Finance Associate

Job Description

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

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.

The Finance team supports the Country Office (CO) in the promotion of its sustainable development agenda by continuously enhancing CO financial performance, delivering sound management of financial resources, and ensuring strong accountability through informed decision making, effective financial management processes, and transparent financial reporting that complies with international standards and regulatory guidelines.

Under the guidance and supervision of the Operations Manager and direct supervisor, the Finance Associate ensures effective execution of financial services and processes in the Country Office and transparent utilization of financial resources. The Finance Associate promotes a collaborative, client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

The Finance Associate may supervise clerical and support staff of the Finance Unit. The Finance Associate works in close collaboration with the Operations, Programme, and projects’ staff in the CO and with UNDP HQ and GSSC staff to exchange information and resolve finance-related issues.

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

Duties and Responsibilities

1- Support administration and implementation of operational strategies and adapt processes and procedures.

• Ensure CO financial processes, financial records and reports, and audit follow-up comply with UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP). Implement effective internal control framework.
• Support office management in preparing and reviewing CO finance business processes mapping and elaboration of the content of internal standard operating procedures in finance in consultation with the direct supervisor and office management.
• Provide input for implementation of cost-saving and reduction strategies in consultation with the office management.
• Maintain financing and trust fund agreements, follow up on contributions with the respective project teams (the project team should be contacting the donor) within the CO resource mobilization efforts.

Routinely monitor financial exception reports for unusual activities and/or transactions; and investigate anomalies or unusual transactions. Inform senior CO management and other UNDP staff at Headquarters of the results of the investigation when satisfactory answers are not obtained.

2- Support administration of budgets of CO management projects, clearance of budgets for development projects, and functioning of an optimal cost-recovery system.

• Provide researched information for planning and status of financial resources of the CO.
• Prepare and modify budgets for UNDP management projects, follow-up with HQ on authorized spending limits (ASL) for management projects.
• Assist in the preparation of required budget revisions (ensuring multiyear budget revision) within the unit at required period and timely securing of ASLs; and ensure detailed record keeping of funds released for projects as well as monthly ASL reporting for non-core/ GEF projects.
• Prepare timely cost-recovery/DPC bills in ERP for the services provided by UNDP, implement the revenue tracking system, and follow up on cost recovery.

3- Provide accounting and administrative support to the Finance unit

• Support proper control of the supporting documents for payments invoices and proper document management including systematic archiving.
• Prepare financial reports for projects and management funds/budget balance; and prepare all types of invoices.
• Maintain the internal expenditures control system which ensures that invoices processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in ERP, and travel claims and other entitlements are duly processed.
• Coordinate and review allocated General Ledger and sub-ledger accounts and support timely project closure.
• Take timely corrective actions on erroneous data in ERP and on unposted invoices, including the invoices with validation errors, match exceptions, and/or unapproved invoices. Prepare financial reports as required. Provide timely response to HQ requests to resolve financial data issues.
• Maintain the Accounts Receivables for UNDP projects and follow-up with partners on contributions.
• Ensure timely recording, reconciliation, and submission of VAT claims with relevant TAX authority and following up on VAT reimbursements.

4- Ensure proper CO cash and Treasury management functioning

• Act as alternate to Finance Associate (ICS-7) for timely review of cash position for local accounts to ensure sufficient funds for disbursements and maintain liquidity level approved by Treasury. Identify and record receipts and create deposits for revenue application on a timely basis.
• Identify and record contributions.
• Prepare timely and accurate bank reconciliations and provide documentation to GSSC according to service level agreement. Initiate bank transfers and deals in ERP.

5- Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the CO

• Assist in organizing training for the operations/ projects staff on finance, audit and compliance matters, and implementation of Internal Control Framework (ICF).
• Synthesize lessons learned and best practices in financial management.
• Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks 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 Organization.

Competencies

Core

• Achieve Results :LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work
• Think Innovatively LEVEL 2: : Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking
• Learn Continuously LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning
• Adapt with Agility LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process
• Act with Determination LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously
• Engage and Partner LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnership
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

• ***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 Development: Knowledge Generation:***Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need
• ***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.
• ***Finance: Accounting (General):***Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, regulations, policies 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 Reporting and Analysis :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.
• Finance: Audit : Ability to examine and verify accounts and records

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Fully Qualified Accountant, from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy or Full Completion of the UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP). No UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (AFT) required.
• Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications, but with degrees that major in accountancy and/or finance must complete UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited. However, no UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (AFT) is required.
• Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications but with relevant experience must successfully undertake UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (AFT) before shortlisting, and must complete the UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited

Experience:

• 6 years (with high school diploma) or 3 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible finance and accounting experience at the national or international level is required.
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheets and web-based management systems such as ERP financials and database packages.
• Knowledge of IPSAS and/or IFRS is required.

Language

• Fluency in French and Arabic are required ( UN language of the duty station ) .

Candidate Nationality required : Tunisian

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Keywords

Finance resource management

Cash management

Expenditure controls

Cost-recovery systems

Financial reporting

How to apply

Finance Associate – UNDP Careers (oraclecloud.com)