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Project Operations Associate [Open to Tier 1 & 2 applicants]
Operations
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Posted on Aug 27, 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
UNDP has been present in Sri Lanka for over 55 years, supporting the country to achieve sustainable human development on economic, social and environmental fronts. Under its Country Programme Document (2023–2027), the Country Office (CO) delivers a programme portfolio that responds to national priorities and related opportunities in the current socio-economic context, and that anticipates emerging development challenges and new opportunities for expanding the CO's programme.
Given the evolving risk profile of the country arising from climate and environmental vulnerabilities alongside socio-economic pressures, there is an acute need to accelerate structural transformations towards green development to address the climate crisis and overarching environmental issues. The Climate and Environment Team (CET) delivers this agenda under three core thematic areas: Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction; Sustainable Natural Resource Management; and Sustainable Energy and Waste Management.
Through this portfolio, UNDP provides the Government of Sri Lanka with technical and policy assistance to implement projects that facilitate greater preparedness for climate-related extreme weather events and reduce the loss of lives, social assets, and losses and damages in critical climate-sensitive rural production and service sectors of communities vulnerable to climate change impacts. The portfolio is financed largely through vertical funds — including the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Adaptation Fund (AF) and the Montreal Protocol — as well as bilateral and other partnerships such as the EU, different international governments, private sector etc. The CET is at the same time developing a comprehensive pipeline to secure new funding and partnerships towards operationalizing catalytic development interventions that deliver transformative impacts on the ground.
This strategy requires excellent programme management and a structure that reinforces the entire programming life cycle, including planning, implementation, oversight, monitoring and evaluation, safeguards and gender mainstreaming, communications, and efficient operations.
Against this backdrop, UNDP seeks to recruit a Project Operations Associate who will support the effective and timely delivery of the CET's portfolio across seven areas: coordination, project management support, budget management support, policy research and analysis, resource mobilization, partnerships, reporting, and communication and knowledge management. The Project Associate will work as part of a dynamic team and is expected to liaise closely with project teams, implementing partners, responsible parties, government counterparts and CO Operations.
Duties and Responsibilities
1- Support financial management of the project focusing on the achievement of the following results:
- Ensure all accounting transactions for the projects are properly supported, documented and recorded in the accounting system and that all documentation is retained in accordance with internal procedures and donor policies.
- Track and report all project advances to partners and ensure they are accounted for and cleared per the accounting policies and procedures.
- Ensure payments for suppliers are processed and paid in accordance with internal procedures and compliance requirements.
- Ensure accurate and timely project reports—including GEF Project Implementation Reports, GCF Annual Performance Reports, Adaptation Fund Project Performance Reports, EU Interim and Final Reports, and other bilateral and multilateral donor quarterly and annual progress reports—are prepared as required by UNDP financial rules and regulations, POPP and donor rules and guidelines, and provide inputs to UNDP corporate reporting.
- Ensuring the eligibility of expenditures against donor cost eligibility criteria and the applicable donor-UNDP contribution agreements prior to processing.
- Monitor project spending and activities, including related payments, by reviewing monthly project status reports and other management reports, to ensure accuracy, impact, and that activities perform as expected, identifying potential issues, risks or adjustments needed.
- Support the budgeting and forecasting process for the project, ensuring that future budget forecasts are reasonable and reviewed with the technical team, as well as budget revisions.
- Ensure compliance with all local laws and regulations, including payment of taxes.
- Ensure compliance with UNDP and donor financial and operational policies, rules and regulations that maintain strong internal controls, including scrutinized budget monitoring and financial performance monitoring.
- Support to coordinate all necessary audits, statutory requirements, and financial enquiries from donors and the Government of Sri Lanka if required.
- Structure project finance transactions, including identifying financing sources, developing project financing plans, and negotiating terms with suppliers, contractors, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and other partners.
- Support to conduct due diligence on potential suppliers, contractors, CBOs, CSOs, and partners, including assessing their financial stability and legal and regulatory compliance.
