UCO Bank Specialist Officer (SO) Recruitment 2026: The Ultimate Career Guide

For banking aspirants looking to move beyond the traditional “PO/Clerk” roles and leverage their professional expertise, the UCO Bank Specialist Officer (SO) Recruitment 2026 is the flagship opportunity of the year.

The Kolkata-headquartered public sector bank has officially released its notification (Advertisement No. HO/HRM/RECR/2025-26/COM-04), announcing 173 vacancies for Generalist and Specialist Officers. Unlike standard mass recruitment drives, this notification is targeted at professionals—Chartered Accountants, Tech Experts, Risk Managers, and Forex Specialists.

This article serves as your comprehensive guide to cracking this recruitment drive. We will break down the vacancies, decode the eligibility criteria, analyze the job profiles, and provide a strategic roadmap for your preparation.

1. The Opportunity at a Glance

UCO Bank is recruiting officers in Junior Management Grade Scale-I (JMGS-I) and Middle Management Grade Scale-II (MMGS-II).

Total Vacancies: 173
Application Mode: Online
Registration Window: January 13, 2026 – February 02, 2026
Selection Process: Online Written Examination + Interview (or Shortlisting + Interview)

Why Apply?

Entering a Public Sector Bank (PSB) as a Specialist Officer (SO) puts you on a faster career trajectory than generalists. Your work is niche, your promotions are often faster (due to lack of competition in specific verticals), and the starting salary package is highly lucrative.

2. Vacancy Breakdown: Where Do You Fit?

The 173 seats are not distributed evenly. They are categorized based on the bank’s current technical and financial needs.

Post Name	Scale	Vacancies	Primary Requirement
Chartered Accountant	JMGS-I	50	Qualified CA + 1 Year Exp.
Chartered Accountant	MMGS-II	25	Qualified CA + 3 Years Exp.
Trade Finance Officer	JMGS-I	30	MBA/PGDM (Finance/Intl Business) + 1 Yr Exp.
Treasury Officer	MMGS-II	10	MBA/PGDM (Finance) + 3 Years Exp.
IT (Network/System/DBA)	JMGS-I	11	B.E./B.Tech/MCA + 1 Yr Exp.
Software/Finacle/Murex Dev	JMGS-I	Various	B.E./B.Tech + Coding Exp.
Data Scientist / Analyst	MMGS-II	06	Data Science/Stats Degree + 3 Yrs Exp.
Cyber Security Officer	JMGS-I	03	Engineering + Cyber Sec Certification.
Other Specialists	Mix	Remaining	Legal, Risk, etc.

Key Insight: The bulk of the recruitment (75 seats) is for Chartered Accountants. If you are a CA looking for work-life balance and government security, this is your biggest opening of 2026.

3. Decoding the Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility is calculated as of January 01, 2026.

A. Age Limit

For Scale-I (JMGS-I): Minimum 20 Years – Maximum 30 Years.
For Scale-II (MMGS-II): Minimum 22 Years – Maximum 35 Years.

Relaxations:

SC/ST: +5 Years
OBC (Non-Creamy Layer): +3 Years
PwBD: +10 Years

B. Educational Qualification & Experience

This is where most candidates get confused. Let’s simplify the top 3 posts:

1. For Chartered Accountants (Scale I & II):

You must be a qualified CA from ICAI.
Scale I: Needs 1 year of post-qualification experience in a Bank/NBFC/Corporate.
Scale II: Needs 3 years of relevant experience.

2. For Trade Finance Officers:

Degree: Graduate in any discipline AND a Postgraduate degree (MBA/PGDM) with a specialization in Finance or International Business.
Experience: Minimum 1 year in Trade Finance/Foreign Exchange in a Scheduled Commercial Bank. Note: General banking experience usually doesn’t count here; you need specific Forex experience.

3. For IT Officers (Developers/Admins):

Degree: B.E./B.Tech in CS/IT/Electronics OR MCA OR M.Sc (CS/IT) with minimum 60% marks.
Experience: Minimum 1 year in the relevant field (e.g., if applying for Network Admin, you need networking experience).

4. Salary and Perks

UCO Bank follows the 11th Bipartite Settlement (and soon the 12th).

