Programme Analyst [Open to Tier 0, 1 and 2 applicants]

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.

UNDP’s Istanbul Regional Hub (IRH) for Europe and Central Asia provides policy, programmatic, and operational support to UNDP Country Offices and partners across the region. The Hub supports the design and implementation of regional and country-level initiatives, helping to improve the quality, effectiveness, and impact of development programmes through advisory services, technical expertise, and partnerships.

Working under the leadership of the Hub Manager, the IRH brings together a multidisciplinary team of programme, policy, and operations professionals to advance UNDP's regional priorities under the UNDP Strategic Plan 2026-2029 and the Regional Programme Document (RPD) 2026–2029. The Regional Programme team leads the formulation, coordination, and monitoring of the regional programme portfolio, including partnerships with governments, international financial institutions (IFIs), UN agencies, and civil society. Against a backdrop of multiple and compounding development challenges — from democratic backsliding and conflict to climate vulnerability and widening inequality — the Hub is prioritizing agile, evidence-based, and systems-oriented programming that responds to rapidly evolving country needs.

Under the overall guidance of the Hub Manager and the direct supervision of the Regional Programme Chief, the Programme Analyst contributes to the formulation, implementation, monitoring, and quality assurance of the regional programme portfolio. The role spans substantive programme analysis and development, programme finance support to projects and thematic teams, and engagement with country offices, partners, and operations colleagues to ensure coherent and compliant delivery across the Regional Programme.

The Programme Analyst applies an integrated, client-oriented approach — working across programme, operations, and finance interfaces — to strengthen the quality of programme documentation, reporting, and resource management. The role serves as a key coordination point between the regional programme team and IRH operations, ensuring that budget and procurement planning, revisions, reporting, and delivery tracking are accurate, timely, and aligned with donor and corporate requirements.

In line with UNDP's portfolio approach, the Programme Analyst is expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary settings to enhance horizontal collaboration and strengthen IRH's collective capacity to deliver on the Regional Programme Document 2026–2029.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration. 

• documents, and concept notes, ensuring alignment with the RPD 2026–2029.
• Coordinates the preparation of project documents, annual workplans, budgets, and proposals on implementation arrangements; supports the operational set-up, revisions, and closure of projects in Quantum in line with UNDP policies. 
•  Supports the preparation of programme progress reports, briefing notes including for the RPD Advisory Board, and contributions to corporate planning processes.  Liaises with UNDP Country Offices in the RBEC region implementing components of the Regional Programme and offer guidance as needed. 
• Supports the organization of regional events, flagship convenings, and logistical arrangements, including procurement and contracting of expertise, equipment, and services in line with UNDP rules. 
• Maintains an up-to-date project repository and supports an effective document management system, ensuring accuracy of programme data and documents in corporate systems. 
• Provides administrative support to ad hoc regional initiatives, including development of new regional programme concepts, and supports onboarding of new project and programme team members on Quantum, IRH systems, and quality assurance processes.

• Serves as the programme team's primary interface with IRH Operations and Finance colleagues, ensuring coherent planning, monitoring, and compliance across all financial dimensions of the regional programme. 
• Provides programme finance advice to project managers and thematic team leaders, including guidance on budget structure, expenditure eligibility, delivery planning, and alignment with donor requirements. 
• Reviews and clears budget revisions for regional programme projects in Quantum, ensuring accuracy, compliance with UNDP financial rules and regulations, and consistency with approved workplans and contribution agreements. 
• Monitors programme delivery and financial status across the portfolio, reviews combined delivery reports (CDRs), and flags under- or over-delivery risks to the Regional Programme Chief in a timely manner. 
• Reviews and compiles donor financial reports and assesses their accuracy, completeness, and conformity with UNDP programme and operations policies prior to submission; tracks the use of cost-sharing funds and other resources. 
• Maintains internal expenditure control systems, including timely corrective action on unposted vouchers, budget check errors, match exceptions, and unapproved or journal vouchers; ensures transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Quantum. 
• Reviews supporting documentation for payments and reconciles financial data and reports to ensure conformity with UNDP programme and operations policies and procedures. 
• Supports the preparation of annual workplans and project budgets in Quantum, and assists in the operational set-up, revision, and closure of projects in accordance with UNDP policies. 
• Tracks income and expenditure against the gender marker, supporting the IRH Gender Team in monitoring the portfolio's gender-responsive budgeting commitments. 
• Assists in the preparation of audit materials and follows up on the implementation of audit recommendations relevant to the regional programme. 
• Serves as IRH HACT Focal Point, supporting implementation of HACT policy in IRH (Macro Assessment, Micro Assessments, HACT assurance plan and activities, HACT Financial audit, UNDP HACT SharePoint/Quantum data entry); ensures quality assurance of HACT financial transactions (advances, reimbursements, direct payments).

• Supports the quality assurance of financing agreements and partnership instruments, ensuring compliance with UNDP rules and regulations pertaining to resource mobilization, including follow-up on contributions within CO resource mobilization efforts. 
• Monitors and tracks contribution agreements and the programme resources pipeline, including data collection on the regional programme pipeline portfolio. 
• Contributes to the maintenance of programme knowledge management systems, including SharePoint-based repositories, programme dashboards, and quality assurance processes. 
• Synthesizes lessons learned, good practices, and innovation from regional programme implementation for internal learning and external knowledge exchange. 
• Supports the development and delivery of trainings, learning materials, and orientation for new staff on programme and project management; administers programme-related networks and platforms and contributes to corporate knowledge tools and communities of practice.

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

• 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.

• Project Management     
  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
• Resource Management      
  • Ability to allocate and use resources in a strategic or tactical way in line with principles of accountability and integrity.
• Portfolio Management  
  • Ability to select, priorities and control the organization's programs and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, program, and port

• System Thinking              
  • Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact other parts of the system.

• 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, analyzing, and reporting. 

Education:

• Advanced University Degree (Master's) in International Development, Public Policy, Economics, Social Sciences, Political Science, or a related field is required; OR
• A first-level University Degree (Bachelor's) in a relevant field in combination with 2 additional years of qualifying work experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced degree.

Experience:

• Applicants with Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience. 
• Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience at the national or international in project coordination and management or a closely related area at national or international level.

Desired skills:

• Demonstrated experience in programme or project finance support, including budget planning, monitoring of delivery, preparation or review of financial reports, and working with ERP systems (such as Quantum or equivalent).
• Experience working across multidisciplinary teams and coordinating with project/program and operations colleagues.
• Proficiency in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), and web-based management systems, knowledge of spreadsheets, and web-based management systems such as ERP financials and database packages.
• Experience in the UN system, UNDP, or a comparable multilateral organization is a strong advantage.
• Familiarity with UNDP corporate tools and systems, including Quantum (ERP), SharePoint, and Power BI.
• Knowledge of the RBEC regional development context (Europe and Central Asia).
• Experience supporting donor reporting, resource mobilization, or partnership management.

Languages:

• Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required. 
• Fluency in Turkish is required.

Keywords:

Programme and project management, Financial and budget planning and monitoring.

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.

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. 

For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

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.

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.