Project Associate (Finance & Admin)

Background

Bangladesh is undergoing a pivotal electoral transition with significant reforms aimed at restoring trust in democratic processes. The newly established Bangladesh Election Commission (BEC) has requested support from UNDP and international partners to strengthen its institutional capacity and deliver credible, transparent, and inclusive elections.

In response, UNDP is implementing a multi-year project. The Democratic Reforms through Inclusive Participation in Bangladesh (DRIP) project aims to advance a more inclusive and participatory democracy by ensuring that diverse voices—particularly those of women, youth, and socially excluded groups—are effectively represented in political, governance, and decision-making processes. The project emphasizes enhancing institutional capacities, generating data-driven evidence, and fostering civic engagement to support transparent, accountable, and inclusive electoral and governance reforms.

The project is structured around two key Outcomes:

o            Democratic reforms and electoral processes are more credible, inclusive, and transparent.

o            Research and evidence are generated and utilized to empower citizens in advocating for transparency, accountability, and inclusive electoral processes.

The DRIP project will be jointly implemented by UNDP and UN Women in collaboration with academia, think tanks, media, and a broad spectrum of state and civil society actors, including Women Rights Organizations (WROs) and Women-Led Organizations (WLOs). 

Duties and Responsibilities

i. Effective and efficient administrative and logistical support: 

• Support the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA)with overall administration of financial planning and budgeting of the Project 
• Support the CTAin 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

v. 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.  
• 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. 

 vi. 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 Admin and Finance Associate will work under the leadership of the Chief Technical Electoral Advisor (CTA) at UNDP’s Governance Cluster and liaise with project team, UNDP, UN Women and respective donors and parteners involved in the project. 

Competencies

Core Behavioral 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 

Thematic Area    Name    Definition
Business Direction & Strategy    Business Acumen    Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome.
Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks.
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.
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
    Audit risk management    Ability to address audit issues raised in the course of an audit and propose solutions in order to ensure a true and fair audit opinion is achieved
    Budget management     Ability to support budgetary aspects of the work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets 
    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 
    Management and cost accounting     Ability to produce periodic qualitative and quantitative performance reports to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring. Ability to use a range of costing techniques and analyse cost related data to provide quantitative information to the users of reports. 

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Education requirements :

•    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

Min. years of relevant work 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, UNDP and GoB financial Reporting i.e. Annual Development Programme.
•    Experience in working with INGOs/ development organisations, or donor, or GoB projects with donor support.
•    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 

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

•    Experience of working with international organizations, financial institutions, NGOs/ INGOs including the UN is desired. 
•    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. 

Required Language(s)     Fluency in 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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