Project Associate, Manila

Background

The Philippines' recent transition to upper-middle-income status has increased the importance of aligning economic growth with sustainability, digital transformation, and human rights accountability. As sectors such as mining, renewable energy, agribusiness, tourism, infrastructure, and digital platforms expand, governance challenges related to community grievances, land and resource disputes, labor rights, environmental impacts, and stakeholder participation persist, often disproportionately affecting women and marginalized groups.

To address these challenges, the Philippines initiated work on a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP-BHR), led by the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS). While several ASEAN countries have already institutionalized their NAPs, the Philippines remains in the development stage. Recent efforts have accelerated under the 4th Philippine Human Rights Plan 2024-2028, including the establishment of a multi-agency technical working group to develop a NAP-BHR focused on responsible business conduct, Indigenous Peoples' rights, and ancestral domains.

The FAIR BHR Project seeks to strengthen Business and Human Rights (BHR) governance by promoting more integrated, participatory, and evidence-based approaches that connect sustainability, human rights, accountability, conflict sensitivity, and stakeholder engagement. The project will support the Philippine government in building evidence, raising awareness, strengthening coordination, and fostering inclusive dialogue to inform BHR reforms.

The initiative will also promote stronger collaboration among UN agencies, leveraging complementary expertise and positioning UNDP as a strategic convener. As an initial pilot, the project will generate evidence and lessons to inform longer-term programming and the development of a comprehensive Project Document supporting the institutionalization of BHR in the Philippines.

UNDP Philippines is seeking a Project Associate to support the Institutions and Partnerships (I&P) Programme Team. As part of the Project Management Unit (PMU), the incumbent will primarily support the implementation of the FAIR BHR Project and contribute to the effective coordination, implementation, and monitoring of the team's programme and project portfolio to ensure the timely delivery of activities and achievement of results.

Scope of work

Provides support to overall effective and efficient management and monitoring of project:

1. Contribute to the development of project’s annual and quarterly work plans, procurement plan, human resources recruitment plan, travel plan and financial and physical progress reports;
2. Keep track of the delivery of the project and contracted parties, and frequently report to the Project Coordinator on the delivery situation;
3. Maintenance of the internal expenditures control system including budget checks and timely corrective actions on unposted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers;
4. Work closely with the Programme Team, Results and Quality Team, Procurement Team and Finance Team to ensure efficient and transparent use of project resources in line with approved budgets and within UNDP rules and regulations;
5. Support to the conduct of project reviews, audits, monitoring missions, evaluations;
6. Support timely operational and financial closure of a project, determination of unutilized funds and processing operational/financial closure of projects;
7. Support in drafting terms of reference and support the recruitment and management of national and international consultants, subject matter experts, consulting firms, and other such resources.

Ensures implementation of operational strategies, focusing on achievement of the following results:

1. Full compliance of operational activities with UNDP rules, regulations, policies, and strategies.
2. Provision of inputs to the CO administrative business processes and implementation of the internal standard operating procedures (SOPs)
3. Undertake administrative, finance and procurement procedures, such as travel processing, liquidations of cash advances, processing of payments to suppliers, canvassing/collection of price quotations and payment of utilities;
4. Support to small-value procurement and coordinating with the suppliers for the delivery of goods;
5. Raise requisitions as required and register as general user role in Quantum.
6. Provision of inputs to the project team results-oriented workplan

Support to ensure the efficient administrative support, focusing on achievement of the following results:

1. Support to the coordination of travel arrangements such as preparation of travel requests, coordination with travel unit for travel authorizations, booking and reservation of hotel rooms, ticket bookings, and visa.
2. Support to the organization of workshops and meetings including transportation services, booking of conference room, compiling of documents, arranging of equipment, among other similar administrative activities.
3. Support to maintain an accurate and reliable filing system;

Provides support to proper supply and assets management, focusing on achievement of the following result:

1. Support to the coordination of assets management in the unit, timely preparation and submission of periodic inventory reports.
2. Support to the coordination of the provision of reliable and quality office supplies.

Supports knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the CO, focusing on achievement of the following results:

1. Support to organization of trainings and events
2. Provision of inputs to lessons learnt and best practices in programme including meeting documentation, drafting of communication letters, and logging of minutes from project and partner meetings.
3. Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
4. Support in preparation of Corporate Requirements including but not limited to annual work plan, quarterly report, and annual report.
5. In collaboration with the I&P Team, support the implementation of the common activities of the programme team and the Country Office in general.

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

Institutional Arrangement

Under the overall guidance of the Team Leader, Institutions and Partnerships (I&P) Programme Team, and the direct supervision of the Project Coordinator, with technical oversight from the I&P Programme Analyst for Governance and Rule of Law, the Project Associate will support the effective implementation and coordination of programme and project initiatives, primarily for the FAIR BHR Project.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Achieve Results

LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, deliver 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

Business Management: Operations Management

Ability to effectively plan, organize and oversee the operation's business processes in order to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner, Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms

Procurement: Procurement Management

The ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source

Procurement: Contract Management

Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/ or practical situations

Finance: Accounting (General)

Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, frameworks, standards, regulations, policies and trends, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations

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.

Finance: Financial reporting and analysis

Understands changes in regulatory, legal and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in the public sector. Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring. Understands the benefits of integrated reporting, including non-financial resources such as human, social and intellectual capital, and environmental and governance performance

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Academic Education

• Completion of secondary education is required.
• First level university degree (bachelor's degree) in Business Administration, Management, Entrepreneurship, Accounting, Economics, Finance or other related fields will be given due consideration but is not a requirement.

Minimum years of relevant Work experience

• Minimum of six (6) years (with secondary education) or three (3) years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in administrative, financial, procurement, and/or logistics support at the national or international level is required

Required skills and competencies

• Demonstrated proficiency in ICT applications and Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, for data management, reporting, and administrative support is required.
• At least three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in project and/or financial management is required, including planning and monitoring budgets, developing annual workplans, tracking project implementation, and preparing progress, performance, and financial reports.

Desired additional skills and competencies

• A minimum of three (3) years of experience providing administrative, financial, and/or procurement support to donor-funded, development, humanitarian, or government projects is desirable.
• A minimum of three (3) years of experience using enterprise resource planning (ERP), enterprise risk management (ERM), or other integrated corporate management systems is desirable.
• A minimum of three (3) years of experience working with United Nations agencies, international organizations, NGOs/INGOs, development partners, or government institutions is considered an asset.

Required Language(s) (at working level)

• Fluency in spoken and written English and Filipino is required

Professional Certificates

• Professional certification in procurement, finance, administration, or other relevant disciplines (e.g., CIPS, CPM, ACCA, CPA, or equivalent) is desirable

Travel:

Travels may be required for this position. The incumbent may be required to undertake travel within the Philippines to support project implementation, stakeholder consultations, coordination meetings, capacity-building activities, monitoring missions, and other project-related activities.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
• Transcript of Records and Diploma
• Copies of relevant training certificates (if applicable)

Disclaimer

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Note: 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.

Non-discrimination

All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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