Programme Support Specialist/SGP [Open to Tier 1 applicants]

Better Than Cash
Better Than Cash

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Bonn, Germany

Posted on Jul 1, 2026
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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

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels offers a spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in its Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in UNDP’s Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora, including public-private, government and civil society dialogues; and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.

BPPS’s Planet Hub, with the support of the Vertical Fund Programme Support, Oversight and Compliance Hub, work with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate planetary concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies, support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and oversee the implementation of the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming nature, climate change, energy and waste. This multi-billion-dollar portfolio encompasses:

• Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services including forests;

• Sustainable Land Management and Desertification including food and commodity systems;

• Water and Ocean Governance including SIDS;

• Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation;

• Sustainable Energy;

• Extractive Industries;

• Chemicals and Waste Management;

• Environmental Governance and Green/Circular Economy and SCP approaches.

This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, digital transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South exchange and learning.

UNDP plays a pivotal role in supporting and promoting integrated Local Action initiatives across diverse thematic and cross-cutting areas, forging strong and new partnerships with local/sub-national governments, communities, bilateral and multilateral donors, CSOs, foundations, and the private sector. UNDP focuses its support to local actors around three essential solutions: a) empowerment - strengthening indigenous peoples and local communities agency through collective, empowering action for advocacy and inclusive governance; b) resilience - supporting networks of local actors to build the socio-ecological resilience of their urban and rural land/seascapes through technical assistance and grant and non-grant funding; c) investment - transforming financial flows to indigenous peoples and local communities and other local actors to accelerate and sustain local collective action to achieve sustainable development goals. Building on over 30 years of experience and success in supporting local action, UNDP is committed to significantly expanding the size and scope of its support to local actors. It intends to achieve this through innovative partnership and sources of financing, while leveraging the growing interest of bilateral and multilateral donors, philanthropies, and the private sector to meet the increasing demand for localized development support.

With funding from the GEF and other bilateral donors, including Germany, Japan and Australia, among others, for over 30 years, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP), implemented by UNDP, has been providing financial and technical support to civil society and community-based organizations on innovative community-driven initiatives that address global environmental issues- such as biodiversity loss, climate change mitigation and adaptation, land degradation, international waters, and chemicals and waste management- while improving livelihoods.

GEF SGP grant making promotes community-based innovation in addressing global environmental issues and improved, more sustainable livelihoods at the local level through initiatives led by civil society and community organizations, with special consideration for Indigenous Peoples, women, youth and persons with disabilities. SGP has so far supported over 29,000 community-based projects in over 125 countries to address biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable land management, protection of international waters, and sound chemicals and waste management. Over the years, SGP has developed extensive partnerships at global, national and local levels. See http://sgp.undp.org for further background information.

UNDP BPPS Planet Hub in close coordination with UNDP BPPS Quality Impact Hub exercises strategic, technical and fiduciary oversight for SGP. Within the Planet Hub, the Local Action/SGP Central Programme Management Team (CPMT), provides the overall global management of the SGP, including strategic, thematic, and operational guidance and support to Country Programmes.

Position Purpose

Under the direct supervision of the SGP Global Manager, the Programme Support Specialist- SGP serves as the principal operations technical expert and coordination focal point on operational matters for the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP). The position ensures that all operational support dimensions of SGP including finance, procurement, HR, logistics, contracting, audit readiness, and administrative workflows are fully aligned with UNDP policies and responsive to the needs of the CPMT, and participating UNDP Country Offices (COs).

As the primary contact point for all SGP operational matters, the Programme Support Specialist plays a central role in maintaining the coherence, efficiency, and accountability of SGP’s global delivery architecture during the GEF operational phases and transition under Direct Implementation Modality (DIM). The incumbent provides informed analysis and guidance on operational planning and risk management, ensures consistent application of operational standards across SGP country programmes, and drives continuous improvement of operational systems.

The Programme Support Specialist ensures that the operational foundations of SGP spanning over 120 participating countries function seamlessly, enabling the Global Manager and CPMT to focus on strategic leadership, partnerships, and programme impact. By coordinating closely with Country Offices, BPPS (including the Planet Hub, in close coordination with the Local Action Senior Technical Advisor and the EBD PTA, the Quality Impact Hub, and relevant corporate units), and UNDP’s central operational services, the role ensures that operational challenges are quickly identified, escalated when needed, and resolved in a timely, solutions‑oriented manner.

