Finance Officer

The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, based in Nairobi, Kenya, oversees the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. Supported by more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices—spanning North, West, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa—the office advances national priorities through strategic initiatives in Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and Security, Middle-Income Country Support, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Regional Office provides strategic leadership, operational support, and oversight in key areas including Partnerships, Communications, Management and Oversight, Infrastructure and Project Management, Health and Safety, and Security. By promoting excellence in project delivery, fostering knowledge sharing, and driving continuous improvement, the office contributes to sustainable infrastructure, transparent resource management, and a better quality of life for communities across the continent.

Based in Addis Ababa, the Horn of Africa Multi-Country Office (HAMCO) delivers project management, procurement, and infrastructure services across Djibouti, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan, with a primary focus on health, agriculture, and economic development. Established in 2009, HAMCO partners with governments and development stakeholders to implement impactful, results-driven initiatives that contribute to sustainable development. Since 2024, new projects have been aimed at expanding access to healthcare, education, energy, and livelihoods, particularly in underserved and conflict-affected regions. HAMCO also provides human resource management services, supporting the effective implementation of development initiatives. Key efforts include equipping research facilities, strengthening education and health systems, building vaccine research capacity, and enhancing resilience in communities affected by crisis. Through these interventions, HAMCO contributes to inclusive growth, regional stability, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the Horn of Africa.

Established in 2005, UNOPS Sudan is a key partner in advancing community well-being through infrastructure, procurement, and project management services that support humanitarian, recovery, and sustainable development efforts. UNOPS contributes to improved access to clean water, supports peacekeeping operations, and assists in implementing the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement by helping operationalize the Permanent Ceasefire Committee for Darfur in collaboration with UNITAMS. Ongoing initiatives focus on enhancing access to water and strengthening health services across the country, with particular efforts in Kassala state to expand diagnostic capacity and upgrade healthcare infrastructure. Through these projects, UNOPS supports stability, resilience, and improved living conditions for communities across Sudan.

The Finance Officer supports a diverse project portfolio requiring strict financial oversight, accurate reporting, and strong compliance with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations. The role operates within a fast-moving environment where effective budgeting, cash management, and internal controls are essential to ensuring project delivery. The incumbent works closely with project teams, management, banks, donors, and auditors to maintain financial integrity, ensure timely processing of transactions, and provide reliable financial analysis for decision-making. 

The Finance Officer will also lead and direct the team to ensure clear expectations are established and met, and that timely, high-quality delivery of financial tasks is accomplished. The position further contributes to strengthening financial systems, improving processes, and supporting knowledge sharing within the office.

The Finance Officer ensures the effective delivery of financial management, reporting and compliance services in accordance with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations (FRRs), policies and procedures. The incumbent leads on budget formulation and monitoring, treasury and cash management, accounting oversight, and financial reporting. The Finance Officer also provides analytical and advisory support to management, ensuring financial integrity, cost efficiency and timely decision-making across the portfolio.

Implementation of Operational Strategies

• Ensure full compliance with UNOPS financial rules, regulations, policies and procedures, as well as donor and audit requirements.
• Implement and maintain effective internal control systems and risk management frameworks to safeguard financial resources.
• Support the roll-out and continuous improvement of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in finance, ensuring consistency and accuracy across financial processes.
• Monitor financial exception reports, identify and investigate anomalies, and recommend corrective actions.
• Advise management on cost-saving measures, financial efficiencies and expenditure optimization in collaboration with operations teams.
• Support internal and external audit exercises, coordinate responses, and track the implementation of audit recommendations.

Budget Preparation, Monitoring and Control

• Lead the preparation, consolidation and monitoring of budgets for projects and administrative operations, ensuring alignment with UNOPS and donor requirements.
• Review and analyze budget proposals for accuracy, consistency and alignment with strategic and financial objectives.
• Conduct variance analyses and monitor expenditure levels against approved budgets, providing early warnings on deviations and advising corrective measures.
• Coordinate project budget revisions and ensure timely re-phasing and approvals in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.
• Provide financial planning support to project managers, including forecasting, scenario analysis, and financial risk assessment.
• Contribute to the development and improvement of budgeting tools and systems to enhance transparency and performance-based budgeting.

Cash Management and Treasury

• Oversee cash management operations to ensure liquidity and accuracy in fund allocation.
• Review daily and monthly cash positions to maintain sufficient balances for disbursements and manage the zero-balance and imprest accounts.
• Prepare cash flow forecasts for operational and project needs and ensure alignment with budget projections.
• Initiate and approve bank transfers and foreign exchange transactions in the ERP system in compliance with authorization levels.
• Maintain strong relationships with local banking institutions and ensure compliance with national financial and banking regulations.
• Monitor operational advances, recoveries and petty cash accounts, ensuring timely reconciliation and closure.
• Conduct periodic treasury analyses and forecasting of income and expenditure trends to inform financial planning and risk management.

Commitments and Payments

• Ensure accuracy, validity and compliance of financial transactions, commitments and payments against budget allocations and contractual terms.
• Review and approve payment requests, verifying the completeness of supporting documentation and proper use of account codes.
• Ensure that transactions are properly recorded, reconciled and reported in the ERP system.
• Maintain control of accounts receivable and payable, ensuring timely recording and follow-up with clients, partners and donors.
• Support the establishment and implementation of an effective expenditure control framework, ensuring that vouchers are matched, verified, and cleared in accordance with financial rules.
• Manage financial data quality through ongoing review, reconciliation, and corrective action for unposted or exception items.
• Supervise timely accounts closure, including accruals, provisions and adjusting journal entries.
• Coordinate with HQ and the Regional Office on complex payment or compliance issues and resolve financial data discrepancies.

Financial Reporting

• Prepare, review and analyze monthly, quarterly and annual financial reports for management and donors, ensuring accuracy and adherence to reporting timelines.
• Support the preparation of client financial statements, interim financial reports (IFRs), and delivery reports in line with contractual and audit requirements.
• Develop and maintain financial dashboards and reporting tools for portfolio oversight and performance analysis.
• Contribute to the annual financial closure process, ensuring all accounts are reconciled and adjustments made in compliance with UNOPS standards.
• Provide financial input and analysis for strategic reports, audits and evaluations.
• Lead or support the implementation of audit recommendations and contribute to internal and external financial reviews.

Knowledge Building and Sharing

• Support the organization, facilitation and delivery of training and learning sessions on finance topics.
• Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned.
• Conduct research on finance-related topics and contribute to the drafting of reports, summaries and briefing notes.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or other disciplines with 2 years of relevant experience OR
• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above disciplines with 0 years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• Professional certification (e.g. CPA, ACCA, CA, CIMA) is desired.
• Knowledge of IPSAS or other international accounting standards is desired.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in project financial management, budgeting, cash management and financial reporting, or related areas.
• Demonstrable proficiency in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g. MS Office, G-Suite, etc) and web-based management systems.

Desired

• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is desired.
• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities. 
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.