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Finance Associate

New York City

  • Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
  • Location: New York City
  • Grade: Administrative support - GS-6, General Service - No need for Higher Education - Locally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Operations and Administrations
    • Administrative support
    • Banking and Finance
  • Closing Date: Closed

Background

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

The Finance Associate (G6) role forms part of the MPTFO Finance and Operations Team, which collectively supports MPTFO’s fund initiation and administration services and management of MPTFO’s internal finance functions. The role focuses on effective stewardship of fund resources and supports strategic management through conducting portfolio data analysis and interpretation. Additionally, the role supports the internal office financial management through executing and supporting team based activities related to UNDP1 and MDTF1 business units.

The MPTF Office is the UN center of expertise on pooled financing mechanisms. It supports development effectiveness and UN coherence through the efficient, accountable and transparent design and administration of innovative pooled financing instruments. It also provides additional services, such as data and analytics on UN finance and secretarial support services.  Housed within UNDP, the MPTF Office is firewalled from all UN implementing entities, UNDP included.
 
The MPTF Office current portfolio is about $ 15 billion in total (US$ 1.5 billion/year) and includes about 100 ongoing pooled financing mechanisms (country-level and global MDTFs, Joint Programmes and National Funds), established for humanitarian, development, development and climate change activities.  The MPTF Office has put in place a number of tools and systems to support its fund administration services, including a separate General Ledger Business Unit in ATLAS (MDTF1) and the MPTF Office GATEWAY (see mptf.undp.org).
 

Duties and Responsibilities

MPTFO Portfolio maintenance (MDTF1)
Cross portfolio analysis and implementation
  • Complete assigned MDTF1 new-year opening processes in collaboration with the lead Associate for MDTF1 
  • Complete assigned MDTF1 year-end closure processes that are not fund specific in collaboration with the lead Associate for MDTF1
  • Complete monthly MDTF1 inter-fund reconciliation as back-up
  • Analyse and interpret MPTFO data on fund administration of the MPTFO portfolio to support management decision making 
  • Contribute to MDTF1 business process design including tools for implementation to generate on-going and maintain current efficiency and productivity gains across the portfolio
  • Complete other tasks as assigned to support implementation of the strategic plan and business continuity of the finance and operations team
Fund administration
For funds under an assigned portfolio (or in support of the team)
  • Implement all activities in accordance with UNDP’s financial Regulations and Rules, MPTFO’s Operations Manual and the office Internal Control Framework issued by the Executive Coordinator
  • Accurately record donor earmarking and Steering Committee allocations 
  • Conduct a financial review of Fund Transfers (including reconciliations) or refunds to donors and maintain office KPI on timeliness of transfers; Prepare financial transactions in Atlas and transfer notifications 
  • Identify Participating Organisation (PO) refunds/interest for assigned funds/POs in collaboration with the lead Associate for refunds/interest and the Treasury and Finance Associate 
  • Provide advice and support to a variety of internal and external stakeholders to resolve finance related fund issues  
  • Complete provide review of General Ledger data to ensure data integrity and accuracy, including mid-year and year-end closure workpapers
Cross portfolio implementation
  • Contribute to any cross-portfolio business process and systems redesign processes to generate on-going gains in efficiency and productivity 
  • Fund Reporting
  • For funds under an assigned portfolio (or in support of the team)
  • Prepare and validate accurate annual Statement of Sources and Uses of Funds for authorization and certification
  • Prepare and validate accurate annual standard financial reports and tables for inclusion in portfolio narrative reporting
  • Prepare and validate accurate Funding frameworks and other ad-hoc financial reporting on request 
Support to Fund Portfolio team
Cross portfolio analysis and coordination
  • Contribute to strategy development for increasing PO project closure rates.
For funds under an assigned portfolio (or in support of the team)
  • Conduct final financial closure review for projects/Funds as per the Operations Manual
  • Liaise with POs to advise and facilitate correction of over expenditure and / or project closure issues where resolution requires fund specific knowledge
Support to Office Operations (UNDP1)
Lead Finance Associate responsible for UNDP1 processing for the following as per UNDP POPP and the Internal Control Framework issued by the Executive Coordinator
  • Review and process MPTFO Purchase Order and non-Purchase Order supplier invoices (including the corporate credit card) and bring to the attention of the Approving Officer any discrepancies 
  • Act as the first Approving Officer of travel requests, and expense reports
  • Act as the UNDP1 audit focal point for certain internal and external audits
  • Prepares supporting documentation and uploads all UNDP year end and interim certifications as required by UNDP HQ
  • For UNDP1 business unit, uploads Accounts Receivable related documents for revenue application
  • In support of Fund Secretariats hosted by the Office, performs budget analysis, reports on budget versus expenditure, reviews and resolves any issues
  • Reviews the Office budget, performing analysis and prepares reports as requested by Senior Management
  • Performs quarterly Fund Secretariats cost recovery analysis to ensure the Office is fully recovering its costs for hosting services it provides to Fund Secretariats
 