The incumbent supports programme delivery through predictable operational workflows, quality assurance of operational documentation, and regular monitoring of risk indicators. S/he work across teams to ensure that SGP processes, policies, and guidance are clearly communicated, consistently implemented, and continuously optimized.

The role also fosters a client‑oriented culture within the operational support function, ensuring responsiveness to the needs of SGP National Coordinators, CO operations teams, technical staff, and implementing partners.

This position requires strong judgment, proactive problem‑solving, and the capacity to navigate a large, decentralized global programme with multiple stakeholders. The Programme Support Specialist- SGP bridges internal and external operational dynamics and enables SGP to meet its strategic objectives by ensuring operational excellence, compliance, and a high degree of coordination across the entire SGP structure.

The role contributes to corporate and inter‑bureau collaboration under UNDP’s portfolio approach, working horizontally across units, regions, functions, and thematic areas. The incumbent is expected to demonstrate innovation, initiative, and a strong service orientation, and to take on additional or emerging tasks as required by the SGP Global Manager.

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 units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provision of effective SGP global programme operational support and financial management, including operational leadership, advisory support, and risk management

  • As the principal programme support expert, advises the SGP Global Manager, providing authoritative guidance on operational planning, internal controls, and management of risks affecting the SGP global portfolio.
  • Manage the development, review, and continuous improvement of operational strategies, SOPs, and workflows, ensuring they support the effective implementation of OP8 under the Direct Implementation Modality (DIM).
  • Engage and ensure full compliance of financial activities, financial recording/reporting system and audit follow up with UNDP regulations and SGP operational guidelines across the global programme, ensuring financial integrity, transparency, and audit readiness.
  • Provide timely operational intelligence to the SGP Global Manager, anticipating challenges, proposing mitigation measures, and supporting decision‑making based on operational data and risk analysis.
  • Provide strategic operational oversight for the SGP global portfolio, ensuring compliance with UNDP Financial Rules and Regulations (FRR) and the Internal Control Framework (ICF).
  • Monitor the global programme financial performance, including delivery targets, core and non-core resource allocations, and co-financing data.
  • Oversee the preparation and revision of the global programme budget; manage budget setups, reversals, and revisions ensuring accuracy in the general ledger, in close coordination with the SGP Global Manager.
  • Coordinate the operational closure of projects and the global programme phases, ensuring all financial and asset records are reconciled.

2.Provision of sound operational advice and support to the SGP CPMT as well as to the Country Office projects under the UNDP country office structures.

  • Manage financial systems for budgeting, accounting, reporting, and disbursement in the SGP management projects aligned with UNDP financial rules and regulations.
  • Monitor office management budget execution, forecast financial needs, and ensure timely and accurate financial reporting.
  • Analize corporate dashboards, review and monitor the Programme key operational performance data in the dashboards
  • Organization/processing the project office and SGP operations related payments / invoices in Quantum and ensuring the accuracy and completeness of the supporting documents.
  • Support sound resource management in the projects through budget management, resource allocation planning and expenditure control, consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.
  • Review and analyse budget implementation on an ongoing basis
  • Monitor projects financial performance and undertaking necessary actions to address inconsistencies and discrepancies.
  • Monitor the SGP status in the corporate performance dashboards (IFD, Asset, etc.) and proposing solutions
  • Support ongoing reviews of project accounts, ensuring accuracy of various financial transactions (e.g. payments, adjustments, common services and misalliance charges, etc.) and sufficient funds for disbursement.
  • Prepare and verify financial authorizations to/from other Business Units and facilitating proper budget allocations and funds transfer.

3. Advise and support SGP and its project offices in the effective management of administrative, human resources, travel, procurement, business continuity, and other operational functions.

  • Oversee and coordinate day-to-day administrative operations of the office, including ICT, ensuring smooth functioning in compliance with UNDP policies and procedures.
  • Coordinate and provide overall operation support and expertise to HR recruitment processes at global and country level, coordinating with relevant colleagues at global and country levels.
  • Manage travel processes of the SGP staff, including working with Libra and other UNDP Global travel LTA holders, visa support and letters, and travel authorizations, in line with relevant UNDP policies.
  • Provide operational expertise and support the full procurement cycle for goods and services for the office needs, including preparation of procurement plans, solicitation processes, and supplier management.
  • Ensure proper filing, asset tracking, and office inventory management in coordination with relevant units.
  • Contribute to the implementation and maintenance of business continuity plans, including security protocols and emergency preparedness measures when and where needed.
  • Liaise with suppliers, service providers, and facilities management teams for effective delivery of office services.
  • Assist with operational support for SGP staff, consultants, and partners.
  • Maintain accurate records and documentation for audit and reporting purposes.

