Finance Assistant

UNOPS office in St Lucia oversees all projects in the Caribbean that originally came from the agreement signed between UNOPS and Mexican Banco Nacional de Comercio Exterior SNC (Bancomext) for the administration of the Infrastructure Fund for Mesoamerica and Caribbean Countries. Accordingly, Bancomext and the Government of Mexico, acting through UNOPS, seek to support economic and social development, as well as regional integration in Central America and the Caribbean.

There is currently a portfolio of eight infrastructure projects: six already ongoing in Belize, Jamaica, St Lucia, Grenada and St Vincent and, two new projects in Dominica and Curacao.

Under the guidance and supervision of the Country Programme Manager for the English-Speaking Caribbean, based in Saint Lucia and in close collaboration with all Project Managers, the Finance Assistant provides financial and administrative support to all existing and future projects within the Caribbean Region, ensuring high quality, accuracy and consistency of work. The Finance Assistant promotes a client-oriented approach consistent with UNOPS rules and regulations. He/she is expected to meet and exceed the organizations performance and delivery goals.

Functions / Key Results Expected

1.     Accounting and administrative support

Provides accounting, payments, support, focusing on achievement of following results:

• Proper control of the supporting documents for payments and financial reports for projects; preparation of vouchers for projects; PO vouchers; Pay Cycle and payment execution.

• Proper receipting of goods and services and establishment of accruals.

• Maintenance of the internal expenditures control system which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Enterprise system; travel claims, MPOs and other entitlements are duly processed

• Timely corrective actions on unposted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers.

• Presentation of information on the status of financial resources as required.

• Maintenance of the Accounts Receivables for projects and recording of deposits in Enterprise system.

• Preparation of accounts-payable and PO vouchers for management projects.

• Review of payment requests including supporting documents against the annual work plan and UNOPS FRRs.

• Ensuring that vouchers processed are matched and completed, and transactions are correctly recorded and posted in ERP/electronic or paper-based systems.

• Running of remittance cycle and Creation of Remittance Advices to be sent to the bank.

2.     CO cash management

Ensures proper CO cash management system functioning focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Alternate to Finance Associate for timely review of cash position for local accounts to ensure sufficient funds on hand for disbursements. Timely identification and recording of receipts for income application.

• Alternate to Finance Associate for daily review of zero-balance account bank statements in Enterprise system to monitor imprest level; identification and recording of contributions.

• Management of cash receipts and petty cash.

• Timely and accurate preparation of bank reconciliations.

• Initiation of bank transfers and deals in Enterprise system.

3.     Knowledge building and Knowledge sharing

• Support the organization and delivery of training and learning initiatives for personnel on finance-related topics.

• Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice by synthesizing of lessons learnt and dissemination of best practices in finance management support services

• Contribute feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices and utilize productively.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

• Performance evaluation

Education 

• A minimum of Secondary School Diploma is required.
• A first level degree (Bachelors or equivalent) preferably in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or other related fields will be considered valuable and may replace some years of experience required.

Work Experience

• A minimum of five (5) years of  relevant experience providing accounting, financial and/or administrative support.
• Familiarity with UN rules and procedures is an asset
• Strong IT skills, knowledge of oneUNOPS is an asset
• Proficient in Microsoft Office

Language

• Fluent in English (read, write, speak)
• Working knowledge of Spanish is desirable.

Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement 
Contract level: LICA 5

Contract duration: Ongoing ICA – ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.’

Work life harmonization: UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time. 19:00 hours Bridgetown.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.