Programme Associate [Ouvert aux… at United Nations · Sao Tome

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.

2. Office/Unit/Project Description

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization in fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. Learn more at undp.org or follow at @UNDP
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in São Tomé and Príncipe supports the Government in advancing sustainable development pathways that address poverty, inequality, and environmental sustainability. As a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), the country faces structural vulnerabilities linked to its size, remoteness, and exposure to external shocks, particularly climate change and environmental degradation. At the same time, São Tomé and Príncipe is endowed with exceptional natural capital, hosting rich terrestrial and marine biodiversity and functioning as a net carbon sink. The country’s global environmental significance is further reflected in its designation as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and the recognition of its traditional cocoa production system as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS/SIPAM), highlighting the intrinsic link between biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods, and cultural heritage. UNDP works in close partnership with national institutions, civil society, and development partners to strengthen capacities, mobilize resources, and deliver integrated solutions aligned with national priorities and global commitments.
Within this framework, the Climate and Nature portfolio constitutes a core pillar of UNDP’s programme, focusing on supporting the implementation of the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), advancing climate resilience, and promoting the sustainable management of natural resources. The portfolio encompasses a growing pipeline of projects addressing climate mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, disaster risk reduction, and the transition towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy. Key areas of intervention include strengthening climate governance systems—such as transparency, monitoring and reporting—supporting national adaptation planning and implementation, enhancing resilience to climate-related risks (including flooding and water insecurity), and advancing nature-based solutions and biodiversity finance mechanisms.
UNDP’s interventions are characterized by an integrated, cross-sectoral approach that combines policy advisory, institutional capacity development, and on-the-ground implementation. The portfolio places strong emphasis on stakeholder engagement—working closely with government entities, local communities, private sector actors, and development partners—and ensures that climate and environmental actions are inclusive, gender-responsive, and aligned with broader socio-economic priorities, including the promotion of green and blue economy opportunities. As the portfolio continues to expand in scope and complexity, there is a growing need for strengthened programme management and coordination capacity to ensure effective delivery, monitoring, and reporting across multiple projects and funding streams.

3. Scope of Work

Ensure effective management and implementation of programme/project strategies and policies and adapt processes and procedures

• Compile and summarize information and data for the formulation of projects work plans, draft annual/quarterly budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements, and on other specific project related topics or issues.
• Provide comprehensive support in all aspects of projects implementation in accordance with the project documents, annual work plans and other agreements between UNDP and responsible partners. Ensure quality of delivery by consultants, beneficiaries, and contracted companies; and communicate findings to the supervisor.
• Ensure compliance of projects business processes with UNDP Project Operational Policies and Procedures (POPP) and UNDP Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). When necessary, provide guidance to projects staff on business processes, administrative and other requirements and procedures.
• Support mainstreaming gender equality in the projects implementation, including in data collection and compilation. Prepare gender equality background materials for use in discussions, briefings, and correspondence.
• Provide administrative and logistical support to ensure successful program delivery that includes organizing/coordinating project events and selecting appropriate venues, coordinating projects procurement procedures, maintaining projects records and files, recruiting project team members, and supporting contracting activities.

Support implementation of partnerships and resource mobilization strategies .

• Establish and maintain contacts and cooperation with the relevant UN Agencies, government institutions, NGOs, tertiary institutions, partners, and other relevant stakeholders. Provide support in updating the database of the relevant public and development partners, and other stakeholders who are counterparts for the project.
• Ensure regular communication and coordination with partners, project counterparts, stakeholders, and beneficiaries; and develop and maintain effective mechanisms for integrating and responding to their feedback and insight.
• Support creation of high quality information and visibility of the project activities among the stakeholders; and ensure careful selection of communication tools and tailoring the messages to take into account the overall socio-political and development context in host countries.

• Undertake horizon scanning and explore opportunities for resource mobilization in consultation with direct supervisor.

Actively provide support to the effective monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on progress of program implementation.

• Support implementation of the project monitoring system in alignment with its Monitoring and Evaluation framework to ensure effective information sharing, provision of feedback, and elaboration of high-quality progress reports.
• Collect, analyze and present information for monitoring and evaluation of project implementation against project targets as well as for audit purposes. Identify gaps in implementation and provide support in bridging those gaps in consultation with supervisor and partners.
• Assist in the organization of field and study visits, missions, workshops, roundtables, and conferences within the project.
• Assist in implementation of effective risk management for the project with a well-documented risk mitigation plan in place. Support monitoring of previously identified and emerging risks.
• Regularly monitor expenditures and commitments against the project budget and relevant plans, and provide finance-related information to support project implementation. When necessary, recommend corrective actions and draft various correspondence concerning finance, operations, and budgetary issues.
• Prepare and consolidate required project reports on a timely basis and in line with monitoring and reporting guidelines and donor requirements.

Facilitate knowledge building, knowledge sharing and capacity building relevant to the assigned project.
• Organize and deliver programme related training for relevant personnel

• Participate in training and organize briefings on internal procedures for the projects 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.

• Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice. S

Compile lessons learned, project knowledge, products and tools as well as their wide distribution to partners.

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

4. Institutional Arrangement:

The Program Associate works under the general supervision of the Portfolio Manager and collaborates closely with the portfolio project managers, technical assistants and other colleagues as deemed necessary for an effective project and programme implementation.

5. 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
Business Management - Working with Evidence and Data

• Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making
Business Management - Digital Awareness and Literacy

• Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed
Business Management - Customer Satisfaction/Client Management

• Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.
Business Management - Communication

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels.
Business Management - Monitoring

• Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results.
Technical - Finance - Budget management

• Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets
Business Direction & Strategy

• Negotiation and Influence

• Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates win-win situations

6. Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA

Minimum Education requirement

• Secondary education is required (high school diploma), or
• University Degree (Bachelor’s degree) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Environmental Sciences, Engineering or equivalent field will be given due consideration but not a requirement.
Minimum years of relevant work experience

A minimum of 7 years (with high school diploma) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible administrative or management experience is required.

Required skills

Strong digital literacy, including office software packages (MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database package as well as the effective use of AI-enabled tools to improve operational efficiency, manage information, support programme delivery, and generate analytical insights for results-based management

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

• Experience in preparation of financial reports and overviews
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation tools
• Knowledge of project management processes
• Knowledge of procurement procedures of national / international organizations

Required Language(s)
• Fluency in English and Portuguese is required
Professional Certificates n.a.

7. The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

a) 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.
b) A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

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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