- Build and maintain relationships with project direct implementing partners and other stakeholders involved with supporting services.
- Identify, assess, and manage risks associated with project finance transactions, including financial, legal, and regulatory risks.
- Work with internal teams such as Procurement, HR, and Finance to ensure that all aspects of project finance transactions are properly coordinated and executed.
- Provide all the required data and supporting documents to CO for budget revisions, donor reporting, etc.
2- Ensure administrative and logistical support to the project Office focusing on the achievement of the following results:
- Maintain up-to-date files and records of project documentation;
- Coordinate day-to-day liaison between CET project teams, implementing partners, responsible parties, government counterparts and CO Operations to ensure the timely delivery of planned activities.
- Coordinate the scheduling, preparation and follow-up of Project Board meetings, technical working groups, steering committees and inter-agency meetings, including agendas, meeting documentation, meeting minutes and tracking of agreed action points to closure.
- Maintain a consolidated calendar of portfolio milestones, reporting deadlines, board meetings, audits and donor missions, and alert the team to upcoming deliverables.
- Coordinate and consolidate input from project teams for portfolio-level submissions, corporate exercises and management requests.
- Coordinate logistical and administrative arrangements for field missions, joint monitoring visits, workshops, training programmes and awareness-raising events across project districts.
- Maintain good rapport with the Government Offices and other partners in the designated area to enable continuous smooth working relationships with them; and
3- Support effective project implementation focusing on the achievement of the following results:
- Supports the Project Manager and Technical Specialists on achievement of activities outlined for the projects;
- Actively participates in the preparation of work plans and operation plans as well as procurement plans for projects;
- Supports and facilitates external assessment teams, donor assessments and missions; and
- Review agreements/proposals, track the use of project resources, and follow up on progress.
4- 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.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Institutional Arrangement:
The Project Operations Associate will be directly supervised by and report to the Project Manager – Climate and Environment Team. The Project Operations Associate will work in close collaboration with the respective project management units, the UNDP Programme and Operations Teams and other teams in UNDP, as well as with the UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific and Regional Hub as required
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 |
| Finance | Budget Management | Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets. |
| Finance | 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, analysing and reporting. |
| Partnership Management | Resource Mobilization | Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/ projects/ initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements. |
| 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. |
| Business Management | Project Management | Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals. |
| Business Management | 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 tools. |
| 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. |
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Secondary education is required.
- University Degree (bachelor´s degree) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Accounting and Finance, Project Management or Economics or equivalent field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.
Experience:
- A minimum of 7 years (with secondary education) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in supporting the implementation of projects in the development sector is required.
Experience, Knowledge, and skills:
- Demonstrated experience in project financial management, budgeting, expenditure monitoring, financial reporting, forecasting, and audit coordination for development programmes and projects.
- Experience with donor compliance requirements, financial regulations, internal controls, and project quality assurance processes, including experience supporting projects funded by bilateral and multilateral donors.
- Proven experience supporting project implementation, work planning, reporting, and coordination of multiple stakeholders and activities while ensuring timely delivery of results.
- Experience in building and maintaining effective partnerships with government counterparts, implementing partners, donors, suppliers and other stakeholders.
Desired skills:
- Demonstrated experience working with UNDP Quantum ERP and other corporate financial management systems for budgeting, expenditure monitoring, financial reporting, and project administration.
- Experience supporting the financial and operational management of projects funded by GEF, GCF, Adaptation Fund, European Union, and other bilateral and multilateral donors, including donor reporting and compliance requirements.
- Experience using Microsoft Excel and financial analysis tools, including budget forecasting, financial monitoring, data analysis, reconciliation, and preparation of management reports.
- Experience coordinating audits, due diligence processes, partner financial assessments, and compliance reviews involving government institutions, civil society organizations, responsible parties, and other implementing partners.
Required Language(s):
- Fluency in English and Sinhala and/or Tamil are 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.
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Duties and Responsibilities