Senior Finance and Administrative Assistant

OVERVIEW

Post Number : 1CAUIS0084PA

Grade : G-6

Parent Sector : UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)

Duty Station: Canada

Job Family: Finances

Type of contract : Project Appointment

Duration of contract : 1 year

Recruitment open to : Internal and external candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 28-APR-2023

 

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

 

Only candidates who are entitled to work in Canada may apply to this position.

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

 

The incumbent works under the direct supervision of the Sr. Finance and Administrative Officer. S/he shall act as a focal point in Administration to provide guidelines and advice to all Sections / Units of UIS on the full range of procurement and contracts matters; serve as a certifying officer; and ensure adherence to the rules and regulation in regards to contractual agreements. The Senior Finance and Administration Assistant will also assist in the preparation and execution monitoring of the Institute’s budget, in consolidating the cost estimates for staff and activities budgets. S/he is also expected to coordinate the inventory of UIS capitalized office goods in Montreal and the field, in accordance with IPSAS requirements.

 

The core results include: 

 

• Effective and timely support to Sections/Units in the full cycle of procurement processes from initial request through fulfilment, to ensure that they comply with UNESCO policies and rules.
• Assist in the preparation, monitoring, analysis and reporting of the annual programme and budget, ensuring compliance with budget policies and procedures.
• Coordinate asset inventory management and the production of IPSAS compliant inventory reports.
• Preparation of quantitative and analytical reports on budget, procurement, and other areas of Administration, as needed. 

 

Long Description

MAJOR ACTIVITIES

 

ACT AS CERTIFYING OFFICER UP TO AN AUTHORIZED LEVEL DELEGATED BY THE CFO

 

• Provide guidance and interpretation on administrative rules, regulations and procedures.
• Advise on operational and technical routine transactions.
• Recommend process and system related modifications and improvements to support successful administration and financial monitoring and control.
• Interpret provisions and provide guidance on complex and non-recurring issues.
• Liaise with central services (BFM, MSS etc) to discuss and obtain additional information, clarifications and policy Interpretation.

 

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

 

• Ensure that the Office's financial resources and expenditures are fully and properly accounted for and that internal control systems are adequate and functioning; maintain up-to-date banking information, schedule payments and disbursement of funds.
• Ensure accurate and timely processing of assigned accounts, developing budget estimates and monitoring expenditures, participating and advising in the preparation of financial statements and budgets.
• Assist in the preparation and coordination of financial activities under RP and EXB funds.
• Compile and consolidate data from various sources into financial reports; prepare worksheets.
• Monitor commitments and expenditures, review payments and reconcile accounts.
• Investigate anomalies and erroneous charges and take corrective action.
• Provide assistance and guidance to undertake coding and data entry task and to extract information, to run reports from FABS/ SISTER or other online financial systems

Long Description

BUDGETARY ACCOUNTABILITIES

 

• Prepare RP and EXB budget reports and communicate on them.
• Assist and advise on planning and budgetting and recommend modifications.
• Prepare budget proposals and cost estimates and ensure that data is correct.
• Identify irregularities and undertake transactions to correct errors/omissions.

 

ADMINISTRATIVE ACCOUNTABILITIES

 

• Asset management: assist with the asset verification exercise, ensure that the physical count is reconciled with the asset registers.
• Procurement: research and retrieve information on supply sources, vendors by commodity and obtain specifications on the market.
• Review contractual documents (TOR, budget, contract nature and type).
• Resolve issues/ problems related to delivered goods.
• Maintain and archive unit files. 
• Security: ensure compliance.

 

 

Additional activities that may be required to ensure the success of the work team. 

 

Long Description COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial) Accountability (C) Communication (C) Innovation (C) Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C) Planning and organizing (C) Results focus (C) Teamwork (C) - For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

 

EDUCATION 

• Completed secondary, technical and/or vocational education. 

 

WORK EXPERIENCE

• A minimum of eight (8) years of experience in finance, budget, accounting, administrative services or related area.
• Experience in providing budget reports and financial projections.

 

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• High standards of professional ethics.
• Personal organisation, prioritisation and time management skills and attention to detail.
• Service orientation.
• Excellent interpersonal skills allowing effective communication with colleagues and clients in a multi-cultural environment.
• Ability to handle multitude of tasks, ensuring efficiency and quality.
• Knowledge of office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc).

 

LANGUAGES

• Excellent knowledge of English (oral and written) with a good knowledge of French.

 

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

 

EDUCATION

• Specialized training or extensive experience in Accounting, Finance or Economics, Business Administration, project management or related field.

 

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Experience in preparing budget and performance reports for an international organization.
• Experience in applying financial rules and procedures in an international organization.

 

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES 

• Ability to process transactions using the financial module of an Enterprise Resource Planning (EPR) software such as SAP, Peoplesoft, Oracle, or equivalent.
• Knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
• Knowledge of web based management systems.

 

BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS

 

UNESCO’s salaries consist of a basic salary and other benefits which may include if applicable: 30 days annual leave, family allowance, medical insurance, pension plan etc.

 

For more information in benefits and entitlements, please consult ICSC website.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

 

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.

The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview. 

UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.

Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.

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UNESCO is committed to achieve and sustain gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities, as well as nationals from non-and under-represented Member States (last update here) are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. Worldwide mobility is required for staff members appointed to international posts.

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