset.
• Experience in project operations management is desired.
• Experience in comprehensive budget preparation in light of the Multi-year Budget, ProDoc, TAPP (Technical Assistance Project Proposal) and smooth implementation of the Annual Work Plan. Experience  in access to the ERP System.
• Experience in working with INGOs/ development organisations, or donor, or GoB projects with donor support.

Language:

• 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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