Portfolio Associate (Admin) [NPSA-6], Circular Economy Portfolio

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

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 is advancing a Circular Economy (CE) Portfolio as a core vehicle to support a just and green transition, positioning circularity as a driver of sustainable economic growth, inclusive markets, and socio‑environmental transformation. The portfolio frames circular economy not only as an environmental agenda, but as a strategic approach to: i) develop new green export markets beyond traditional sectors, ii) enable cities to act as catalysts for local circular economies, iii) foster conscious consumption and citizen engagement, iv) strengthen policy coherence and institutional coordination, and v) mobilize innovative financing for circular solutions.

The Circular Economy Portfolio applies UNDP’s portfolio approach, enabling integrated, adaptive, and multi‑stakeholder action across markets, cities, people, policy, and finance, aligned with national priorities, the UNDP Bangladesh CPD and UNSDCF, and Bangladesh’s climate commitments. The portfolio approach is a systemic development approach to tackling complex development problems, as a more impactful approach that the often-siloed project-based approaches that are prevalent in development. The CE Portfolio approach is the first of its kind to be organizationally integrated into the management structures and processes of the UNDP Bangladesh country office. For more information on our approaches to systems and portfolios, please see https://www.undp.org/systems-portfolio.

Another programme the initiative of “Global Programme on National Biodiversity Finance Plans” is an enabling activity that directly supports the implementation of the new biodiversity targets under the new Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), specifically it will focus on providing support to countries in developing: a) a national biodiversity finance policy and institutional review; b) an expenditure review to assesses spending related to biodiversity across all relevant sectors; c) an assessment of financial needs required to achieve the targets of the GBF; and, d) a National Biodiversity Finance Plan. This is underpinned by a transformational process to develop a shared vision and action agenda on financing nature in the country, closely involving the finance sector.

The Portfolio Associate (Admin) will be responsible to provide administrative , operational, financial, and logistics support to Circular Economy Portfolio and PIMS 9850 Biodiversity Finance Plans Bangladesh Project to ensure the smooth, compliant and efficient management of project resources in accordance with UNDP's financial rules and regulations.

Duties and Responsibilities

General Administration Support:

• Provide day to day general administration and operational management support in full compliance with UNDP rules and regulations.
• Ensure the administration and implementation of operational and financial strategies and adapt processes and procedures to achieve results.
• Assist in preparing project Annual Work Plans and Budget including Multi-Year Budget.
• Prepare draft budget revisions, shadow budgets, cost-sharing, and other relevant reports.
• Administrative support in ensuring payments to project suppliers;
• Ensure proper control of all supporting documents for payments, and addressing any financial and payment process issues with cluster associate.
• Review and process payments/claims for staff and service providers, ensuring timely settlement as per UNDP rules and procedures.
• Prepare the revision of AWPs, and periodic revisions of procurement/HR plans, ensuring that plans are updated promptly and in close coordination with the UNDP Country Office (Programme, HR and Procurement Teams).
• Review procurement requests and initiate procurement procedures for goods and services.
• Support the projects in the procurement process and coordinate with UNDP Operations, including assistance in preparing RFQs, ITBs, or RFP documents, conducting Micro-purchasing canvases, receiving quotations, bids, or proposals, and evaluating them.
• Create and manage e-requisitions in Quantum;
• Maintain files and records relevant to procurement cases.
• Prepare and submit the quarterly/yearly procurement plan.
• Verify vendor’s information in Quantum and submit requests for vendor update as required.
• Support proper documentation for timely delivery of goods and services.

Provide administrative, travel and logistical support:

• Provide administrative and logistical support for meetings, workshops, conferences, and trainings.
• Undertake all related to travel arrangements including travel request, travel claims, ticketing, DSA on logistics and documentation;
• Advise and liaise with the traveler on UNDP’s travel processes and ensure all relevant support documents such as, travel itinerary and mode of travel, valid travel documents, UNDSS security clearance are in order;
• Assist staffs/external participants on all aspects of allowances, travel claims and other financial matters and calculate payments due for claims and services;
• Manage travel profiles in Quantum;
• Ensure proper control of the supporting documents for payments and financial reports;
• Manage document/ filing control procedures (both hard copy and electronic filing) for all reports, project narrative and financial documents, knowledge products.
• Perform other duties related to personnel, administrative and financial issues of project as required.

Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge:

• Participate in the organization of training for the office staff on programme/operations related issues.
• Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

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

Institutional Arrangement:

The Portfolio Associate (Admin) is the part of the Circular Economy Portfolio and PIMS 9850 Biodiversity Finance Plans Bangladesh Project team and is supervised by the Portfolio Lead under the overall strategic guidance of the Deputy Resident Representative.

Competencies

Core 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 Administration & Operations Documents and records management

• Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retentionof policy including storing and archiving

Administration and Operations Entitlement Travel

• Knowledge of policy and procedures related to entitlement travel, including the identification of entitlement for lump sum for UNDP as well as other UN agencies

Business Management Operations Management

• Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the Organization’s business processes in order to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.

Business Management Communication

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience

Finance

Financial planning and budgeting

• Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP's long and short-term financial goals, including thorough planning, budgeting, forecasting, analysing and reporting

Procurement Procurement Management

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

Procurement Procurement Management

• Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary Education is required, Or
• A university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in Business, Finance, Public Administration will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.
• A specialized training in administration or office management would be an asset.

Experience:

• Minimum of six (6) years (with Secondary Education) OR three (3) years (with Bachelor’s degree) of progressively relevant experience in administration, finance and/or programme/project support is required.

Required Skils:

• Experience in administration and programme/Project support is required.
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.)

Desired Skills:

• Knowledge of UN/UNDP administration, prograrmme/project and procurement processes.
• Experience in Travel management in UN or INGO’s sector including Travel request, ticketing, DSA on logistics and documentation;
• Prior experience in administrative and logistical support for meetings, workshops, conferences, and trainings.
• Knowledge and working experience with UNDP, the United Nations system, and INGOs.
• Experience in assisting in preparing project Annual Work Plans and Budget including Multi-Year Budget.
• Experience with Enterprise resource planning systems such as Oracel, Quantum, Atlas etc.
• Prior Experience in procurement processes using Public Procurement Act and Public Procurement Rules.
• Expereince and advanced knowledge of spreadsheets and web-based management systems such as ERP financials and database packages

Required Language:

• Fluency in English and Bangla (both written and oral) 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

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