Background

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in more than 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. UNDP Samoa Multi-Country Office (MCO) is supporting the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau to promote inclusive, blue-green and pro-poor growth, effective governance, and sustainable and resilient development that
leverages innovation and digital transformation and seeks to catalyze financing for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We help our partners in identifying relevant solutions to their most significant development challenges and offer policy and implementation services to address these challenges. Guided by the UNDP Multi-Country Programme Document (MCPD) for the Pacific Island Countries and Territories 2023-27, the MCO’s policy, advisory, programmatic, and implementation services focuses on the following areas:

  • Peace: inclusive governance, justice and peace
  • Prosperity: inclusive, blue-green and sustainable growth
  • Planet: sustainable management of natural resources, biodiversity conservation, strengthened climate and
    disaster resilience and management.
     

UNDP’s programme is anchored in the principle of leaving no one behind, with specific focus on gender equality and women’s empowerment including the fight to end violence against women and girls, and empowerment and engagement of youth and Persons with Disabilities. The MCO serves Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau from its
office located in Apia, Samoa where it hosts approximately 40 personnel. The Finance team supports the Multi-Country Office (MCO) in the promotion of its sustainable development agenda by continuously enhancing MCO financial performance, delivering sound management of financial resources, and ensuring strong accountability through informed decision making, effective financial management processes,

Position Purpose 

Under the guidance of the Operations Manager and supervision of the Finance Analyst, the Finance Assistant provides financial services ensuring high quality, accuracy and consistency of work. The Finance Assistant promotes a clientoriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations. The Finance Assistant works in close collaboration with the Operations, Programme and projects’ staff in the Multi-Country Office (MCO) and with UNDP HQ and GSSC staff to exchange information and ensure consistent service delivery. UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

Support implementation of operational strategies.

  • Ensure full compliance of financial processes and financial records with UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP) and strategies.
  • Provide input to the Finance unit and office management in preparing and reviewing MCO business processes mapping and elaboration of the content of internal standard operating procedures in finance in consultation with the direct supervisor and office management.

Support administration of budgets and functioning of the optimal cost-recovery system.

  • Support in preparation and modifications of budgets for UNDP projects, follow up with HQ on authorized spending limits (ASL) for management projects.
  • Provide inputs for preparation of cost-recovery and Direct Project Costs (DPC) bills in ERP for the services provided by UNDP, and follow up on cost recovery.
  • Liaise with other Operations Units to compile billing for services, and process bills in ERP as and when required by the Finance Analyst.

Provide accounting and administrative support to the Finance unit.

  • Provide support in ensuring proper control of the supporting documents for payment invoices and
    proper document management including systematic archiving.
  • Prepare financial reports for non-development projects and management funds/budget balance.
  • Prepare all types of invoices for projects and on behalf of UNOPS and non-ERP Agencies.
  • Maintain a proper filing system for finance records and documents.
  • Maintain the internal expenditures control system which ensures that invoices processed are matched and completed; transactions are correctly recorded and posted in ERP; and travel claims and other entitlements are duly processed.
  • Provide information on the status of financial resources as required.
  • Take timely corrective actions on unposted invoices, including invoices with validation errors, match exceptions, and/or unapproved invoices.
  • Manage cash receipts and petty cash.
  • Maintain the Accounts Receivables for UNDP projects in ERP.

Ensure proper functioning of MCO cash and Treasury management systems.

  • Timely review of cash position for local accounts to ensure sufficient funds for disbursements and maintain liquidity level approved by Treasury. Identify and record receipts and create deposits for revenue application on a timely basis.
  • Identify and record contributions.
  • Prepare timely and accurate bank reconciliations and provide documentation to GSSC according to service level agreement. Initiate bank transfers and deals in ERP.
  • Daily review of zero-balance account bank statements in ERP to monitor imprest level; identification and recording of contributions.
  • Preparation of monthly UN exchange rate report to Treasury.
  • Initiation of bank transfers and deals in ERP.
  • Alternate as cashier for cash disbursements made on site.
  • Serve as Petty cash custodian for office and maintain proper control of cash and receipts.

Support knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the MCO.

  • Participate in the training for the operations/ projects staff on finance.
  • Provide contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
  • Capturing and sharing of lessons learned and good practices in financial management.

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

Competencies

Core competencies:

  • Achieve Results: Level 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
  • Think Innovatively: Level 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements 
  • Learn Continuously: Level 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
  • Adapt with Agility: Level 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible 
  • Act with Determination: Level 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
  • Engage and Partner: Level 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Level 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Management

  • Customer Satisfaction/Client Management. Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and
    quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns

Business Development

  • Knowledge Generation. Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated
    need. Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.

Business Management

  • Working with Evidence and Data. Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the
    goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making

Administration & Operations

  • Documents and Records Management. Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving\

Finance 

  • Accounting (General). Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, regulations, policies and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical
    situations.
  • Financial Reporting and Analysis. Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring.
  •  Audit. Ability to examine and verify accounts and records

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Secondary education with specialized certification in accounting and/or finance. A university degree in finance or accounting is desirable. Part-qualified accountants from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage.
  • Candidates with accountancy certification from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage. Candidates without certification but with relevant experience must complete the UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited.

Experience:

  • Minimum 5 years (with secondary education) or 2 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible finance and accounting experience at the national or international level is required.
  •  Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheets and web-based management systems such as ERP financials and database packages is required.
  • Knowledge of IPSAS and/or IFRS and/or Quantum is desired.
  • Experience preparing financial reports, reconciliations, or handling advances and settlements is desired.
  • Exposure to donor-funded projects, cost recovery, or multi-currency transactions is desired.
  • Experience working with UNDP, other UN entities, donor organizations or development organizations is an asset.

Required languages:

  • Fluency in English is required.
  • Fluency in Samoan is required.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Probation

For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.

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