Job Title: Finance Officer
Organisation: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
About US:
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. UNHCR’s mandate under the Statute of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is to lead and co-ordinate action for international protection to refugees; seek permanent solutions for the problems of refugees and safeguard refugee rights and well-being. UNHCR has an additional mandate concerning issues of statelessness, as it is given a designated role under Article 11 of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
Job Summary: In the Regional Bureaux, the incumbent works under the direct supervision of the Regional Controller or Senior Finance Officer and in functional coordination with DFAM¿s Accounts and Financial Service (AFS). In the Country or Multi-Country Offices, the incumbent may be supervised by a Senior Finance Officer, Assistant Representative (Admin), Head of Sub-Office, or other senior positions as delegated by the Representative.
The Finance Officer is responsible for coordinating, guiding, monitoring, advising on, and supporting the financial operations in the area of responsibility (AoR). With the objective to safeguard and optimize the utilization of UNHCR¿s monetary and physical resources, the incumbent contributes to the establishment of efficient and reliable mechanisms and processes to ensure compliance with UN financial regulations and UNHCR¿s rules, policies and procedures including, and not limited to, accounts payable and treasury processes, accounting, and implementation of internal control mechanisms, including support to oversight and audit functions.
The incumbent also identifies and manages risks under their responsibility in close coordination with the Risk Management and Compliance Advisor. In the Regional Bureaux, the incumbent supports the work of the Regional Controller with authority to discuss problems and seek common ground on which to recommend solutions based on predetermined guidelines provided by higher authority.
The incumbent may directly supervise professional and general service staff.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Oversee and guide integrated financial management and reporting for the area of responsibility (AoR).
- Assess, review, and ensure application of finance-related policies, instructions, procedures, etc.
- Provide advice to management regarding the application of financial policies and procedures and, when necessary, coordinate with the Regional Controller or Office of the Controller, as applicable, regarding the interpretation of such policies and procedures.
- Ensure accounting records are correct and reliable, including and not limited to timely bank reconciliations, maintenance of open items, timely processing of travel financial transactions, clearance of residual requisitions and purchase order balance.
- In close coordination with the AFS, support the preparation and review of donor financial reports, and endorse such reports before submission to donors.
- Ensure monthly and yearly closing as well as any other periodic accounting-related processes are executed in a timely and accurate manner.
- Ensure the maintenance and on-going validity of the Delegation of Authority Plan (DOAP).
- Ensure that payments made are timely and accurately, and all month-end and year-end cut-off processes are implemented in line with relevant guidance.
- Supervise the preparation of financial reports, monitoring and supervising expenditures with respect to approved budgets and work plans.
- Ensure that local bank account administration and associated cash management functions are performed in adherence to financial guidelines
- Perform financial management and control related to Cash-Based Interventions in adherence to financial guidelines.
- Review and certify vouchers, including ABOD and project disbursements;
- Perform project control functions for both directly and indirectly implemented activities, in the absence of a dedicated project control position
- Coordinate, review and endorse responses to audit queries from internal and external audits and ensure the implementation of accounting audit recommendations.
- Perform other relevant duties as required.
Regional financial services applicable to positions in the Regional Bureau only
- In coordination with relevant services in HQ, and to improve cost-effectiveness and process efficiency for operations, implement and manage regional finance-related services such as: vendor and other related master data management and maintenance, invoice posting, travel claim processing, payments, bank reconciliations, accounting housekeeping and period cut-off activities, donor financial reporting, etc.
- Make proposals for the continuous improvement of financial monitoring and control mechanisms, including the streamlining of financial systems and procedures.
- In coordination with DFAM¿s Change Management and Field Support Section and the Global Learning and Development Centre, identify and provide training on accounting matters, and recommend or develop training modules as necessary, aiming at the development of financial management skills.
- In close liaison with DFAM¿s System Administration Section and other divisions as necessary, provide and plan activities for rollout of new processes or systems; assist the Regional Controller in monitoring the implementing internal control mechanisms and compliance with UNHCR’s financial policies and procedures in the region.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- The applicant for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Finance Officer job must have six years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree in Accounting; Finance; Public or Business Administration; Economics; or other relevant field.
- Professional accounting, auditing or financial management designation (CPA/ACCA/CIA/CMA or equivalent)
- Work experience in the field of accounting/finance, project management, business analysis, quality assurance and/or risk management.
- Excellent knowledge of, and experience in working with, international accounting and auditing standards, with a minimum of two years of practical experience in the audit process and/or in financial statements preparation.
- Working experience with accrual accounting (such as IPSAS or IFRS).
- Excellent understanding and/or experience of financial modules a major Enterprise Resource Planning system (such as PeopleSoft, SAP or Oracle).
- Good understanding of project and resource management.
- Excellent computer skills, in particular in MS Office applications, especially MS-excel.
- Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
- Experience of managing people in multinational/multicultural environments.
- Language Requirements: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
Desirable
- Good knowledge of UNHCR systems (such as Focus and MSRP). Excellent knowledge of United Nations financial rules and procedures.
Functional Skills
- FI-General Financial Management
- FI-Financial auditing
- FI-International Auditing Standards
- FI-Financial Accrual Accounting under internationally accepted standards (IFRS, IPSAS, etc)
- FI-Financial Accounting – Modified cash-based accounting as per international standards
Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested candidates who wish to join the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) should apply online at the link below
Click Here
Deadline: 15th December 2022
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