Competencies

Core
Innovation
  • Ability to make new and useful ideas work Level 3: Adapts deliverables to meet client needs
Leadership
  • Ability to persuade others to follow Level 3: Proactively seeks and recognizes contributions of others
People Management
  • Ability to improve performance and satisfactionLevel 3: Appropriately involves team in different stages of work and decision-making
Communication
  • Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform Level 3: Expresses information and views with adaptive reasoning and appreciation for complexity and variation 
Delivery
  • Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement Level 3: Takes responsibility for addressing critical situations and delivering core value
Technical/Functional
Team Building
  • Ability to work effectively with diverse groups of professionals towards common goals Level 3: Implement & Manage: Exercises skills and knowledge independently, demonstrating ability to manage self and team responsibilities, in area of work
Trust Fund Management
  • Knowledge of UN inter-agency and national pooled financing instruments, including applicable legal arrangements Level 3: Implement & Manage: Exercises skills and knowledge independently, demonstrating ability to manage self and team responsibilities, in area of work
Finance/Accounting
  • Ability to evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful manner Level 3: Implement & Manage: Exercises skills and knowledge independently, demonstrating ability to manage self and team responsibilities, in area of work
Finance/Accounting
  • Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, regulations, and policies and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations Level 3: Implement & Manage: Exercises skills and knowledge independently, demonstrating ability to manage self and team responsibilities, in area of work
 
 

Required Skills and Experience

Education
  • Secondary Education with specialized certification in Accounting and/or Finance. 
  • University degree in Finance or Accounting desirable. 
  • Part-qualified accountants from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage
  • Candidates may be requested to sit the UNDP Accounting and Finance Test where required.
Experience
  • Minimum 6-years’ experience in financial management/accounting, and working with ERP systems
  • Experience in the use of computers applications and software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) including data analysis as well as web-based management systems. 
  • Experience in providing high quality, responsive client service
  • Experience working with UN pooled funding mechanisms is a distinct advantage
Language Requirements
  • Fluency in both written and spoken English. 
  • Knowledge of another UN language is an asset, especially French
 

Disclaimer

Important applicant information

All posts in the GS categories are subject to local recruitment. 

Externally advertised GS fixed-term appointment and temporary appointment (TA) positions located in New York/Washington D.C. are open to candidates who are either US Permanent Residents, US Citizens or holders of a valid G4 visa at the time of their application and whose G4 visa has been acquired on account of their employment in the UN Systems based in New York or Washington, DC.

Selected candidates who meet the above mentioned eligibility criteria are responsible for their own travel and/or relocation costs.

Selection to GS fixed-term appointment positions at Headquarters requires passing a UN administered clerical test (ASAT). External applicants to General Service (GS) positions in New York who already possess a Bachelor’s degree or an accredited certification in a technical field (e.g. IT, Finance, or Procurement) will not need to obtain/pass the UN Administrative Support Assessment Test (ASAT). However, passing specialized tests (e.g. Finance and Accounting technical assessments) may still be required for some General Service (GS) positions, as specified in the vacancy announcement.

Applicants under serious consideration for short-listing of posts requiring accountancy and finance skills, must take the UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (UNDP AFT) prior to short-listing.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: 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.

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This vacancy is now closed.
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