Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

The Division of Finance and Administration (DFA) is responsible for the planning, allocation and management of financial and administrative resources including information communications and technology, procurement and travel, security and safety, facility and general operational management. The DFA is responsible for the effective and efficient delivery of essential operations services in UN Women, continuous development and improvement in operations, policies, procedures and guidance to align with UN Women and stakeholders' evolving business needs, and technical and advisory support to the Executive Director in the formulation and implementation of the UN Women overall mission.

Reporting to the Chief Finance Officer and Director, DFA, the Deputy Director for Financial Management leads the Financial Management Section and UN Women’s global finance function. The role oversees financial operations, accounting and treasury services, financial policies and controls, ERP-enabled financial processes, IPSAS-compliant financial statements, donor and management reporting, audit engagement, and financial risk management across a decentralized operating environment.

Key Functions and Accountabilities:

The Deputy Director for Financial Management leads UN Women’s global financial management function and is responsible for ensuring effective stewardship of financial resources, sound financial operations, strong internal controls, timely IPSAS-compliant reporting, effective treasury and revenue management, and continuous improvement of finance policies, systems and processes.

Strategic financial leadership and accountability

  • Lead the Financial Management Section and global finance network, setting priorities, workplans, performance standards and accountability mechanisms aligned with UN Women’s Strategic Plan and business needs.
  • Provide strategic advice to the CFO and Director, DFA, senior management and governance bodies on financial management, financial risk, resource stewardship and organizational sustainability.
  • Promote clear accountability, transparency and consistency across financial operations, reporting, field support and financial advisory services.
  • Lead engagement with senior stakeholders to ensure finance priorities support organizational strategy, operational effectiveness and accountability for results.

Financial policy, controls and risk management

  • Maintain and continuously strengthen UN Women’s financial framework, including financial regulations and rules, policies, procedures, delegations of authority, guidance and internal controls.
  • Ensure effective first- and second-line controls over financial management processes, monitor exceptions and support risk management, business continuity and compliance activities.
  • Oversee financial due diligence and provide advice on donor agreements, cost recovery, revenue recognition and financial clauses in legal instruments.
  • Approve, monitor and report on policy exceptions, including emergency or special operating procedures, ensuring appropriate controls and documentation.

Financial operations, revenue and treasury management

  • Oversee headquarters and field financial operations, including transaction recording, general ledger integrity, vendor and payment controls, partner advance monitoring, project closure and management reporting.
  • Lead centralized revenue management, including recording of contributions, accounts receivable, non-core cash allocations, donor agreement finance data and related reconciliations.
  • Ensure effective management of cash, bank positions, investments, foreign exchange and treasury-related risks in coordination with relevant UN system service providers and governance mechanisms.
  • Ensure financial transactions and balances are accurately processed, recorded, reconciled and monitored to support reliable financial information and timely decision-making.

Financial reporting, IPSAS compliance and donor reporting

  • Lead month-end, mid-year and year-end closure processes, including issuance of instructions, account reconciliations, review of financial data and timely resolution of material issues.
  • Lead the preparation, review and certification of UN Women’s IPSAS-compliant annual financial statements, audit working papers and financial inputs to Executive Board and senior management reporting.
  • Ensure timely and accurate donor financial reporting, certified donor statements, pooled or inter-agency funding reports, specialized financial reports and internal management reports.
  • Provide financial analysis and reporting to support senior management decisions, Executive Board engagement, donor stewardship and organizational performance monitoring.

Audit, oversight and assurance

  • Manage financial management engagement with the United Nations Board of Auditors, internal audit, donor assurance reviews, third-party partner audits, EU verifications, JIU reviews and other oversight bodies.
  • Coordinate timely responses to audit inquiries, findings and recommendations; oversee corrective actions; and report on implementation and emerging financial risks.
  • Provide financial assurance advice and support to headquarters, regional and country offices before, during and after audits and reviews.
  • Identify recurring assurance issues and drive systemic improvements to strengthen financial governance, compliance and risk mitigation across the organization.

Business transformation, ERP and process improvement

  • Lead continuous improvement of financial management processes, with emphasis on simplification, harmonization, automation, management by exception, ERP optimization and technology-enabled solutions.
  • Support UN reform and efficiency initiatives, participate in inter-agency finance and accounting standard-setting groups, and contribute to resource mobilization and innovative financing initiatives.
  • Ensure financial systems and related tools are configured and functioning to manage, monitor and report on key financial processes and information.
  • Champion data-quality, analytics and digital finance capabilities that improve insight, efficiency and accountability across global financial management.

Representation, knowledge management and capacity building

  • Represent UN Women and the Financial Management Section in internal governance bodies, Executive Board-related processes, UN inter-agency fora and oversight, advisory, investment and compliance committees.
  • Provide financial management guidance to headquarters and field offices and strengthen the global finance community through learning, technical guidance, communities of practice and on-the-job capacity building.
  • Lead, motivate and develop finance staff, promoting collaboration, accountability, service orientation and high standards of professional performance.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: The incumbent leads a diverse and expert team, which includes professional and general service staff, as well as affiliate personnel (PSA, consultants and interns).

Competencies :

Core Values:

  • Integrity;
  • Professionalism;
  • Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

  • Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
  • Accountability;
  • Creative Problem Solving;
  • Effective Communication;
  • Inclusive Collaboration;
  • Stakeholder Engagement;
  • Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

  • Strategic, conceptual and technical knowledge and expertise in financial planning and management principles and approaches.
  • Solid and broad knowledge of complex financial rules and regulations.
  • Demonstrated business acumen and judgment.
  • Demonstrated success in leading and implementing financial re-engineering, management systems development, policy design, innovation, knowledge product development in large and or multinational organizations/corporation.
  • Solid knowledge in the application of complex financial systems and modules (such as Oracle Cloud) and its application and impact on enhancing financial management efficiency and efficacy.
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Excellent analytical skills, including analysis of systematic problems and recommending plans of action, new policies and procedures.

Recruitment Qualifications:

Education and Certification:       

•             Master’s degree or equivalent in accounting, finance, financial management or a related field is required. An internationally recognized professional accounting qualification, such as CA, ACA, CPA or ACCA, is required and may be accepted in lieu of a master’s degree. 

Experience:        

•             At least 15 years of progressively responsible senior-level experience in financial management, accounting, financial operations or related areas in a large public, international or private sector organization is required.

•             At least 7 years of experience producing IPSAS- or IFRS-compliant financial statements and notes is required.

•             Experience with ERP-enabled financial management systems, preferably Oracle Cloud or another UN system ERP, is required. 

•             Experience leading and managing personnel in international settings is required.

•             Experience in the UN system or another international organization is desirable.

Languages:         

•             Fluency in English is required.

•             Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.


 

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Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.