Internal and External Vacancy Announcement : Senior Accounts Associate, GS-7, Fixed Term, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Contract

This is a G-7 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be more than 1,885 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.

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, Hope

Purpose :

To provide variety of specialized tasks in finance by administering and executing a variety of professional and technical financial transactions as well as processes, applying theoretical skills and thorough knowledge of organizational goals, objectives, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures to complete the tasks.

How can you make a difference?

Key function, accountabilities and related duties/tasks

1. Timely, quality, and smooth processing of transactions

• Process and/or review the accurate and timely processing and submission of payments 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 timely processing of financial transactions submitted to the center.
• Process/supervise the disbursement of payments when done locally via bank letters, checks, or petty cash.
• Process and 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
• Review financial and reputational risks in the transactions carried out by the office and raise flags when action is needed by management.
• Prepare regular periodic reports related to transaction processing in finance. Ensure proper recording tool for monitoring, reporting and evaluation is instituted in the unit. Improve the efficiency of the cycle of fund releases, invoice processing and liquidations by instituting an effective follow up system.

2. Control of accounts

• Run vision and insight reports for different GL accounts and analyze open items to investigate reason and take the necessary action to clear the open items
• Communicate with DFAM, GSSC and CO responsible staff on issues related to long outstanding GL open items to ensure they are resolved and are cleared
• Review DFAM Schedules and ensure open items are cleared on a monthly basis and the year-end schedules are uploaded with proper justification and action points within the deadline set by DFAM.
• Maintains general ledger and accounting records for classification and recording of financial transactions and for the reconciliation of accounts and preparation of recurring or special reports.

3. Efficient banking and cash management system

• Focal Point for local banks for matters related to banking services such as exchange rates, interest rates, changes in procedures and regulations, and matters pertaining to maintenance of office bank accounts
• Review bank statement and GL expenditure on a regular basis to see unreconciled items and further investigate outstanding items to ensure clean bank reconciliation and ensure all the payments transfer orders are affected by the bank
• Follow up with the bank, vendor and respective program and operations staff to identify issues related to returned/rejected payments by the bank and resolve it so that they will not be outstanding for long
• Monthly Review all the three-bank statement and payment documents and prepare summary sheet for the monthly bank charges deducted by the bank and Prepare FC and support GSSC to prepare JV for the bank charges
• Ensure Monthly Bank reconciliation for all the three ECO accounts are approved by chief of Operations and are uploaded on Vision by GSSC

4. Management of Operations budget

• Support in the monitoring of the utilization of operations funds to ensure that there are no over or under expenditures and where necessary take remedial actions
• Monitor commitments and expenditures to ensure timely, accurate and appropriate management information
• Assist in managing funding source allotment, allocation and rephasing, as well as following prior year commitments to ensure actual expenditure
• Assist with the collation and review of draft budget preparation inputs from operations unit heads, identify information gaps and request for more details

5. Knowledge and capacity building

• Promote a culture of highest ethical standards and behavior in management of UNICEF’s resources.
• Strengthen knowledge and capacity of staff under supervision to promote quality of transaction processing and other deliverables. Create understanding of organizational policies and procedures and finance principles related to processing transactions through day-to-day communications, provision of trainings based on gap identification and needs assessment, for smooth communication with programme sections, Field office and implementing partners
• Support initiatives for management improvement by capturing, institutionalizing and sharing best practices and lessons learned. Recommend improvements in processes and procedures to enhance productivity and performance including implementation of cost saving strategies.
• Liaise with other UNICEF country offices to learn from their best practices and lessons learned on finance and provide updated information to staff under supervision and all others concerned. Actively engage in solution finding and participation in finance sessions to stay abreast with the latest developments on VISION, and support staff in trouble shooting and solving bottlenecks.
• Participate and/or organize training and learning events to build capacity of staff and stakeholders/partners.
• Support operations of the office as required.

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

• Completion of Secondary School, University level courses in finance, or any other related field of discipline relevant to the job is an asset. Diploma and certified accounting qualification such as CIPFA, CPA, ACCA, CIMA is an added value.
• A minimum of Seven (7) Years of experience in financial management or audit is required.
• Experience in an international organization and/or large corporation is preferred.
• Experience in a UN system agency or organization some of which served in a developing country is considered as an asset.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Excel required.
• 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 as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

Core competencies

▪ Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)

▪ Works Collaboratively with others (1)

▪ Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)

▪ Innovates and Embraces Change (1)

▪ Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)

▪ Drive to achieve impactful results (1)

▪ Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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. Qualified female applicants 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.