Snr Finance Off (FSSR)

Before submitting an application, UNHCR staff members intending to apply to this Job Opening are requested to consult the Recruitment and Assignments Policy (RAP, UNHCR/HCP/2017/2 and the Recruitment and Assignments Administrative Instruction (RAAI), UNHCR/AI/2017/7 OF 15 August 2017.

Senior Finance Officer (Financial Systems Support and Reporting)

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

In today's changing environment, UNHCR is seeing an increase in the complexity of financial and performance reporting requirements, diversity of technical skills in the workforce, and the impact of rapidly changing technologies. Data drives our-decision making. As the lead for a cross-functional Finance Business Intelligence Team within the Division of Financial and Administrative Management (DFAM), the Senior Finance Officer (Financial Systems Support and Reporting) will use data to help solving business issues, managing risks and adding value in financial data management. Using technical skills, business acumen and creativity, the incumbent will lead building tools to automate reporting and data analysis, and generate insight that will allow DFAM's clients to quickly and accurately see how they are performing and will identify areas prone to risk. The incumbent will also challenge the status quo and drive out inefficiencies through designing solutions to reduce non-value added manually intensive activities.

The position is in the Financial Systems Support and Reporting Unit (FSSRU) within DFAM. The Deputy Director (Finance) directly supervises the Senior Finance Officer (Financial Systems Support and Reporting), who also works in close coordination with the Accounts and Financial Service (AFS), System and Administration Section and other relevant Services/Sections.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

Accountability
- UNHCR¿s statutory financial reporting (Annual Financial Statements) process is supported by MSRP from the perspective of systems and data integrity and the automation of information retrieval.
- Business Intelligence (BI) tools are implemented and present analytical findings in reports, summaries, dashboards, graphs, charts and maps to provide field operations and Headquarters with detailed intelligence in order to understand trends and derive insights. Users¿ needs are taken into consideration in a timely fashion to ensure continuous relevance of the BI platform. 
- UNHCR consistently complies with other regular and ad hoc reporting requirements, both internal and external, always ensuring systems and data integrity.
- MSRP users at HQ and in the field are provided with technical support, as appropriate.

Responsibility
- Guide the work of the Unit in providing technical support and guidance to users at HQ and in the field in relation to MSRP modules and business processes
- Propose and implement enhancements to the MSRP system and financial processes.
- Identify and implement business intelligence data warehouse, tools and software to perform data analyses.
- Identify and apply methodologies and BI techniques appropriate to address business issues.
- Lead the design and development of consistent reporting packages and dashboards using various Business Intelligence (BI) solutions,
- Manage and coordinate working groups in financial projects such as the automation of workflows, system upgrade etc. in his/her area of responsibility.
- Support the preparation of the annual financial statements.
- Support the preparation of regular and ad hoc financial management reports.
- Propose and implement improvements to the reporting structure, and to reflect the inclusion of new sources of data.
- Assist in external and internal audits.
- Contribute to proposals for training plans, and undertake field missions for training on financial systems and assessment of financial processes.
- Perform other related duties as required.

