Finance Associate

Contract

This is a LICA-6 contract. This kind of contract is known as Local Individual Contractor Agreements. It is normally only for nationals. It's an external contract. It usually requires 6 years of experience, depending on education. More about LICA-6 contracts.

Background Information - IPAS

Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, the UNOPS Integrated Practice Advice and Support (IPAS) serves all the regions and headquarters, primarily with advice and solutions to everyday implementation challenges. IPAS consists of a diverse team of subject matter experts in the six practice areas of HR, Administration, Legal, Finance, Procurement, Project Management and Infrastructure. IPAS has three main roles:

Support to operations in the field offices: IPAS provides timely advice and supports actively finding of solutions to everyday implementation challenges, based on policy and best practices. It also provides operational support in specific areas.

Business efficiency: IPAS recommends changes to policies, processes and operating standards based on the feedback and experience of the field offices. IPAS also ensures transparent and efficient project implementation, in line with policy and business needs.

Body of knowledge: IPAS contributes to research and coordination within the policy groups and project practitioners. It provides structured knowledge and subject matter expertise which is used across practice areas to provide coherent and tailored advice to the requesting offices.

The selected candidate will be working in the Corporate Financial Reporting Support team as part of IPAS Finance.

You can meet our team and get a sneak peek of our working environment in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8CyuSqczvI&feature=youtu.be

Background Information - Job-specific

The incumbent will be working in a team of five people, under the leadership of the Finance Specialist. The team's role is to deliver treasury management services for UNOPS for the following areas: 1. General accounting and Treasury monitoring

• Provide support and guidance on the bank account set up, closure and reconciliation;
• Support the development of the UNOPS Treasury system with testing and posting entries
• Analyze and reconcile General Ledger accounts and prepare adjusting entries quarterly for cash accounts and investment accounts, accruals and FOREX related entries
• Prepare detailed bank account and investment account GL reconciliations, identify the discrepancies and follow up with the respective offices
• Respond to field office queries related to petty cash accounting and work closely with the Treasury team on the solution
• Monitor the construction contract process and liaise with the team for the submission required for financial statement preparation

2. Reporting

• Prepare and analyze financial reports, investigate, process adjustments as required;
• Support reporting for treasury related transactions and liaise with reporting and system support/development team on the system improvements;
• Prepare recurring reports for period closure activities and special report as required;
• Assist field offices with Financial reporting and analysis;
• Support the Data analytics team to improve the processes related to the team

3. Audit

• Assists the self audits and quality assurance activities as required;
• Assist the internal/external audit inquiries and responds
• Coordinate collection of audit samples and requirements during internal/external audit exercise(s);
• Support the implementation of audit recommendations as may be required;

4. Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• Assist in preparation of notes, guidelines related to IPSAS implementation of IPSAS and procedures;

• Organize, facilitate and/or deliver training and learning initiatives for personnel on finance-related topics.

• Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice synthesizing of lessons learnt and dissemination of best practices in the finance area

Competencies

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role). Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries. Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements. Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving. Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

• High school diploma / secondary education is required;
• Higher degree (Bachelor's or Master's) in Finance, Accounting, or other finance-related field is considered an asset and can be a substitute for some years of relevant working experience.

Work Experience:

• Minimum 6 years of relevant finance & accounting experience is required at the national or international level (if in possession of secondary / high school diploma).
• Minimum 2 years of experience in reconciling transactions on a monthly basis is required.
• Knowledge of international accounting standards, especially IPSAS, is required.
• Minimum 1 year of experience in analysing treasury-related data and cash accounting is preferred.
• Minimum 1 year of experience in analyzing large FOREX data obtained from different service providers is an advantage.
• Relevant certification in financial management or accounting is an added advantage.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Office, Google applications and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages) and in handling web-based management systems is required.
• Experience in work areas of managing central GL account reconciliations or similar experience is desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in written and oral English required.
• Knowledge of a second UN language (preferably French or Spanish) is an asset.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: ICA Contract level: LICA6, ICS6 Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and it is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, or disability.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS – an operational arm of the United Nations – supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by successfully implementing its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management, and human resources.

Working with us We are proud of our people. With a wealth of knowledge and skills in various disciplines – engineering, finance, human resources, ICT, leadership, project management, procurement, and more – they help tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time. Their work around the world supports progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At UNOPS, we offer a range of short- and long-term opportunities in various environments and duty stations – from Denmark and Kenya to Mexico, Switzerland, Myanmar, Senegal, Uganda, and many more.

Diversity With over 5,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,400 personnel recruited on behalf of our partners, spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced and diverse labor force — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs. We continually strive to maintain our gender-balanced workplace. We encourage qualified underrepresented groups as per UNOPS Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy to apply for our vacancies.

Work life harmonization UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.