4. Contribute to effective partnership development within and beyond UN/UNDP and facilitating resource mobilization

  • Advise and support programme resource mobilization and partnership efforts through guiding relevant personnel on related operational policies and procedures and participation in donor / partner negotiations, information management as needed, including elaboration and implementation of cost recovery, saving and reduction strategies.
  • Prepare and review donor contributions agreements and liaising with relevant UNDP teams (e.g. STA and PTA, MPSU, the Legal Support Office, GPN Joint Directorate, OFRM and BPPS Operations) to obtain necessary clearances and signatures.
  • Prepare and review other partnership agreements (MoUs, Development Services Agreements, Responsible Party Agreements, Low Value Grants, etc.) and liaising with counterparts and relevant UNDP teams (e.g. the Legal Support Office, GPN Joint Directorate, BERA, OFRM and BPPS Operations) to obtain necessary clearances and signatures.
  • Routinely monitor through dashboard and other in house-build systems (power BI, PIMS+ etc
  • Support timely reporting to donors and collaborating with relevant project staff to prepare necessary reports.
  • Facilitate timely extensions and modifications of donor and partnership agreements as may be needed.
  • Support the preparation of financial reports to donors, consistent with specific agreement requirements.

5.Lead knowledge and capacity building, knowledge sharing

  • Lead the process of knowledge capture of national and international know-how in relevant thematic areas and document project lessons, experiences, and best practices that may be useful in design and implementation of similar projects for organizational and external sharing and learning. Produce materials with lessons learned and best practices and other knowledge-based tools.
  • Keep abreast of the developments in the operations area of the project and provide guidance on how to incorporate them into UNDP’s current and future programming in the relevant sector.

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

Competencies

Core Competencies

Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Business Direction and Strategy - Systems 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 - Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritise 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
Business Management - Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals

Business Management - Partnerships Management: 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- Budget Management: Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets
Procurement - Contract Management: Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations
Business Management - Operations Management: Ability to effectively plan, organise and oversee different parts of corporate operations,
simultaneously and in an integrated way, in order toconvert the organisation’s assets into the best results in the most efficient way. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Engineering, Management, or another closely related field is required. Or
  • A first‑level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in one of the above fields, combined with two (2) additional years of qualifying relevant experience, will be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

  • Minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in operations, management advisory services, or managing complex operational systems at national or international level.
  • Extensive hands‑on experience with UNDP corporate ERP systems; including Quantum with navigation of financial, procurement, HR, and workflow modules as well as proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) is required.
  • Proven ability to interpret, apply, and operationalize UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP) across diverse contexts is required.
  • Demonstrated experience supporting or managing global programmes or multi‑country operational portfolios, including coordination with multiple UNDP Country Offices and HQ units is desired.
  • Strong track record in financial planning, budgeting, expenditure monitoring, and operational reporting, ensuring compliance with UNDP financial rules and audit requirements is desired.
  • Experience in senior operations management roles, including oversight of finance, procurement, HR, administration, and operational service lines is desired.
  • Experience and strong background in global virtual team environments (operations and programme support teams), including cross‑border operational coordination, remote support to country teams, and collaboration across multiple time zones including in complex, politically sensitive, and delivery-focused environments is an asset
  • Proven experience engaging and coordinating multi-agency groups, such as Operations Management Teams (OMTs), inter‑agency procurement committees (CAP, ACP/RACP), and other operational working groups is desired.
  • Experience in premises management and management of common services, including development and implementation of cost‑sharing agreements across UN agencies is desired.
  • Previous experience working with international and local NGOs, including exposure to humanitarian settings, early recovery, community development, or micro‑grant/micro‑credit schemes is desired.
  • Practical experience providing operations and logistics support for large‑scale UNDP or UN events, including COP conferences, resource‑mobilization events, senior leadership missions, trainings, and workshops is desired.
  • Experience working with donor agreements, partnership frameworks, vertical fund requirements, and compliance processes, including support to audits, spot checks, and verification exercises is desired
  • Experience managing operational aspects of on‑granting, civil society support mechanisms, income‑generation projects, and serving as operational or audit focal point in complex implementation settings, including coordination of audit recommendations closure is an asset.
  • IPSAS certification and/or additional certification in accounting, procurement, or finance management from a recognized international institution is an asset.
  • Proven ability to build staff capacity and foster effective collaboration with diverse stakeholders is desired.

Languages:

  • Fluency in English is required.
  • Knowledge of other UN languages is an asset

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.

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