ACCOUNTANT (Payroll and Payments Officer)

Contract

This is a P-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 137,951 USD and 180,636 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

Org. Setting and Reporting The position is located in the Payment and Payroll Unit, Finance Section, Financial Resources Management Service. Division of Administration, UNOG. The incumbent reports to the Chief of Unit.

Responsibilities Under the general supervision of the Chief of the Unit, the Accountant will be responsible for the following duties:

Monitors payments and payroll operations to ensure enforcement of all related UN Regulations and Rules and administrative instructions: - Evaluates workflow processes and procedures and introduces new measures as required to ensure effective and efficient payroll and payments operations. - Establishes internal control mechanisms ensuring that verification processes are enforced at all processing stages and that data integrity is upheld. - Ensures complete and accurate payroll and payment records and documentation in compliance with established policy.

Exercises approving authority, under the delegated authority from the Controller, ensuring compliance with the UN Financial Regulations and Rules: - Approves payroll and payments to staff members, third parties, consultants and participants, etc. - Approves financial authorizations to other duty stations including UNHQ to incur payroll and payments-related expenditures for all funds and accounts under delegation of authority to UNOG. - Reviews and corrects payroll rejected transactions or other payments, correcting entries, and approving all related transactions through journal voucher processing.

Monitors and verifies all payroll and payment transactions to ensure accounting records and financial reports are complete, accurate, and compliant with IPSAS: - Verifies payroll and payment transactions generated by the system and takes corrective actions when necessary. - Implements the needed follow-up actions for all the payroll and payment-related accounts (such as goods receipt, invoice received, staff advances, UNDP transactions, etc.). - Monitors the travel expense reports and the invoices with the travel agency in coordination with UNOG Travel Unit. - Coordinates with all offices responsible for payroll and payments, including human resources and administrative offices for corrective actions. - Supervises the periodic and year-end reconciliation, analysis and reporting to be completed in a timely manner. - Ensures full compliance with UNHQ and UNJSPF reporting requirements including year-end schedules, separation notifications, pension exception reports, and UNJSPF audit notes.

Performs other duties as assigned by the Chief of Unit as follows: - Supervises and manages staff performance. - Coordinates with all responsible offices including UNHQ on payroll and payments matters. - Prepares briefing papers, reports, and comments on payroll and payment-related issues. - Ensures accurate and timely issuance of data to UNHQ for US tax reporting, and completion of the annual Swiss Statistical Survey. - Assists in preparing answers to audit requests and implementing audit recommendations. - Assists in the testing and implementation of upgrades in Umoja related to payroll and payments as well as the Customer Relationship Management system. - Acts as Officer-in-Charge during the absence of the Chief of Unit.

Competencies Professionalism: Knowledge of UN Financial Policies and Procedures, UN Financial Regulations and Rules. Good IT skills and extensive experience in using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as SAP. Shows pride in work and in achievements. Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns. Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals. Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others. Places team agenda before personal agenda. Supports and acts in accordance with the final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position. Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view. Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect. Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions. Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems. Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects. Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to a client.

Judgement/Decision-Making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly. Gathers relevant information before making a decision. Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them. Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization. Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information. Checks assumptions against facts. Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision. Makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education An advanced university degree (Master’s degree, or equivalent degree) in finance, accounting, business administration or related fields is required. A first level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Job - Specific Qualification Certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA), or equivalent is desirable.

Work Experience At least five years of progressively responsible professional experience in finance or accounting is required.

At least three years of experience in payroll in the United Nations, or in a comparable international organization, is required.

Three years of experience with accounting systems and financial operations in the UN, or in a comparable international organization, is desirable.

Experience in accounts payable (including travel) using SAP software is desirable.

Experience in managing a team is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable.

Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice This is a project post. The appointment or assignment and renewal thereof are subject to the availability of the post or funds, budgetary approval or extension of the mandate.

At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

Pursuant to section 7.11 of ST/AI/2012/2/Rev.1, candidates recruited through the young professionals programme who have not served for a minimum of two years in the position of their initial assignment are not eligible to apply to this position.

United Nations Considerations According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.