Background

The UNDP Tajikistan Country Office was selected as the Principal Recipient in the implementation of HIV/AIDS and TB grants provided to Tajikistan by the Global Fund (GF) since 2003. The overall goal of the Project is to reduce the burden of HIV and TB in the country through addressing challenges related to HIV, drug resistant (“DR”) TB, co-infection of TB/HIV, human rights barriers, and underlying health systems shortcomings calling for urgent actions.

The Project is streamlined around five main objectives, aiming at ensuring effective HIV response measures among key populations (KPs), scaling up access for early and quality diagnosis, treatment and care, ensuring integrated care for those affected both by TB and HIV, as well as strengthening national public heath response. 

The Project contributes to the national health care reform by building and improving the technical and managerial capacities of health professionals, promoting participation of civil society organizations in the response to the HIV/AIDS and TB epidemics, and enhancing the cooperation of non-governmental organizations with the public health sector.

Scope of Work  

The Finance Assistant has the overall responsibility for implementation of activities related to financial part of project. Under the overall guidance of the Administrative and Finance Analyst and in close cooperation with Finance Associate, Finance Specialists and Procurement Specialist supports the provision of financial services in the Programme ensuring high quality, accuracy and consistency of work. Given the high potential risks involved, the Finance Assistant is required to be well informed of the organizational Financial Rules and Regulations, and corporate practices.

Under the direct supervision of the Administrative/Finance Analyst the Finance Assistant will carry out the following duties and responsibilities:

Duties and Responsibilities:

Actively participate in the preparation of annual work plans, and project operational planning.

• Assist Administrative/Finance Analyst to control all expenditures as against the approved budget allotment, and in undertaking monthly reviews to ensure budgetary disciplines to the organization. 
• Support in budget preparation, budget clearance, budget set-up and budget revision.
• Assist the Administrative/Finance Analyst in all financial and business negotiations including budgeting in Quantum and monitoring of fund utilization. 
• Creation of e-requisition for procurement cases as per approved Procurement Action Plan and budget.

Provide necessary assistance in all finance and budget management of the project.

• Maintain financial records for the UNDP project as per UNDP financial and accounting rules, regulations and policies and ensure their compliance. 
• Monitor financial expenditure of the project and ensure that financial delivery of the project is in accordance with the project document and annual work plans.
• Assist the Administrative/Finance Analyst in managing accounts and financial transactions of UNDP projects and implementing partners kept in the project’s office.
• Verify all supporting documentation for payment requests, disbursement vouchers and other financial documents, including supporting from the national partners.
• Ensure timely follow up actions on pre-payment vouchers
• Creates invoices for payment to Suppliers in Quantum and submits for approval to management 
• Assist the finance team in monitoring all cash flow levels through official accounts in accordance with instructions. 

Provide necessary assistance to ensure quality of financial management and reporting to donor.

• Assist the Administrative/Finance Analyst in overseeing financial management system and ensuring maintenance of financial controls; 
• Assist Administrative/Finance Analyst to prepare periodic financial reports in form and substance satisfactory to Global Fund and UNDP;
• Assist in the preparation to the annual project audits and works to ensure regular follow up to audit recommendations.
• Perform other duties as required by Administrative/Finance Analyst

Provide required administrative support to ensure correct recording of expenses. 

• Travel: Preparation and timely submission of Travel Authorizations (TAs) and travel claims. Ensure all travel related files contain up to date information. 
• HR: Maintain the project personnel Attendance Sheets. Provide the accurate information to the Finance and HR Units for the monthly payroll. Assist in smooth, efficient and effective HR management processes for the project Ensure timely submission of the documents for the project personnel contracts’ issuance and extensions. 
• Document management: Ensure collection, compiling and archiving of project financial documents and support to project staff in preparation of different presentations, reports.
• Asset Management: Planning and monitoring the use of assets, assist in the updating of the Asset Management Register. Provides the asset tags for assets. Cooperate with the Logistic Assistant to ensure delivery of equipment and supplies procured for the various programme sites. Regular support of the SR, including the capacity building of the SR Asset Focal Point. Coordinate asset management and insurance as required. 

Institutional Arrangement

The incumbent will directly report to the Admin/Finance Analyst of the Global Fund project.

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

Business Direction and Strategy: Business Acumen: Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome. Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks.

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: 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.

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: 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.

Finance: Audit risk management: Ability to address audit issues raised in the course of an audit and propose solutions in order to ensure a true and fair audit opinion is achieved.

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.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Min. Education requirements 

• Secondary Education with specialized certification in Accounting and Finance.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance, Mathematics, Computing, Development and/or Business Administration or other related subjects would be desired. 

Experience:

Min. years of relevant work experience 

• With Secondary Education, minimum 5 years of relevant work experience in accounting and finance for national and/or international organizations, or 
• 2 years with Bachelor´s degree of relevant work experience in accounting and finance for national and/or international organizations.

Desired skills 

• Experience with donor funded projects will be an added advantage 
• Experience with national financial systems or financial reporting is considered an advantage 
• Demonstrated experience in preparation of financial reports and budget variance analysis 
• Knowledge of IPSAS/IFRS is an asset 
• Experience in working for the complex local development programmes is an asset 

Required skills

• Outstanding computer skills, including the ability to apply existing and contribute to the new financial management systems.

Required Language(s) 

• Fluent spoken and written English and Russian. 

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.

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