Project Associate (Admin), NPSA 6, Dhaka, Bangladesh

General Assembly Resolution 2186 (XXI) decided to “bring into operation the United Nations Capital Development Fund as an organ of the General Assembly, which shall function as an autonomous organisation of the United Nations. The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) assists developing countries, especially least developed countries, in developing their economies by supplementing existing sources of capital assistance through grants, loans, and guarantees. UNCDF’s vision is to help mobilise and catalyse increased capital flows for SDG-impactful investments in member states to address the most pressing development challenges facing vulnerable communities in these countries, contributing to sustainable economic growth and equitable prosperity. 

UNCDF utilises its unique capability in the UN system to deploy grants, loans, and guarantees to crowd in finance to scale development impact. UNCDF focuses on where the needs are most significant, a deliberate focus and capability rooted in UNCDF’s unique investment mandate to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the realisation of the Doha Programme of Action for the least developed countries, 2022–2031. 

As per its Strategic Framework, UNCDF works to deploy its functions as a hybrid development organisation and development finance institution. UNCDF responds to Member States’ requests for assistance by providing targeted technical and financial advisory services on investments for development outcomes, designing bespoke financial structuring solutions, undertaking financial derisking of investments, and enhancing investment readiness of SDG-aligned projects in partnership with the private sector, UNOs, International and Local Finance Institutions, Development Finance Institutions as well as Foundations and Philanthropy, among others. UNCDF works to develop local financial systems and new markets and mobilise and crowd in capital from public and private sources. UNCDF is driven by a partnership mindset, which enables it to deploy its different capital capabilities in highly tailored and responsive ways to mobilise investment flows from other sources, in particular from the private sector. By structuring transactions that are highly impactful but also recognise the need to multiply the impact of its capital, UNCDF seeks to position itself as a preferred partner for different stakeholders.  UNCDF’s work is focused on five thematic areas, including:  

Following a recent restructuring, UNCDF’s organisational setup includes an Investment and Implementation Division (IID), an Investment and Finance Oversight Division (IFOD), an Operations and Oversight Division (OOD), and a Directorate of the Executive Office. UNCDF staff and personnel are located in regional hubs based in Dakar (Senegal), Nairobi (Kenya), and Bangkok (Thailand), with sub-regional presence in several locations in the Caribbean and Pacific Regions. UNCDF is led by an Executive Secretary based in New York, USA. Under General Assembly resolution 2321(XXII, para 1.a), the Administrator of the UNDP performs the function of the Managing Director of UNCDF. UNCDF is overseen by the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).  

In Bangladesh, UNCDF is actively focusing on improving the financial well-being of migrant families by enhancing remittance management, providing financial and entrepreneurial literacy, and developing relevant financial services. This initiative also seeks to influence policy reforms for the financial inclusion of migrant workers. Concurrently, UNCDF promotes green financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through different policy-level activities. This involves advocating for policy reforms to create an enabling environment for green finance, ultimately enhancing economic opportunities and resilience for marginalised populations and communities across the country. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Country Lead Technical Specialist (Digital Finance), and in coordination with the UNCDF Bangladesh team and operations unit, the Administration Associate will: 

Ensure governance, compliance & internal controls while managing day-to-day administrative activities of UNCDF Bangladesh 

Maintain the highest level of transparency and adhere to regulations while managing procurement, asset management, and HR related functions 

Manage the travel, events, and protocol operations in coordination with internal teams and external stakeholders 

Manage the programme planning, performance monitoring, and stakeholder coordination 

Prepare the budgets, take active participation in financial operations, and Resource Mobilization 

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

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

Competencies

Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: 

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: 

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: 

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: 

Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: 

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: 

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Management: Working with Evidence and Data      

Business Management: Digital Awareness and Literacy      

Business Management: Customer Satisfaction/Client Management     

Business Management: Communication      

Business Management: Monitoring and evaluation     

Finance: Budget management      

Procurement: Procurement management      

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Experience:

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

Languages:

Professional Certificates:

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 a 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 [link removed]

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.