Scale I (JMGS-I):
- Basic Pay: ₹48,480
- Gross Monthly: Approx. ₹75,000 – ₹80,000 (depending on HRA/Location).
Scale II (MMGS-II):
- Basic Pay: ₹64,820
- Gross Monthly: Approx. ₹95,000 – ₹1,05,000.

Perks:

Apart from the salary, officers are entitled to:

Leased Accommodation (Bank pays your rent directly to the landlord).
Newspaper, Cleaning, and Petrol Allowance.
Medical Aid (Annual) and Leave Fare Concession (LFC).
Pension (NPS) and Gratuity.

5. The Selection Process

The selection is not purely based on marks; it is based on merit + suitability.

Stage 1: Online Written Examination

Note: If the number of applications is small, the bank reserves the right to skip the written test and move directly to interviews. However, for 173 posts, a written test is highly likely.

Exam Pattern (Tentative):

| :— | :—: | :—: | :—: |

| Professional Knowledge | 60 | 60 | 45 Min |

| English Language | 20 | 20 | 20 Min |

| Reasoning | 20 | 20 | 20 Min |

| General Awareness (Banking) | 20 | 20 | 20 Min |

| Total | 120 | 120 | 2 Hours |

Strategy Tip: The “Professional Knowledge” section covers 50% of the weightage. If you are applying for CA, study Accounting Standards, Taxation, and Auditing. If applying for IT, study DBMS, Networking, and OS.

Stage 2: Personal Interview

Candidates who clear the written cutoff will be called for an interview (Ratio usually 1:3 or 1:5). The interview carries 100 marks. You must score at least 40% (35% for SC/ST) to qualify.

Final Merit List: Written Exam + Interview scores combined.

6. How to Apply: Step-by-Step

The application window closes on February 02, 2026.

Visit: Go to www.ucobank.com -> Careers -> Recruitment Opportunities.
Register: Click on “Recruitment of Generalist & Specialist Officers 2026-27”.
New Registration: Enter Name, Email, and Mobile Number to get your Reg No. & Password.
Uploads:
- Photograph (4.5cm x 3.5cm)
- Signature (Black Ink)
- Left Thumb Impression
- Handwritten Declaration
Payment:
- ₹800 (General/EWS/OBC)
- ₹175 (SC/ST/PwBD)
Print: Save the final application PDF.

7. Job Profile Deep Dive: What Will You Actually Do?

Many candidates apply without knowing the daily responsibilities. Here is a peek inside:

Trade Finance Officer: You will sit in the “Forex” or “International Banking” branch. Your job involves handling Letters of Credit (LC), Bank Guarantees (BG), Export-Import documentation, and ensuring compliance with FEMA guidelines. It is a high-responsibility, desk-based job.
Murex/Finacle Developer: UCO Bank uses Finacle as its Core Banking Solution (CBS). As a developer, you won’t just be coding; you will be customizing the banking software, troubleshooting server issues, and ensuring the banking app runs smoothly for millions of customers.
Risk Officer: You are the shield of the bank. You analyze credit risk (loan defaults), market risk (interest rate fluctuations), and operational risk. You ensure the bank doesn’t lend money to bad entities.

8. Preparation Strategy for the Next 45 Days

Assuming the exam takes place in March 2026, you have limited time.

Don’t Study “Math”: Notice the exam pattern? There is usually no Quantitative Aptitude section in many SO exams (or it has very low weightage). Check the handout carefully. Your focus should be 80% on Professional Knowledge.
For CA Candidates: Revise your IPC/Final notes. Focus on RBI circulars regarding NPAs, Basel III norms, and latest GST updates.
For IT Candidates: Do not study generic coding. Study “IT in Banking”. Learn about Cyber Security protocols, Database Management (SQL), and Basic Networking (OSI Model, TCP/IP).
General Awareness: Focus exclusively on Banking & Financial Awareness of the last 4 months. (e.g., Repo Rates, new RBI guidelines for digital lending).

Conclusion

The UCO Bank SO 2026 recruitment is a “Quality over Quantity” exam. The crowd is less compared to IBPS PO, but the competition is sharper because everyone is a specialist.

If you meet the eligibility criteria—especially the experience requirement—do not miss this. It offers a chance to work in your domain of expertise (Finance/IT/Law) while enjoying the sovereign guarantee of a Public Sector Bank.