Background Information – Job-specific

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects around the world. UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement, and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors, and United Nations organizations.

The Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO) was set up in August 2019 as a part of the UNOPS Europe & Central Asia Region (ECR). Specifically, AUMCO aims to enable achievement of Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement through global programs and tailored interventions in the Balkans, South Caucasus, and Central Asia, focused on:

• Infrastructure
• Procurement
• Project Management (full service, back on track)
• HR and Transactional Services
• Grant Management
• Technical and Advisory Services

Under the direct supervision of the MCO Head of Support Services, the Finance Specialist acts as a resource and an advisor to Senior Management on all aspects of financial management and operations. This includes strategic financial resources management, within UNOPS rules and regulations. S/he leads the financial management operation, ensuring financial integrity of the MCO’s programs/projects operations, consistent delivery of efficient and effective financial management services to the client office. Leading and guiding the MCO Finance Team, s/he fosters collaboration within the team, with program staff, and with other stakeholders with a client-oriented approach. The incumbent provides solutions to a wide spectrum of complex financial management issues, maintains oversight over the financial management of projects, and promotes a collaborative, client-oriented approach.

Functional Responsibilities

Implementation of operational and financial management strategies

Ensures the implementation of operational and financial management strategies, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Advice to senior management on strategic financial resources management
• The authoritative interpretation of requirements for handling transactions advice and guidance concerning UNOPS’ financial practices and rules.
• Operational efficiency of the managerial or accounting aspects of the areas managed.
• Continuous analysis and monitoring of the financial situation, presentation of forecasts for projects.
• Full compliance of financial activities, financial recording/reporting system, and audit follow up with UN/UNOPS rules, regulations, policies and strategies, and IPSAS standards.
• Implementation of the effective internal control, proper design, and functioning of the financial resources management system.
• Proper management of the contributions management and accounting for contributions to ensure that funds due to UNOPS are properly identified, consistently and uniformly classified, recorded on a timely basis, and received with sufficient supporting documentation.
• Performance of appropriate role in ERP system for transactions approvals and bank reconciliation.
• Approvals authority of pending disbursements (cheques, bank transfers, EFT) and bank reconciliations, as delegated.
• Monitoring of financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, and investigation of anomalies or unusual transactions.
• Member of bank signatory panel, if and as delegated.
• Proper planning, expenditure tracking, and audit of financial resources, including extra-budgetary income in accordance with UNOPS rules and regulations.
• Control of the workflows in the Finance Unit.
• Elaboration of the framework and conditions of contributions within the MCO’s resources mobilization efforts.
• Elaboration and implementation of cost-saving and reduction strategies.
• Monitoring of financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, and investigating anomalies or unusual transactions.
• Inform supervisors and other relevant UNOPS units of the results of the investigation when satisfactory answers are not obtained.

Budget management and organization of the cost-recovery system

Manages the project budgets and organizes an optimal cost-recovery system focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Financial resources management through planning, guiding, controlling of the resources in accordance with UNOPS rules and regulations.
• Preparation and monitoring of budgets of management projects.
• Establishment of the development projects’ budgets preparation/modification monitoring system, control of budgetary status versus authorized spending limits, and budgets delivery levels.
• Lead, approve and conduct initiatives on capacity development and knowledge building for Finance personnel, including network development, plans, learning plans and activities, Finance practice information, and best practice benchmarking.
• Oversee team’s contributions to Finance knowledge networks and communities of practice including collaborative synthesis of lessons learned and dissemination of best practices.
• Guide team’s collection of feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices and utilize productively.

Control of office accounts

Ensures proper control of accounts focusing on achievement of the following results in compliance with IPSAS and UNOPS policies and procedures:

• Elaboration of the internal expenditures control system which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in ERP system; payrolls are duly prepared; MPOs, travel claims, and other entitlements are duly processed, receipting of goods and services and establishment of accruals are properly done.
• Timely accounting and reconciliation of all transactions, security for cash assets on site.
• Proper management of the contributions management business process and accounting for contributions to ensure that funds due to UNOPS are properly identified, consistently, and uniformly classified, recorded on a timely basis, and received with sufficient supporting documentation.
• Management of the relevant transactions and processes in the ERP system.
• Control of accounts closure.
• Timely corrective actions on unposted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers. Timely response to HQ requests to resolve financial data issues.
• Control of the Accounts Receivables for UNOPS projects and maintenance of General Ledger, as required and delegated.

Control of office accounts

Ensures proper 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.
• Monitoring of financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, and investigation of anomalies or unusual transactions. Provision of information to supervisors and other relevant UNOPS officials on the results of the investigation when satisfactory answers are not obtained.
• Daily review of account bank statements in the ERP system to monitor and manage budgets and contributions.
• Primary contact with local bank management on routine operational matters including negotiation of exchange rate on replenishments, as and where relevant.
• Member of bank signatory panel, as and where delegated.
• Timely and accurate approval of bank reconciliation, including documented review of exceptions, as and where required/delegated.
• Initiation of bank transfers and deals, selecting bank transfers and deals for approval and settlement.
• Timely preparation of monthly cash flow forecasts.
• Cash disbursements made on sites, as and where relevant.

Team Management

• Facilitate the engagement and provision of high-quality results and services of the team supervised through effective recruitment, work planning, performance management, coaching, and promotion of learning and development.
• Provide oversight, ensuring compliance by team members with existing policies and best practices.

Knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• Organize, facilitate and/or deliver training and learning initiatives for personnel on finance-related topics.
• Lead, approve and conduct initiatives on capacity development and knowledge building for Finance personnel, including network development, plans, learning plans and activities, Finance practice information, and best practice benchmarking.
• Oversee team’s contributions to Finance knowledge networks and communities of practice including collaborative synthesis of lessons learned and dissemination of best practices.
• Guide team’s collection of feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices and utilize productively.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

• A Master’s Degree or equivalent in Finance, Management, Business Administration or related fields is required.
• CPA qualification or similar is highly desired.
• A first-level university degree, in combination with over eight years’ qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree required.

Experience:

• A minimum of five years of professional-level experience in financial management services, including project accounting and preparation of financial statements, in an international organization, is required.
• Experience managing a finance team of a business unit or an organization is highly desired.
• Experience in working with a large portfolio involving various projects and senior managers to provide financial management services as a business partner will be considered an asset.
• Knowledge of UN/UNOPS financial rules and regulations, and a working knowledge of ERP systems, as well as Google Suite applications, is desired.
• The selected candidate must be willing to travel to MCO offices and projects regularly.

Language Requirements:

• Full knowledge of English is required.
• Working knowledge of Russian is preferred.

Source:https://jobs.unops.org/Pages/ViewVacancy/VADetails.aspx?id=22922#2