Finance Advisor

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments. By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

The New York Portfolios Office (NYPO) manages UNOPS' New York-based portfolios, delivering project and programme management, procurement, HR, and financial services to global partners, from the UN Secretariat to Member States. NYPO strategically positions UNOPS with these partners, fostering collaboration to achieve growth and leveraging expertise in global portfolio design and implementation. We support the broader SDGs and 2030 Agenda, primarily assisting the UN Secretariat and other New York-based UN entities with a global reach. NYPO encompasses the Peace and Security Cluster (PSC), focusing on explosive threat management, and the Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC), providing diverse operational support to the UN system in New York.

Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP) It provides Services to partners' programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York. The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

Reporting to the Head of Support Services, the Finance Advisor manages a team of 6 and maintains close working relationships with other finance practitioners located in regional and field locations to ensure a robust control environment, high-quality financial reporting, and the integration of financial services across four diverse portfolios. The Finance Advisor provides strategic oversight and comprehensive financial management for the New York Portfolios Office (NYPO), ensuring compliance with organizational requirements, driving continuous improvement, and leading a high-performing finance team.

1. Provide strategic financial  support and budget oversight to NYPO 

• Develop Finance/Budget annual work plan, setting of priorities and planning of work in line with corporate goals and business planning process 

• Monitor and analyze the operating environment to ensure adequate agility, risk management and quick readjustment of the operations as needed 

• Strengthen client and stakeholder satisfaction by ensuring NYPO's financial reporting requirements are met 

• Lead internal and external audit exercises and accountability for financial audit recommendations 

• Act as the practice specialist by contributing to corporate strategy requirements, and to corporate recommendations made by Finance Group 

• Drive finance function initiatives to ensure added value and optimal support across NYPO, as well as the achievement of the Strategic Objectives 

• Contribute with specialist financial knowledge to long-term strategy of NYPO's business efficiencies

2. Deliver cross-functional integration and process efficiency improvements 

• Bridge the gap between HQ-level policy development and execution at field level, including conducting financial training to personnel

• Lead cross-functional integration and process efficiency improvements through linkages between program and operations with an emphasis on finance and budgeting

• Work towards coherence in processes and in policy improvements for long-term solutions to repetitive challenges

• Benchmark internal financial practices with external best practices

• Work closely with other management practice advisors on the utilization and enhancement of systems and tools

• Knowledge building and sharing with regards to financial management and operations

3. Enforce compliance with organizational requirements 

• Supervise the performance of monthly, quarterly and year-end accounting processes

• Mitigate reputational risk by ensuring integrity and accuracy of financial performance and expenditure

• Ensure transactions are correct and escalate complex and recurring challenges.

• Drive inputs on budget design across programmes

• Lead control and data integrity tests of systems

• Contribute to practice-led initiatives on common operational recommendations when developing new systems

• Drive the delivery of training to the business to raise financial capacity, awareness and compliance

4. Ensure client-facing performance and reporting is excellent and undergoing continuous improvement

• Constant assessment of client-satisfaction and performance through KPIs related to Financial Management as part of internal and external benchmarking

• Conduct a thorough analysis of statistics and trends to inform and guide the portfolio

• Establish a knowledge management system to ensure Financial Management trends and lessons learned are captured to inform future decision making and best practices

• Lead financial quarterly  reviews with the clients and stakeholders to communicate challenges and achievements

• Contribute as practice specialist to resolving NYPO functional challenges by coordinating and developing long-term strategies towards innovative solutions

• Review and lead financial process efficiencies, and contribute to the development of NYPO SOPs

• Enable the assessment of risks versus opportunities considering the Internal Control Framework

5. Lead a high-performing team 

• Lead an effective, high-performing, and inclusive Finance team. Ensure team cohesion and integration across the two Finance sub-teams. Foster and role-model a safe and inclusive work environment that upholds dignity and respect for all personnel. Uphold the highest standards of conduct and take decisive action to address behaviours that undermine inclusion, equity, or psychological safety.

• Ensure that hybrid working arrangements are managed  equitably, with conscious attention to ensuring that remote and part-time team members have equal access to development opportunities, visibility, and recognition; in accordance with UNOPS policy requirements.

• Ensure that DEI objectives are embedded in PER/PRAs for all ICS-10 and above Finance team members at a minimum, and that training and development plans include inclusive leadership competencies.

6. Ensure resource maximization and business planning is effective and embedded in business as usual (BAU)

• Lead the budget and business planning process, reflecting the strategic and operational requirements 

• Monitor the budget implementation and resource utilization/status related to NYPO's admin and LSS budgets 

• Steward the management resources of NYPO clusters ensuring timely cost recovery and adequate pricing 

• Improve and where necessary develop costing/budgeting models to ensure adequate resource planning is embedded into new projects.

• Monitor NYPO's performance against financial targets

Required

• Master degree (or equivalent) preferably in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting or related fields with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience; or 
• Bachelor's degree preferably in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting or related fields   with a minimum of 9 years of relevant experience

Required

• Relevant experience is defined as progressive professional experience in business process analysis and/or redesign, and/or optimization in financial management, budget oversight, and strategic financial planning.

Desired

• Experience in managing the financial components of project management cycles is desired.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience managing teams in a professional environment is required. Experience fostering diverse and inclusive team cultures, including in hybrid or multicultural work environments, is desirable. 
• Experience working in an international organization or the UN system.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
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• 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. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
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• 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. 
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• 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.