FINANCE ASSISTANT

Contract

This is a FS-5 contract. This kind of contract is known as Field Service. It usually requires 8 years of experience, depending on education. More about FS-5 contracts and their salaries.

Org. Setting and Reporting This position is located in the Regional Service Centre Entebbe (RSCE). The incumbent will report to the Service Line Manager.

Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the Finance Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

Accounts - Perform the monthly and yearly closing procedures in Umoja ERP - Analyze complex/unusual accounting transactions and difficult claims for travel, invoices and entitlement matters, etc. and make recommendations to the Team Leader or Service Line Manager on appropriate follow-up procedures. - Review and reconcile all open-item-managed (OIM) accounts and investigate erroneous/invalid entries to take appropriate corrective accounting action. - Review various vouchers and accounting transactions, e.g., payroll, payment of staff entitlements, final payments, travel claims, vendor invoices, agencies, field missions, etc., to ensure conformity adherence to relevant staff rules, financial regulations and rules, ST/AI issuances or practices. - Issue of invoice to agencies through Service Delivery Module, and gnertate periodic report to review the agencies/missions balances. - Assist in the preparation of the bank reconciliation on a monthly basis. - Review prior and current budget period commitments for review, recommitment and cancellation of outstanding commitments. - Respond to queries from staff members and third parties.

Payments - Verify that the necessary goods and services have been received in accordance with the contract, agreement, purchase order or other form of undertaking by which they were ordered and that they have been certified by a duly designated certifying officer before vouchers are submitted to approving officers for further review and approval. - Review and prepare payments to staff and vendors for goods and services, including checking payments for accuracy and correcting any discrepancies. - Review the computation of staff members regarding their entitlements, including salaries, claims, danger pay, daily subsistence allowance, mission subsistence allowance, voluntary living allowance and any other allowances, and prepare vouchers. - Assist in preparing of the year-end reports for the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) on all pension contributions made by locally-recruited staff.

Treasury/Cashier - Review incoming payment instructions with regard to banking details and sources of funds. - Release payments from a House Bank in the Umoja ERP- Prepare and disburse payments/cheques. - Dispatch payment instructions and cheques to banks. - Prepare receipts and deposit slips for all incoming funds. - Notify payees of status of payments. - Identify and annotate bank account movements and monitors bank balances of the mission’s accounts. - Assist in cash management, including preparing cash flow forecasts. - Assist to make sure cash in vault are accounted for on a daily basis. - Monitor cheque stock and cash receipt vouchers and requests for new stock as required. - Monitor/review methods used to remit payments. - In the absence of a Chief Cashier, oversee the daily operation of the Cashier’s Unit including the transmittal of payments. - Coordinate filing and archiving as required.

Budget - Review, analyse and prepare cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements, including programmatic aspects. - Assist managers in the justification of resource requirements for budget submissions; coordinate with other finance and budget staff on related issues during preparation of the budget reports. - Monitor budget implementation/expenditures and assist with the reallocation of funds as necessary. - Monitor extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures. - Assist in preparation of budget performance submissions and finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures. - Verify accuracy of input data, ensuring consistency of data in previous allotments to new allotments issued. - Provide inputs into the preparation of allotments and prepare redeployment requests.

General - Keep up-to-date on guidelines that have bearing on matters related to programme/peacekeeping budgets, ensuring compliance with United Nations policies and procedures. - Draft or prepare correspondence to respond to enquiries in respect to financial and budget matters. - Provide guidance and training (including preparation of training materials) to junior staff with respect to transaction processing and the use of various systems such as Umoja ERP System (SAP). - Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor(s).

Competencies Professionalism: Knowledge of accounting, finance and budget functions and treasury operations. Ability to analyse and apply data across the full range of finance, accounting and budget functions. Demonstrated use of initiative and ability to make appropriate linkages in work processes and anticipate next steps showing skills and ability to analyse and interpret financial data. 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 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 client

Education High school diploma or equivalent is required. Technical or vocational certificate in accounting, finance, budget or related fields is required.

Work Experience A minimum of eight (8) years of experience in financial management, administrative services or related area is required. Experience in application of UN Financial Rules and Regulations in an operational environment is desirable, including administration of a broad range of Allowances and Payments using SAP or Umoja.

Languages Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

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

Special Notice Extension of the appointment is subject to Extension of the mandate and/or the availability of the funds. - Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. - An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. All staff of the Ethics Office are required to submit a financial disclosure statement upon appointment and annually thereafter. - This vacancy is subject to availability of post. Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfill the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover note. - These posts are financed by the Support Account for Peacekeeping Operations. Extension of appointment will be subject to budgetary approval.

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.