Project Manager (Open to Internal & External Applicants)

The Project Manager will lead and manage two projects related to climate and sustainable finance within the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific. The role involves strategic leadership of project management, ensuring results-based planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting in line with UNDP's programming principles, donor requirements, and Government of Bangladesh priorities.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• Manage financial and human resources with accountability to the Project Board / Project Steering Committee (PSC) and UNDP, ensuring full compliance with UNDP's financial rules and regulations.
• 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.
• Ensure project quality assurance processes (Social and Environment Screening, audits, spot checks, private sector due diligence etc.) are executed to the highest standards.
• 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 Operations on recruitment and contracting.
• Ensure project records, asset registers and documentation are maintained to the required standards.
• Facilitate government, donor and UNDP regional/HQ field missions and reviews as applicable.
• Provide technical oversight on climate finance, blended finance, thematic bonds and innovative financing approaches and quality assurance across all project outputs; review and contribute to all outputs and deliverables.
• Identify stakeholders and implementation partners; develop and implement a stakeholder engagement and partnership strategy.
• Establish and maintain strategic relationships with Government counterparts (central and local), UN agencies, civil society organizations, the private sector and development partners.
• Support government institutions, regulators, financial institutions, capital market intermediaries and development partners in strengthening sustainable finance frameworks, climate finance governance systems and market-based financing approaches for climate adaptation and resilient development.
• Facilitate technical dialogue on sustainable finance taxonomies, climate finance methodologies, disclosure frameworks, and impact measurement systems as relevant to project implementation.
• Promote approaches that strengthen access to financial services for climate-vulnerable populations, women-led enterprises, MSMEs and underserved communities through inclusive and gender-responsive financing mechanisms.
• Supervise and guide the work of consultants, experts and service providers; oversee compliance with agreed work plans and deliverables.
• Ensure that the project draws from and collaborates with other UNDP programmes and portfolios, avoiding duplication and maximizing synergies.
• Promote integration of cross-cutting themes including gender equality, social inclusion, disability, climate resilience and human rights-based approaches in all project activities.
• Introduce and maintain feedback mechanisms and open communication channels to ensure that the needs of target groups are reflected in project planning and implementation.
• Analyse and consolidate project results and provide results-based reporting at outcome and impact levels.
• Lead capacity development activities targeted at government counterparts, civil society, financial institutions, private sector and other relevant stakeholders.
• Provide technical and policy advisory inputs to government partners, financial institutions and other relevant stakeholders on thematic areas covered by the project.
• Participate in inter-agency coordination mechanisms, technical working groups and high-level policy dialogues.
• Coordinate with relevant development partners and donors on issues related to the project; liaise with government focal persons for smooth coordination.
• Contribute to national policy processes, action plans and reform initiatives relevant to the project's thematic areas.
• Manage and contribute to the development of high-quality knowledge products; ensure effective integration with other practice areas.
• Lead knowledge creation and dissemination related to national, regional and global know-how in the subject area.
• Manage the synthesis and documentation of project results, lessons learned, good practices and case studies.
• Establish and manage internal/external networks or communities of practice covering relevant practitioners and experts.
• Ensure project results and impact are captured, recorded and shared in knowledge products and communication materials.
• Prepare and update project information and results on UNDP, government and other platforms on a regular basis.
• Mobilize and network with experts of national and regional offices of the UN system, international development organizations, multilateral development banks and the private sector.
• Identify funding sources and prepare proposals, concept notes, business cases and donor briefings for resource mobilization.
• Lead the design of diversified and innovative financing strategies – spanning international financial institutions, climate and development finance, vertical funds, the private sector and South-South and triangular cooperation to sustain and scale results in a constrained and evolving ODA environment.
• Plan, strategize and manage the scaling up of project approaches and results with close guidance from the National Project Director (NPD) and UNDP Country Office.
• Maintain effective relationships with development partners to facilitate and support resource mobilization efforts.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for blended finance, climate finance, thematic bonds, sustainable finance instruments and partnerships with development finance institutions, financial sector actors and private investors to support programme objectives and scaling of results.

Requirements

• Advanced University Degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Public Administration, Development Studies, Economics, Social Sciences, Law, Geography and Environment, Investment Finance, Engineering or any other relevant discipline is required; OR a first-level university degree (Bachelor's degree) in the above fields in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in project/programme management in the development sector, including at least 3 years in a senior managerial role is required.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder programmes, including managing teams, sizeable budgets, and partnerships, and delivering results at scale.
• Proven experience in climate finance, sustainable finance, or financial sector development.
• Experience building and sustaining institutional relationships with senior government, donor, and partner counterparts, including influencing policy or building institutional capacity.
• Proven experience in strategic, analytical, and structured writing and communication, including for senior government, donor, and Board-level audiences.
• Experience in Bangladesh's development context, locally-led development, and national or direct implementation arrangements.
• Experience applying structured project management and budget planning, forecasting to plan, monitor, and deliver programme results.
• Experience in risk management and issue resolution in complex or multi-partner programme environments.
• Experience working with financial regulators, financial institutions, development partners, private sector actors or capital market stakeholders.

Skills

• Project Management
• Programme Management
• Climate Finance
• Sustainable Finance
• Banking Sector Development
• Budgeting
• Budget Forecasting
• Risk Management
• Issue Resolution
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Institutional Relationship Building
• Policy Influence
• Strategic Writing
• Analytical Writing
• Results-Based Planning
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Donor Reporting
• Team Leadership
• Multi-stakeholder Programme Coordination
• Development Sector Expertise

Languages

English, Bengali (Bangla)