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UN WOMEN: FINANCE SPECIALIST - FINANCIAL REPORTING

The UN Women (UNW), grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, the UN Women will lead and coordinate United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It will provide strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
The Division of Management and Administration is responsible for the planning, allocation and management of financial, human and administrative resources including information communications and technology, the effective and efficient delivery of essential operations services in UN Women, continuous development and improvement in operations, policies, and methods to align with UN Women and stakeholders’ evolving business needs and advisory support to the Executive Director in the formulation and implementation of the UN Women overall mission, strategy and plans of actions.
The Finance Specialist reports to the Finance Specialist - Operations Unit, for guidance and supervision and responsible for the management, oversight and effective control of UNW program and project financial resources, timely and effective delivery of a whole range of financial services ensuring compliance with UNW Internal Control Framework, financial rules, regulations, policies, procedures and approved allocations; and contributes to the development of financial policies, rules, procedures, systems and tools to ensure efficiency and efficacy in financial management and operations.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:
  • Financial planning, analysis, management and services.
  • Monitoring, oversight and control
  • Certification
  • Advisory support and technical guidance
  • Financial reporting
  • Knowledge management and capacity building
  • Audit
  • Supervisory responsibilities
Financial planning, analysis, management and services:
  • Prepare financial forecast of core and non-core resources contributions for planning purposes to be incorporated into the quarterly cash flow.
  • Recommend and/or implement cost saving and reduction strategies including cost recovery strategies and cost effective financial arrangements.
  • Review, recommend and implement and/or verify financial transactions/activities, recording/reporting system and audit reports and ensure full compliance with and consistent approach to UNW internal control framework and financial rules, regulations and strategies.
  • Review, recommend and oversee the financial business processes and use of Atlas system to ensure accurate and complete reporting of financial transactions by UNW staff and the timely flow of financial information in UNW for management, monitoring and oversight purposes.
Approving and certifying function:
  • Perform delegated approval function in Atlas on a timely basis.
  • Review and provide financial clearance of all donor agreements as delegated for compliance with standard agreements on a timely basis.
Monitoring, oversight and control:
  • Monitor financial systems and reports for unusual activities, transaction, investigate anomalies. Report to the Chief of Accounts findings and recommendations for actions/decisions.
  • Supervise the timely year-end closing of accounts and preparation of UNW statutory financial statements.
  • Implement new financial reports in accordance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and ensure continued compliance.
Advisory support and technical guidance:
  • Provide advice and support to UNW HQ and Field Offices on financial reporting, including providing input in the review and/or policy development of donor and cost-sharing and trust funds agreements, donor reports, management reports and financial statements.
  • Provide input to the continuing review of delegation of responsibility to Field Offices and HQ for reporting responsibility.
  • Provide recommendations to Finance Specialist –Operations Unit and Chief of Accounts for improvements to existing reports and development of new reports.
Financial reporting:
In accordance with the timelines required by Chief of Section:
  • Prepare cost sharing and Trust Fund agreements including conditions of contributions within resource mobilization efforts.
  • Prepare timely and accurate interim and annual certified financial reports to governments and donors as required under the donor agreements, Trust Funds and other cost-sharing arrangements.
  • Prepare annual financial statements and notes in accordance with IPSAS.
  • Prepare quarterly and when requested monthly management financial statements.
  • Prepare financial reports required by Director, Senior Management Team, Executive Director and Executive Board.
  • Prepare adhoc Donor and other reports as requested
  • Follow up and/or take prompt action to respond to audit and other findings on financial management including incorporating recommendations in development in policies, procedures and practices.
Knowledge management and capacity building:
  • Contribute to and actively promote the automation of UNW reports, including priorities such as donor reports and financial statements.
  • Contribute to the development of accounting policies, procedures, internal control, business flows, reporting and systems.
  • Identify, participate in the development and/or recommend enhancement/updates/improvement in Atlas financial modules.
  • Capture, synthesize and/or codify lessons learned and best practices in financial management and services. Disseminate to clients and stakeholders as appropriate to build capacity and knowledge.
  • Design and/or introduce, learning tools, best practices and innovations in financial business operational practices and management.
Audit:
  • Prepare responses to internal and external audit inquiries and other findings related to financial management for review/approval by Chief of Accounts.
  • Follow up and/or take prompt action to respond to audit and other findings on financial management including incorporating recommendations in development in policies, procedures and practices.
Supervisory and other responsibilities:
  • Prepare workplan for Reporting unit in collaboration with the Finance Specialist – Operations Unit. Establish priorities, timelines, targets and standards of monitoring results.
  • Under the guidance of the Finance Specialist – Operations Unit, is responsible for supervision of staff and monitoring progress and providing guidance and direction to the staff as necessary to ensure goals and objectives are achieved.
  • Establish RCA for each member of the team based on the work plan and ensure preparation and review meets established timelines.
  • Provides coverage of other staff duties within Finance Section during times of sickness and annual leave as requested by Chief of Accounts.
  • Rotates duties within the Finance Section at similar level at the request of Chief of Accounts for cross training and reassignment as necessary to the functioning of the Finance Section.
Performs other responsibilities as requested by Finance Specialist – Operations Unit or Chief of Accounts
Impact of Results:
The key results have and impact on the effective and efficient management of UNW regular and non-core resources. Sound policies and advice, proper oversight, control and monitoring of program and project resources, and timely and accurate financial reporting enhance the UNW reputation with governments, donors as a trusted partner and reliable custodian of funds and fosters a culture of accountability

Competencies

Core Values and Guiding Principles:
  • Integrity: Demonstrating consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.
  • Cultural Sensitivity/Valuing diversity: Demonstrating an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrating an international outlook, appreciating differences in values and learning from cultural diversity.
Core Competencies:
  • Ethics and Values: Demonstrating / Safeguarding Ethics and Integrity
  • Organizational Awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment
  • Developing and Empowering People / Coaching and Mentoring: Self-development, initiative-taking
  • Working in Teams: Acting as a team player and facilitating team work\
  • Communicating Information and Ideas: Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively
  • Self-management and Emotional intelligence: Creating synergies through self-control
  • Conflict Management / Negotiating and Resolving Disagreements: Managing conflict
  • Knowledge Sharing / Continuous Learning: Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others
  • Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making
Functional competencies
  • Strong knowledge and expertise in financial planning and management
  • Solid knowledge of complex financial rules and a regulations, preferably UN/UNDP/UNW Financial Rules and regulations
  • Demonstrated business acumen and judgment
  • Conceptual/strategic skills and success in implementing financial re-engineering, management systems development, policy design, innovation and knowledge product development
  • Solid knowledge and experience in the application of complex financial systems and modules (such as Atlas)
  • Advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
  • Selected candidate will be required to undertake UN-IPSAS training.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Advanced (Masters) University Degree in Finance/Accounting, Business, or Public Administration, or a professional accounting
  • Qualification from an internationally recognized institute of accountancy.

Experience:

  • Professionally qualified accountants from an internationally recognized institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage
  • Minimum 5 years of extensive and progressively responsible experience in accounting, financial management and at least (2) years of which should be at the supervisory level, in a large international and/or corporate organization preferably in the UN system and its organizations.
  • Experience of IPSAS or IFRS highly desirable.
  • Experience in the usage of office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
  • Experience in web based management systems and ERP financial systems such as PeopleSoft.

Language:

  • Fluency in written and spoken English.
Note:
In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment

Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

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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.