Job Requisition Type

Evergreen (Formerly known as talent pools, in order to have a balanced number of ready-to-hire candidates who can be deployed at short notice to a vacancy that best matches their skills. Evergreens are primarily used to fill Temporary Appointments.)

Current UNHCR staff members holding an Indefinite or Fixed-term Appointment in the international professional category who are looking for Internal Temporary Assignment (ITA) opportunities – instead of applying to an Evergreen profile – should contact the Emergency and Temporary Staffing Unit.

Call for applications - Finance Officer, P3

Location: Various location

Why should you join us?

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, takes the lead in protecting people forced to flee wars and persecution around the world, providing life-saving aid including shelter, food and water to ensure their basic safety, rights and dignity. With 18,879 women and men working in 137 countries, we work tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of 89.3 million forcibly displaced people worldwide.

Our dedicated and professional staff work around the clock in roles including legal protection, community services, public affairs, health and more. Despite the challenges they can face, our staff are proud to work for UNHCR and determined to make a positive impact.

How can you make a difference?

The Finance Officer is responsible for co-ordinating, guiding, monitoring, advising on, and supporting the financial operations in the area of responsibility (AoR). With the objective to safeguard and optimize the utilization of UNHCR’s monetary and physical resources, the incumbent contributes to the establishment of efficient and reliable mechanisms and processes to ensure compliance with UN financial regulations and UNHCR’s rules, policies and procedures including, and not limited to, accounts payable and treasury processes, accounting, and implementation of internal control mechanisms, including support to oversight and audit functions.

The incumbent also identifies and manages risks under their responsibility in close coordination with the Risk Management and Compliance Advisor. In the Regional Bureaux, the incumbent supports the work of the Regional Controller with authority to discuss problems and seek common ground on which to recommend solutions based on predetermined guidelines provided by higher authority.

The incumbent may directly supervise professional and general service staff.

Key responsibilities and duties:

• Oversee and guide integrated financial management and reporting for the area of responsibility (AoR).

• Assess, review, and ensure application of finance-related policies, instructions, procedures, etc.

• Provide advice to management regarding the application of financial policies and procedures and, when necessary, coordinate with the Regional Controller or Office of the Controller, as applicable, regarding the interpretation of such policies and procedures.

• Ensure accounting records are correct and reliable, including—and not limited to—timely bank reconciliations, maintenance of open items, timely processing of travel financial transactions, clearance of residual requisitions and purchase order balance.

• In close coordination with the AFS, support the preparation and review of donor financial reports, and endorse such reports before submission to donors.

• Ensure monthly and yearly closing as well as any other periodic accounting-related processes are executed in a timely and accurate manner.

• Ensure the maintenance and on-going validity of the Delegation of Authority Plan (DOAP).

• Ensure that payments made are timely and accurately, and all month-end and year-end cut-off processes are implemented in line with relevant guidance.

• Supervise the preparation of financial reports, monitoring and supervising expenditures with respect to approved budgets and work plans.

• Ensure that local bank account administration and associated cash management functions are performed in adherence to financial guidelines

• Perform financial management and control related to Cash-Based Interventions in adherence to financial guidelines.

• Review and certify vouchers, including ABOD and project disbursements;

• Perform project control functions for both directly and indirectly implemented activities, in the absence of a dedicated project control position

• Coordinate, review and endorse responses to audit queries from internal and external audits and ensure the implementation of accounting audit recommendations.

• Perform other relevant duties as required.

Regional financial services applicable to positions in the Regional Bureau only

• In coordination with relevant services in HQ, and to improve cost-effectiveness and process efficiency for operations, implement and manage regional finance-related services such as: vendor and other related master data management and maintenance, invoice posting, travel claim processing, payments, bank reconciliations, accounting housekeeping and period cut-off activities, donor financial reporting, etc.

• Make proposals for the continuous improvement of financial monitoring and control mechanisms, including the streamlining of financial systems and procedures.

• In coordination with DFAM’s Change Management and Field Support Section and the Global Learning and Development Centre, identify and provide training on accounting matters, and recommend or develop training modules as necessary, aiming at the development of financial management skills.

• In close liaison with DFAM’s System Administration Section and other divisions as necessary, provide and plan activities for rollout of new processes or systems; assist the Regional Controller in monitoring the implementing internal control mechanisms and compliance with UNHCR's financial policies and procedures in the region.

Who are we looking for?

Candidates with 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree.

Requirements

Work experience in the field of accounting/finance, project management, business analysis, quality assurance and/or risk management. Excellent knowledge of, and experience in working with, international accounting and auditing standards, with a minimum of two years of practical experience in the audit process and/or in financial statements preparation. Working experience with accrual accounting (such as IPSAS or IFRS). Excellent understanding and/or experience of financial modules a major Enterprise Resource Planning system (such as PeopleSoft, SAP or Oracle). Good understanding of project and resource management. Excellent computer skills, in particular in MS Office applications, especially MS-excel. Excellent communication and negotiation skills. Experience of managing people in multinational/multicultural environments.

Advantage

Good knowledge of UNHCR systems (such as Focus and MSRP). Excellent knowledge of United Nations financial rules and procedures.

For more a more detailed description, please review the job description:

https://www.unhcr.org/63d921264

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

UNHCR’s workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. We seek to sustain and strengthen this diversity and to ensure equal opportunities, as well as an inclusive working environment, for our entire workforce. Joining us means living, sharing and promoting these core values of inclusion, diversity and gender equality.

Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on the grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.