Authority
- Decide work priorities within various projects.
- Propose improvements and suggestions for development to BI solutions, MSRP and other financial systems and procedures.
- Obtain from HQ and field offices any information necessary to carry out his/her responsibilities.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Graduate degree (equivalent of a Master¿s) in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, Computer Science, Information Systems, or another relevant analytical field plus minimum 8 years of previous job experience in the field of financial operations and financial systems support. Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) plus 9 years or Doctorate degree (equivalent of a PhD) plus 7 years of previous relevant work experience may also be accepted.
- Minimum 5 years of experience in supervisory positions.
- Strong analytical skills in data management and design.
- Solid knowledge of financial control processes and systems.
- Solid hands-on background and experience in relational databases (RDBMS).   In-depth knowledge of financial management systems, PeopleSoft or a similar ERP system.
- Demonstrated thorough knowledge of and/or proven record of success in BI solutions, including in the following area: performing data analyses from collection through reporting and recommendations; utilization of financial systems, reporting systems, and standard industry practices and reporting results and providing insightful results analyses.
- Excellent computer skills, in particular in MS Office applications.
- Good understanding of and experience with international accounting standards (such as IPSAS or IFRS).
- Working experience in a multinational company or organization.
- Fluency in English, including strong drafting skills.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
- Good knowledge of United Nations financial rules and procedures.
- Exposure to humanitarian field operations and specific training/learning activities of UNHCR.
- Experience with visualization and user experience design when developing and maintaining BI platforms to appropriately and effectively communicate across the enterprise.
- Ability to articulate the benefits and weakness of statistical and Business Intelligence toolsets and data visualization and their appropriateness for the organisation.
- Good knowledge of French. C001L3 - Accountability Level 3
C002L3 - Teamwork & Collaboration Level 3
C003L3 - Communication Level 3
C004L3 - Commitment to Continuous Learning Level 3
C005L3 - Client & Result Orientation Level 3
C006L3 - Organizational Awareness Level 3
M001L3 - Empowering and Building Trust Level 3
M002L3 - Managing Performance Level 3
M006L3 - Managing Resources Level 3
M005L3 - Leadership Level 3
M004L3 - Strategic Planning and Vision Level 3
M003L3 - Judgement and Decision Making Level 3
X003L3 - Technological Awareness Level 3
X001L3 - Analytical Thinking Level 3
X005L3 - Planning and Organizing Level 3
X009L3 - Change Capability and Adaptability Level 3 <p>The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.</p>
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See below for this postion's Operational Context
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For those people applying for High Risk Duty Stations, we strongly encourage them – before deciding to apply- to read the country specific security and welfare country profiles which can be found on the Intranet under Support Services - Duty of Care (https://intranet.unhcr.org/en/support-services/duty-of-care.html). Ensuring staff are better informed is part of the increased attention UNHCR is paying to Duty of Care.

 

Staff after having applied to High Risk Duty Stations will have access to country specific information webinars with Field Safety Section (FSS) and Staff Welfare Section (SWS) colleagues and provided with a tool to test their psychological preparedness for serving in High Risk Duty Stations. Applicants who applied for a position in a High Risk country will receive, after the deadline for applications has expired, a joint invitation from the Staff Welfare Section (SWS) and the Field Safety Section (FSS) to participate in these webinars. During the Webinars, latest updates on security and well-being will be provided, and FSS and SWS will address questions raised by participants. Applicants are highly encouraged to benefit, when applicable, from all measures as they provide most up-to-date security and well-being information helpful to assess staff’s readiness to serve in a High Risk Duty Station. A Staff Welfare Officer will also be available, if and when required, to discuss with interested applicants the results of the psychological preparedness tool as well as readiness for assignment in High Risk Duty Stations.

 

This position requires a combination of specialized competencies including financial operations and financial systems support, advanced knowledge of UN Financial Regulations and Rules, International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), strong analytical skills, extensive experience in data management and design, in relational databases (RDBMS), and demonstrated thorough knowledge and proven record of success in Business Intelligence solutions. The Accounts and Financial Service (AFS) of the Division of Financial and Administrative Management (DFAM) is responsible for the financial accounting and reporting of UNHCR.  Within AFS, the Financial Systems Support and Reporting Unit (FSSRU) carries out systems maintenance and support activities for MSRP (UNHCR¿s PeopleSoft-based ERP system) and provides advice and support to users at HQ and in the field on the technical aspects of UNHCR accounting procedures.     
The increase in scale and complexity of the financial management function both internally and externally requires advanced skills and specific expertise in certain key areas, including the above position which plays a critical role in preparing accurate and high-quality accounting and financial information for external statutory bodies as well as internal decision-making at senior/executive levels. Reliance on knowledge of the UNHCR financial systems and business intelligence capability is essential, and the capacity to conduct big data analytics and complex process automation is a significant challenge for all, including UNHCR, whose Strategic Directions 2017-2021 emphasise the commitment to strengthen its ability to analyse data and embrace innovation. Due to technological innovations, organizations are changing fast. DFAM needs to increase capacity in financial management data analytics and therefore is looking for a Senior Finance Business Intelligence Specialist. AFS is located at UNHCR Headquarters, Budapest, Hungary.  Budapest is a category H duty-station. N/A

Please note that the closing date for all vacancies in the September 2018 Compendium is Thursday 18 October  2018 (midnight Geneva time).