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

For six decades, UNDP has shaped the progress of human development, working with its partners to lift millions from poverty and increase opportunities for all. Empowered by Member States with a mandate to work across the spectrum of human development, UNDP provides integrated support at scale to improve people’s lives worldwide. UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2026-2029 is grounded in the determination to eradicate poverty, the greatest global challenge, indispensable to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Through the Strategic Plan, UNDP will continue to support countries’ progress towards high human development, while protecting the planet. Four strategic objectives – prosperity for all, effective governance, crisis resilience, and healthy planet – define its strategic direction, powered by three accelerators: digital and artificial intelligence (AI) transformation; gender equality; and sustainable finance. All are underpinned by a commitment to human rights and to leaving no one behind.

Within UNDP, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) unites world-class policy expertise, flagship global programmes, and collaborative innovation and learning networks so UNDP is not only ready for the future — but helps build it with governments and partners. To support the achievement of the Strategic Plan, BPPS keeps UNDP at the leading edge of thought and practice, translating evidence into action and elevating solutions that work on the ground. BPPS is where policy meets practice - for impact. From development to crisis contexts, BPPS helps countries navigate complexity, scale what works, and advance a more just, resilient, and sustainable future.

In response to the dynamic and rapidly changing development context, BPPS implemented a new structure in 2026 to strengthen its ability to plan, adapt, and execute its strategy in support of the achievement of UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2026-2029. A key component of this restructuring is the centralization of operational support functions in the Business Services Hub for greater cost and process efficiency, integrating digital solutions where possible. The Business Solutions Hub provides support to BPPS Client teams and serves as the principal management adviser to the Directors and Deputy Bureau Director.

In this context, the Finance team of BSH supports BPPS management and Client teams by continuously ensuring strong accountability through informed decision making, effective financial management processes, and transparent financial reporting that complies with all corporate rules and regulations and required risk management thresholds.

Position Purpose

Under the guidance and supervision of the Transactional Services Specialist, the Finance & Administration Analyst is responsible for effective delivery of financial services, transparent utilization of financial resources, and management of the BSH Finance Team. The Finance & Administration Analyst analyzes and interprets financial rules and regulations and provides solutions to a wide spectrum of complex financial issues. The Finance & Administration Analyst promotes a collaborative, client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

The Finance & Administration Analyst manages the BSH Finance Team and supervises and leads its personnel. S/he works in close collaboration with other colleagues in BPPS, UNDP HQs and GSSC staff, to ensure successful BPPS financial performance.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across teams, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

Ensure implementation of operational and financial management strategies and adapt processes and procedures.

• Ensure BPPS financial activities, financial recording/reporting system and audit follow-up comply with UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP) and strategies. Provide support in closure of audit gaps and implementation of effective internal controls.
• Support office management in preparing and reviewing Finance & Administration business processes mapping and elaborate/establish internal standard operating procedures in the Finance & Administration Team, and control workflows. Contribute to effective process mapping within BSH for the overall efficiency of effective service delivery to BPPS teams.
• Elaborate and implement cost saving and reduction strategies.
• Routinely monitor financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, and investigate anomalies or unusual transactions. Inform the management team of the results of the investigation in order to work towards solutions.
• Support management of Direct Project Costs (DPC) for BSH and maintenance of an optimal cost-recovery system.

Ensure proper control of BPPS accounts

• Elaborate internal expenditures’ control system for all transactions, including invoices and General Ledger. Ensure invoices processed are matched and completed; transactions are correctly recorded and posted in ERP; and travel claims and other entitlements are duly processed in IPSAS compliance.
• Ensure control of the Accounts Receivables for BPPS projects and accounts closure.
• Exercise appropriate delegated authoritiesfor transactions approval.
• Ensure timely corrective actions on unposted invoices, including invoices with validation errors, match exceptions, and/or unapproved invoices. Provide timely response to HQ requests to resolve financial data issues.

Ensure effective administrative support to BPPS teams

• Ensure timely inventory and asset verifications and reporting, including physical verifications in HQ locations.
• Support management and timely payments of rent and common services for all BPPS locations/teams.
• Coordinate the provision of reliable and quality office supplies where needed.

Effective supervision of the Finance & Administration team

• Supervise and guide the team in delivering high-quality finance & administration services.
• Conduct required performance evaluations with the provision of constructive feedback within UNDP’s annual performance review framework.
• Foster a collaborative team environment, promoting knowledge building/sharing towards encouraging higher standards of service delivery.

Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the CO and guidance to all stakeholders on financial matters

• Provide support in identifying training needs of UNDP staff for the purpose of capacity development in financial compliance.
• Synthesize lessons learned and best practices in Finance.
• Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

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

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: Supervises personnel in Finance & Administrative Team including G7 Finance Associate, up to 6 IPSA Finance/Administration Analysts [home- and office-based].

Competencies

• Core Competencies:

Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work.

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.

Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.

• People Management

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site

• Cross Functional and Technical Competencies:

Business Management - Operations Management:

• Ability to effectively plan, organise and oversee different parts of corporate operations, simultaneously and in an integrated way, in order to convert the organisation’s assets into the best results in the most efficient way.
• Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.

Business Direction and Strategy - System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Management - Customer Satisfaction/Client Management:

• Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs.
• Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy.
• Look for ways to add Value beyond clients' immediate requests.
• Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.

Business Management - Portfolio Management:

• Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity.
• Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.
• Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.

Finance:

• Accounting (General): Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, regulations, policies and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.
• Financial Planning and Budgeting: Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP's long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing and reporting.
• Finance - Audit Risk Management: Ability to address risks and audit issues raised in the course of an audit and propose solutions in order to ensure a true and fair audit opinion is achieved.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• A professional accounting qualification from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy, and/or Advanced (Master’s) University Degree in Finance and/or Accounting is required. Or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above,in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Candidates with professional accounting qualifications from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage.
• Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications, but with degrees that major in accountancy and/or finance must complete the Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited.
• Candidates satisfying the two above criteria are exempted from undertaking the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT).
• Candidates with MBA or master's in finance with no accountancy qualification but with relevant experience must successfully undertake the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT) to be eligible for shortlisting.

Experience:

• Minimum of 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in providing financial management services and operational systems is required.
• Experience in managing a professional team is desirable.
• Experience of IPSAS and/or IFRS is required for external candidates.
• Proven track record of sound knowledge of UNDP financial regulations is a distinct advantage.
• Experience in asset and inventory management is desirable.
• Experience in project financial management is desirable.
• Knowledge of Quantum Cloud and Service Now systems is an added advantage.
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheets and web-based management systems such as ERP financials and database packages is required.

Language

• Fluency English is required.
• Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.

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.

Probation

For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

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.