Project Manager

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.

Office/Unit/Project Description

Bangladesh is the second-largest economy in South Asia, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of over USD 450 billion. Between 2000 and 2019, the economy grew at an average of around 6 per cent per year, accompanied by broad gains in human development. The national poverty rate fell from over 48 per cent in 2000 to about 18.7 per cent in 2022, and the Human Development Index reached 0.685 in 2023, placing Bangladesh in the medium human development category. The country is scheduled to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in November 2026.

Significant development challenges remain. GDP growth slowed to 3.49 per cent in fiscal year 2024–25, inflation has stayed elevated, and private investment is weak, constraining the economic diversification needed to create decent jobs. Bangladesh is also one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, highly exposed to natural and climate-induced hazards.

As the UN’s development agency, UNDP has worked in Bangladesh since 1972, partnering with the government to advance democratic governance, climate adaptation, environmental protection, and inclusive growth. This support spans high-quality policy and technical advice, implementation support, development financing, and knowledge sharing.

The programme portfolio is organized into two clusters and a Sub-Office in Cox’s Bazar; Democratic Governance, and Resilience and Inclusive Growth aligned to the Country Programme Document (CPD) and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). Each cluster is led by a Cluster Team Leader (functional title: Assistant Resident Representative) and Sub-Office by its head responsible for programme and project quality, results, and effective relationships with implementing partners and donors. Across both clusters, the Operations Team and the Programme Management Support Unit (PMSU) provide cross-cutting oversight and quality assurance, helping to ensure compliance, delivery readiness, and sound financial and operational management.

UNDP has been a long-standing partner of the Government of Bangladesh on economic development and on nature, climate, and energy. The RIG Cluster leads programming and policy advice on inclusive and sustainable economic development and on a sustainable, resilient, and healthy environment. It supports the country through policy and technical advice, implementation support, resource mobilization and development financing, capacity development, innovation, knowledge management, and south-south and triangular cooperation. On the economic side, this includes support for inclusive and diversified growth, livelihoods, financial inclusion, and inclusive insurance and risk finance. On the environmental side, it covers climate change adaptation and mitigation, disaster risk reduction, natural-resource and biodiversity management, energy efficiency and renewable energy, and access to climate finance helping Bangladesh reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, manage its natural resources, and build resilience to climate change, including through locally led adaptation that reaches the most climate-vulnerable communities.

The Project Manager will be responsible for the strategic and adaptive leadership of LoGIC project management, ensuring results-based planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting in line with programming principles of UNDP and UNCDF, the project document, donor requirements and GoB priorities.

3.1 Ensure Results-based Project Management, Planning, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation

• Provide overall management oversight to ensure project implementation is on track and in line with the project document, approved Annual Work Plan (AWP) and results framework, including the roll-out of LoGIC Phase II across programme districts and Upazila Parishads.
• Manage financial and human resources with accountability to the Project Board / Project Steering Committee (PSC) and UNDP and/or UNCDF, ensuring full compliance with UNDP's financial rules and regulations.
• Manage the UNCDF-GoB Memorandum of Understanding governing fiscal transfers of PBCRG (Performance-Based Climate Resilience Grants) funds to Upazila/Union Parishads.
• Monitor financial resources and accounting to ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reports; and ensure that the overall integrity of the programme is maintained;
• Lead the preparation of annual work plans, budgets, procurement plans and operational plans; oversee timely and quality implementation.
• Manage the project team to ensure a clear division of labour, setting of specific quarterly and annual targets for all personnel, including performance planning and evaluation.
• Manage risks and issues; execute adaptive management in consultation with the Programme Analyst and the ARR/Cluster Lead. Perform any other assignments as deemed necessary for effective implementation of the project;
• Ensure project quality assurance processes (Social and Environment Screening, audits, spot checks, private sector due diligence etc.) are executed to the highest standards. Monitor events as identified in project monitoring schedule plan and update the plan as required;
• Champion UNDP’s zero-tolerance standards on sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and fraud; ensure social and environmental safeguards, duty of care and accountability-to-affected-populations measures are embedded across the project.
• Prepare and ensure timely submission of high quality monthly, quarterly and annual progress reports, donor reports, Project Implementation Reports (PIR), FACE forms and other reporting as required.
• Facilitate the functioning of the Project Board/PSC and other governance mechanisms; provide secretariat support including convening meetings, preparing documentation and circulating notes and decisions.
• Oversee procurement of goods and services; finalize Terms of Reference for consultants and service providers; coordinate with UNDP/UNCDF’s Operations on recruitment and contracting.
• Ensure project records, asset registers and documentation are maintained to the required standards.
• Facilitate government, donor and UNDP/UNCDF’s regional/HQ field missions and reviews as applicable.