Finance Associate - Financial Statements and Board of Auditors relations

The Finance Group serves as a strategic partner and fiduciary advisor, ensuring transparent, accountable, and effective resource management across UNOPS. The Group defines financial strategy in alignment with organizational goals, establishes finance policies, systems, and processes, and leads corporate budgeting to enable full cost recovery and ensure long-term financial sustainability. Throughout the project lifecycle, the Finance Group provides expert guidance, oversight, and tailored financial solutions. Responsibilities include delivering comprehensive financial and corporate performance reporting, strengthening financial capacity across the organization, and continuously enhancing resource planning and allocation. In addition, the Finance Group prepares and oversees the implementation of finance-related policies, upholding the highest standards of financial stewardship and supporting UNOPS in achieving operational excellence and fiscal responsibility.

This position is responsible for providing support in the general ledger accounts management and financial reporting, ensuring the accuracy and completeness of accounting data within the UNOPS ERP system. The role involves supporting UNOPS monthly, quarterly, and year-end closing processes, preparing with cash and account reconciliations, and contributing to the preparation of UNOPS corporate financial statements. Additionally, the incumbent will work close collaboration with UNOPS operations, programs and project staff by providing transactions, advisory and oversight services.

The Finance Associate will directly report to the Finance Specialist - Accounting and will be part of the Financial Statement & UNBOA Relations team based in UNOPS HQ in Denmark. 

The Finance Associate provides accounting, budget administration, cash management and financial reporting support to ensure efficient and compliant financial operations. The incumbent performs a wide range of financial transactions with a high degree of accuracy, ensuring compliance with UNOPS financial rules and regulations (FRRs), policies and donor requirements.

1. Accounting, Journal posting and Reconciliations

• Support in the pre-clearing journals (GLJE) recording transactions which are not possible through normal process of Receipts, payments or payroll, or to correct an accounting entry.

• Ensure timely and proper recording of goods receipt, service delivery and accruals.

• Process and reconcile accounts receivable and accounts payable, including follow-up with partners and projects on pending items.

• Perform monthly and quarterly account reconciliation, identifying and resolving discrepancies in coordination with HQ and project teams.

• Support annual leave monthly accrual processing and other staff related adjustments, ensuring accurate and timely reporting.

• Ensure timely monthly and yearly closure of accounts and submission of required financial reports, including AD-HOC activities for reconciliation and analysis of general ledger accounts.

• Monitor and ensure timely completion of monthly, quarterly, and year-end financial closure activities by the field office, including regular follow-up on deadlines and progress.

• Respond promptly to HQ and Country offices queries to resolve financial data or audit issues.

• Prepare quarterly and year-end submission from the Country offices for VAT, Prepayments, Receipt accruals, Retentions, Prepaid expenses to ensure accuracy of financial data and compliance with Financial Rules and Regulations.

• Assist the Finance Specialist - Accounting in the staff separation clearance by reviewing resource status of receivables and payables and annual leave accruals. 

• Assist Country offices in the PO closure process.

• Perform YE receipts accruals validation and cutoff exercise.

• Assist in the preparation of UNOPS census data for yearly actuarial valuation.

• Maintain the Unit’s issues log and liaise with ITG regarding any issues to be solved with the system.

2. Office Cash and Treasury Management

• Prepare reconciliation for petty cash and operational advances, ensuring compliance with policy and timely settlement.

3. Financial Reporting and Analysis

• Prepare and review ad hoc financial reports and management dashboards.

• Participate in quarterly and annual financial closure activities, ensuring completeness and consistency of data.

• Support internal and external audit exercises, ensuring timely submission of documentation and clearance of audit findings.

• Maintain accurate records of Value Added Tax (VAT), prepayments, operational advances and other balance sheet accounts, ensuring reconciliations are performed regularly.

• Analyze and prepare adjusting entries (GLJEs) and ensure accuracy of financial postings across projects.

4. 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

• Secondary school (or equivalent) with 6 years of relevant experience OR

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 2 years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• A globally or nationally recognized professional certificate in audit or accounting (e.g CPA, ACCA, CA, CIMA)is desired.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in accounting, project financial management, budgeting, cash management and financial reporting, balance sheet and general ledger reconciliation or related areas. 

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.

• Experience with financial systems or ERP software 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. 
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse 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.