UNICEF

Position: Finance Specialist

Job Time: Full-Time

Job Type: Permanent

Place of Work: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Posted date: 1 hour ago

Application Deadline: Apr, 1/2022 (24 days left)

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, dedication

Ethiopia is facing its worst humanitarian crisis in decades, impacting nearly 29.4 million lives, including 15.6 million children and 4.4 million persons with disabilities. Conflict across regions, climatic shocks, and public health emergencies have significantly increased food insecurity, displacement, and protection risks, in addition to macroeconomic deterioration. UNICEF Ethiopia is committed to addressing the impact on children and women of the multiple complex crises occurring across many parts of the country. In this context, the Finance Specialist is responsible for providing essential support to the program and operational activities such as financial planning, disbursements of funds and payments, treasury and accounting, financial analysis, and reporting of resources. Based in Addis Ababa, the Finance Specialist will ensure compliance of all financial operations with organizational plans, policies, procedures, guidelines, standards of performance, ethics, and integrity.

How can you make a difference?

The Finance Specialist will supervise support staff and will be responsible for planning, guiding, and reviewing work completed by subordinate staff to verify accuracy and compliance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), UNICEF Financial Regulation and Rules, policies, procedures, guidelines, standards of accountability, and ethics. More specifically, the key functions/accountabilities for the role include:

1. Support to financial planning & management

• Prepare/analyze financial data/estimates and documentation, verifying relevancy, accuracy, and completeness to facilitate financial planning for CPMP and regular management advice (including review of financial figures in PCAs). Provide technical and operational support throughout the financial planning and implementation process.
• Review budget implementation according to allotment, codes and certify compliance with guidelines and procedures. Keep stakeholders informed for timely action.
• Provide technical and operational support on the application, interpretation, and implementation of financial policies, procedures, and guidelines to the Representative and CO colleagues and stakeholders. Resolve routine financial issues and/or recommend (and record) deviation from procedures and guidelines to meet objectives.
• Evaluate financial and reputational risk in transactions carried out by the office and raise flags when actions are needed by management.
• Prepare and/or monitor financial exception reports to assess unusual activities and transactions, investigate anomalies, and keep supervisor informed for timely action.
• Provide technical support to the program counterparts/committees, e.g. review budgets and financial plans of implementing partners; monitor compliance with HACT framework, including support to assessments, assurance, and capacity development of implementing partners.
• Prepare work plans for supervisee/s, provide timely technical guidance, monitor work in progress, and review work completed to approve transactions and/or certify/verify accuracy of work and compliance with IPSAS and UNICEF Regulations and Rules, policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Where applicable, advise and support PSFR activities on budget preparation, strategic income projection/ reporting, setting and monitoring performance indicators, revenue and expense reporting, and provide technical advice during strategic planning exercises.

Control of accounts

• Process and/or review (as per delegated authority) the accurate and timely submission of payments (e.g. payroll, travel claims, pension fund, advances to governments, etc), journal entries, and other financial transactions within scope to the Global Shared Services Center (GSSC), ensuring compliance with budgetary limits, IPSAS and organizational regulations, rules, policies, procedures, standards of accountability, and ethics. Take timely action on outstanding accounts to resolve pending issues. This includes dialogue and follow-up with the GSSC to facilitate the timely processing of financial transactions submitted to the center.
• Process/supervise (as per delegated authority) the disbursement of payments when done locally via bank letters, checks, or petty cash.
• Process/supervise cash receipts and reconcile income contributions to ensure their timely deposit and recording in UNICEF systems.
• Monitor and analyze financial transactions, accounting reports, and reconciliation of accounts to ensure accurate and current financial information for applicable compliance (e.g. IPSAS, donor reporting, internal policies) and management oversight, planning, and/or action.
• Prepare or contribute to mandated management/statutory office financial and accounting reports to UNICEF Board/Bodies/Donors, verifying the reliability of data and compliance with organizational guidelines.
• Collaborate with oversight bodies (e.g. UNBOA, OIAI, Evaluation Office, JIU, donors, etc.) to provide answers and to follow the resolution of financial observations and recommendations.
• Assure proper and timely completion of accounts closure activities (monthly, quarterly, and yearly)
• Examine DCT transactions (transfer, adjustments, reprogramming, and liquidation) supporting documents to ensure FACE form has been properly entered into the system and the expenditure is broadly reasonable and in accordance with policy

Treasury & Cash Management

• Manage bank, petty, and cash on hand accounts transactions and operations in accordance with UNICEF/UN financial regulations and rules, policies, procedures, and local banking practices. Keep abreast of procedures and regulations regarding maintenance of bank accounts and exchange and interests rates. Keep supervisor and relevant colleagues informed for timely action.
• Primary contact with local bank management on routine operational matters including negotiation of exchange rate on replenishments.
• Maintain a system to monitor and forecast periodic cash requirements. Provide current information on cash position/forecast to management and make recommendations or take action to ensure sufficient availability of resources for programs and operations activities.
• Review monthly bank reconciliation and take appropriate corrective actions on findings identified by the GSSC.

Knowledge & Capacity Building

• Promote a culture of the highest ethical standards and behavior in the management of UNICEF’s resources.
• Contribute to initiatives for management improvement by capturing, institutionalizing, and sharing best practices and lessons learned. Implement and/or recommend management improvements to enhance productivity and performance including implementation of cost-saving strategies.
• Participate and/or organize training and learning events to build the capacity of staff and stakeholders/partners.
• Support operations of the office as required.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree in Accounting, Finance or Business Administration or equivalent or any other comparable recognized professional qualification.
• A valid professional certification (CA; CPA; etc.) from an internationally recognized, accredited chartered accountancy institution is required; or advanced diploma qualification in CIPFA or its equivalent with other internationally recognized institutions along with an advanced university degree.
• *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in financial management or audits in an international organization and/or large corporation is required.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Excel, is required.
• Experience in a UN system agency or organization some of which served in a developing country is considered as an asset.
• Experience in database packages, web-based management systems, and ERP systems (preferably SAP financial modules) is considered as an asset.
• Experience with IPSAS and/or IFRS is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

How to Apply

CLICK HERE

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.