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Portfolio Associate (Circular Economy) [Open to internal and external applicants]
Better Than Cash
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Posted on May 22, 2026
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.
Bangladesh’s impending graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status marks a critical inflection point for redefining its development model. As global trade dynamics shift and environmental limits become increasingly evident, Bangladesh faces the challenge of sustaining competitiveness, creating quality jobs, and improving quality of life while addressing pollution, resource depletion, and climate vulnerability.
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 CE 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
Within this context, UNDP Bangladesh seeks a Portfolio Associate (Circular Economy) to provide programme coordination, knowledge management, and operational support to portfolio design, activation, and dynamic management processes.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Portfolio Associate (Circular Economy) will support the integration of the circular economy portfolio and the portfolio approach at the UNDP Country Office, including advancing the portfolio design, knowledge management and learning processes, and dynamic portfolio management across the Circular Economy Portfolio with the UNDP Country Office, with particular attention to translating the CE narrative into coordinated action across clusters, projects and functions.
Portfolio Design and Sensemaking Support (40%)
- Support portfolio design and sensemaking processes that frame the circular economy as a pathway for green competitiveness, inclusive growth, and improved quality of life.
- Assist in consolidating insights related to key CE narrative dimensions, including green export markets, cities as catalysts, conscious consumers, policy coherence, and enabling finance.
Knowledge Management, Learning, and Reporting (40%):
- Coordinate the coherence with the CE portfolio across UNDP teams contributing to market, city, policy, finance, and behavioural dimensions of the CE Portfolio.
- Organize learning circles, systematic documentation of lessons, insights, and emerging patterns from portfolio discussions and activation processes.
- Develop a portfolio M&E framework and contribute inputs to progress updates and portfolio review materials linked to adaptive management and learning cycles.
Operational and Administrative Support (20%):
- Provide administrative and operational support related to procurement, events, travel, workshops, and meetings, in line with UNDP rules and procedures.
- Assist with financial tracking, documentation, and preparation of supporting materials for programme delivery and reporting.
Other scopes of work:
- Support day-to-day coordination with government counterparts, UN agencies, private sector actors, civil society organizations, academia, and women led organizations engaged in circular economy initiatives.
- Assist in organizing meetings, consultations, and portfolio related workshops that advance shared understanding of the circular economy narrative and partnership roles.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
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, form positive relationships
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination
Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies
Business Management
- Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.
- Portfolio Management: Ability to select priorities and control the organization's programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity. Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.
- Knowledge Facilitation: Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas. Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange.
- Results-based Management: Ability to manage the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results. Knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tool
- Working with Evidence and data Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making
Business Development
- Communication: 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. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.
Partnership Management
- Relationship Management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Secondary Education is required. Or
- University degree (Bachelor’s degree) in economics, development studies, environmental studies, public administration, business administration, Social Sciences, or a closely relevant academic discipline will be given due consideration but not a requirement.
Experience:
- Minimum 7 years (with secondary education) or 4 years (bachelor´s degree) of relevant practical experience in programme or project support, coordination, or portfolio‑based initiatives.
Required Skills
- Demonstrated experience related to circular economy, climate action, urban development, sustainable markets, or inclusive growth is required.
- Proficiency in MS Office applications and collaborative digital tools (e.g. shared document platforms, virtual meeting tools);
- Demonstrated ability to support portfolio‑based and multi‑stakeholder initiatives, particularly those involving government, private sector, civil society, academia, and development partners, in complex policy and programme environments.
- Prior relevant experience and strong understanding of, or demonstrated exposure to, circular economy, green growth, climate action, blue economy, urban sustainability, or inclusive economic development concepts, with the ability to translate high‑level narratives into coordinated programme support.
- Proven experience and skill in coordination and facilitation support for workshops, consultations, and dialogue platforms, including sensemaking or co‑creation processes with diverse stakeholders.
- Experience in knowledge management and learning, including documentation of insights, lessons learned, and preparation of briefs, presentations, and internal knowledge products for different audiences (government, donors, internal teams).
- Experience and ability to support portfolio activation processes, including partner engagement, consolidation of feedback, and preparation of briefing and background materials that strengthen political traction and partnership alignment.
- Prior experience and familiarity with gender equality, youth engagement, and social inclusion considerations in development programming, with the ability to support inclusive stakeholder
- engagement processes.
- Proven experience supporting multi‑stakeholder platforms, workshops, or partnership‑driven programme.
- Familiarity with UNDP or UN system procedures.
- Strong organizational and process‑management skills and experience with the ability to manage multiple workstreams, track deliverables, and support adaptive programme implementation.
- Experience supporting structured documentation and reporting processes.
- Prior experience working with UNDP, the UN system, or international development organizations.
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.
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.
Duties and Responsibilities