Finance Analyst

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.

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 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet. UNDP has been working in Afghanistan for more than 50 years on climate change and resilience, gender, governance, health, livelihoods, and rule of law. Under the broader framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in close coordination with other UN agencies, UNDP is supporting the Afghan people’s aspiration for peace, prosperity, and sustainability. UNDP is currently implementing its flagship crisis response programme, ABADEI (Area Based Approach to Development Emergency Initiatives), as part of the ongoing UN-led response to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and the breakdown of Afghanistan’s economy following the August 2021 shift in power.

The Area-Based Approach to Development Emergency Initiatives (ABADEI) Strategy for Afghanistan is a tailored area-based integrated programming approach to support basic human needs, complementing short-term humanitarian life-saving assistance with the safeguarding of livelihoods and the strengthening of community resilience. The distinguishing feature of the area-based approach is that it is an integrated response that simultaneously addresses multiple vulnerabilities to avoid the country's socio-economic collapse in a context of severe instability.

In this context, Country Office (CO) Finance unit is entrusted with the following:

• Ensuring implementation of operational and financial management strategies and procedures. 
• Elaboration of proposals and implementation of cost-saving and reduction strategies in consultations with office management
• Ensuring proper control of accounts closure, including support to the quarterly and annual certification of CO accounts exercise in line with corporate closure instruction, in close coordination with relevant stakeholders.
• Monitors disbursement and reconciliation of advance payments; liaise with GSSC, RBx, and HQ as necessary.
• Ensuring proper control of CO account.
• Managing the budget of management projects and organize an optimal cost-recovery system
• Ensuring proper Country Office cash management focusing on achievement of the following results, Knowledge Building and Knowledge Sharing.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Finance Analyst (Deputy Head of Finance unit), the Finance Analyst is responsible for effective delivery of financial services, transparent utilization of financial resources and management of the Country Office finance unit. The Finance Analyst analyses and interprets the financial rules and regulations and provides solutions to a wide spectrum of complex financial issues related to disbursements. The Finance Analyst promotes a collaborative, client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

The Finance Analyst supervises a team of Finance Assistants and/or Finance Analysts to ensure effective budget management and that are made in an efficient and timely manner and works in close collaboration with the operations, programme and project teams in the CO and with respective units in HQ and GSSC ensuring successful CO performance in financial management.

Ensure Implementation of Operational and Financial management Strategies and procedures focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Full compliance with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, and policies of financial activities financial recording/reporting system and follow-up on audit recommendation; implementation of effective internal controls, and proper functioning of a client-oriented financial resources management system.
• CO Finance business processes mapping and elaboration of the content internal Standard Operating Procedures in Finance in consultation with office management.
• Continuous analysis and monitoring of the financial situation, presentation of forecasts for management projects.
• Routinely monitors financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, and investigates anomalies or unusual transactions. Inform respective colleagues of the results of the investigation when satisfactory answers are not obtained.

Ensure proper control of Country Office account focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Ensuring that all financial transactions are identified, recorded, and verified in compliance with corporate policies and procedures, including continuous oversight of the submission of the payment requests to the GSSC.
• Ensuring the local payroll (including payroll for sister agencies) is duly prepared in accordance with the corporate timeline
• Ensuring proper control of the Accounts Receivables for UNDP projects and maintenance of the General Ledger.
• Performs delegated ICF related functions.
• Timely corrective actions on unposted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, including the payment processing and necessary reconciliation from T&E module. 
• Timely response to HQ requests to resolve financial data issues.
• Ensuring effective communication and liaison with GSSC on disbursement, payroll, treasury, and accounting processes.

Manage the budget of management projects and organize an optimal cost-recovery system focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Management of all financial resources through planning, guiding, monitoring, and controlling of the resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations.
• Preparation and monitoring of management projects’ budgets in Quantum.
• Regular analysis and reporting on the budget approvals and the delivery situation of management projects. 
• Organization of cost-recovery mechanisms for services provided by UNDP ensuring the preparation of pro-forma invoices for UN Agencies and monitoring through the Atlas tracking system.
• Ensuring that advance payments and direct payments for NIM projects are properly reviewed and made on a timely basis, as well as ensuring that payment information is properly recorded into the Quantum system on a timely basis.
• Ensuring that cost-sharing contributions are properly transferred to UNDP on a timely basis

Ensures proper Country Office cash management focusing on achievement of the following results:

• 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.
• Daily review of zero-balance account bank statements in Quantum to monitor imprest level, identification and record of income.
• Timely review of the petty cash situations in CO, including necessary reporting.
• Primary contact with local bank management on routine operational matters including negotiation of exchange rate on local account replenishments.
• Timely update of the bank signatory panel
• Initiation of bank transfers and deals, selecting bank transfers and deals for approval and settlement.
• Timely preparation of monthly cashflow forecast and any cash-related reporting for use by UN cash arrangement and/or other management purposes, in close coordination with project/programme colleagues.
• Liaise with UN Agencies to obtain estimate of their cash requirements.
• Role as cashier for cash disbursements made on site.
• Approval and submission of monthly UN exchange rate reports to Treasury

Knowledge Building and Knowledge Sharing, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Organization/conduct of training for the operations/programme/projects staff on financial management and RBM.
• Synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices in Finance.
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice

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 

People Management 

• UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:

Business Direction and Strategy – Business Acumen

• Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome 
• Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks

Business Management – Communication

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience
• Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels

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 strategic.
• Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests.
• Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.

Finance - Financial Planning and Budgeting

• Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP's long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing and reporting

Finance – Budget management

• Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets

Finance – Management and cost accounting

• Ability to produce periodic qualitative and quantitative performance reports to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring.
• Ability to use a range of costing techniques and analyze cost related data to provide quantitative information to the users of reports.

Finance – Accounting (General)

• Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, frameworks, standards, regulations, policies and trends, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations

QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Advanced (Master’s) in Finance, Accounting Business Administration or Public Administration or a professional accounting qualification from an internationally recognized institute of accountancy

            or

• Bachelor’s degree in in Finance, Accounting Business Administration or Public Administration with 2 additional years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of a master’s degree
• UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT) required (candidates with a professional accounting qualification from an internationally recognized institute of accountancy may be exempt).

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

• Minimum one year with master’s degree or 2 years with bachelor’s degree and progressively responsible experience at the national or international level in providing financial management services, accounting, and developing or managing operational systems. 
• Demonstrated knowledge of and application of IPSAS and/or IFRS 
• Experience in handling web-based management systems and ERP systems for financial management.
• Demonstrated excellent interpersonal skills in a service provider environment is required.
• Demonstrated understanding of the UN environment, and the Finance and Accounting policies of UN and UNDP, is desired
• Experience supervising at least one colleague or a team at a lower level   would be desired.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel etc.), and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.

Language requirements

• Fluency in English (both written and spoken) and Dari or Pashtu is required.

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

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