Hardship Level
H (no hardshi
Family Type
Family
Residential location (if applicabl
Grade
PR3
Staff Member / Affiliate Type
Professional
Reason
Regular > Regular Assignment
Remote work accepted
No
Target Start Date
20240924
Deadline for Applications
October 18, 2024
Standard Job Description
Accounting Officer
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Global Financial Service (GFwithin UNHCR’s Division of Financial and Administrative Management (DFAof UNHCR is responsible for maintaining, monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on the statutory and management financial information recorded in UNHCR’s accounts and used in various reports, including UNHCR’s annual financial statements. GFS also provides transaction processing and payment services to an increasing number of operational locations with a view to further enhancing the speed and efficiency of the related processes.
The Central Accounting Unit (CAplays an essential role in ensuring that the Organization’s financial statements comply with UN Financial Regulations, the UNHCR Financial Rules and International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAand strives to strengthen the quality of financial management and control in UNHCR.
The Accounts Receivable and Donor Reporting (ARDUnit processes incoming deposits and provides related technical support to the field operations, accounts for revenue adjustments, raises bills for miscellaneous income, coordinates the accounts closure and audit for AR and revenue, compiles financial reports to UNHCR’s donors, which requires active liaison with colleagues from the Division of External Relations (DEand the respective field offices.
The Accounts Payable (AUnit processes AP vouchers and central payments for UNHCR and several field offices, provides related technical support to the Field and coordinates the accounts closure and audit for AP and expenses.
Under the general direction of the relevant Head of Unit, the incumbent manages and oversees global accounting processes within the Area of Responsibility (Aoand contributes to analysing and reporting on the corporatelevel accounting results of UNHCR in compliance with the UN Financial Regulations, UNHCR’s rules and IPSAS, as applicable. The incumbent supervises national professional and general service staff to achieve the overall deliverables of the unit. S/he frequently interacts with other functional units within and outside the GFS, e.g., in the Treasury Service of DFAM, the Personnel Administration Section (PAand the Global Payroll Section (GPof the Division of Human Resources (DHand other HQ divisions to ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of financial accounting and reporting at UNHCR and maintains frequent contact with managers and finance staff in field locations to advise them on accounting and financial reporting issues.
All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, crossfunctional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.
Duties
Minimum Qualifications
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P3/NOC6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree
Field(of Education
Accounting; Finance; Public Administration;
Business Administration; Economics or other relevant field.
Certificates and/or Licenses
Accounting; Certified Public Accountant;
Chartered Accountant (C; Association of Certified Charted Accountants (ACC
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essentia
Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Work experience in overseeing corporate level accounting processes and/or general ledger accounting. Good knowledge of, and experience in working with international accounting and auditing standards, with practical experience in the audit process and/or in financial statements preparation. Working experience with accrual accounting (such as IPSAS or IFR. Experience with financial modules of a major Enterprise Resource Planning system (such as PeopleSoft, SAP or Oracl.
Desirable
Knowledge of UNHCR specific systems (such as Oracle Fusion Cloud ER. Knowledge of United Nations financial rules and procedures.
Functional Skills
FIFinancial Accrual Accounting under internationally accepted standards (IFRS,IPSAS,et;
FIFinancial AccountingModified cashbased accounting as per international standards;
FIERP Financial Management (SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, Workday and othe;
DMData Collection and Analysis;
ELMonitoring and Evaluation;
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essentia
Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.
Competency Requirements
All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or crossfunctional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.
Core Competencies
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation
Managerial Competencies
Empowering and Building Trust
Judgement and Decision Making
Managing Performance
Managing Resource
CrossFunctional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
Planning and Organizing
All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of power.
As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.
This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.
Desired Candidate Profile
Desired Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate has the following extensive experience:
o Managing a highvolume transaction service, ideally in an international setting, particularly in the United Nations system;
o Leading and supervising a large team of operational finance staff and contract workers at various levels, working remotely and/or insitu;
o Setting up and maintaining reporting structures for the monitoring of invoicetopayment KPIs, including central service delivery performance KPIs;
o Process reengineering and improvement of operational KPIs in the invoice to payment process through automation and introduction of new technologies;
o Working with auditors, including quality control of samples provided and responding to recommendations;
o Monthly and yearend accrual accounting and managing cutoff issues across the organization;
The ideal candidate will also demonstrate:
o Welldeveloped organizational, adaptability, and strong communication skills, with the ability to work effectively in a teamoriented environment;
o Ability to build and motivate a highly effective team;
o Expert knowledge of AP Module in a large ERP system, preferably Oracle fusion cloud
o A strong service mentality towards its (internal or externathe unit’s clients and stakeholders;
o An extensive understanding of accrual accounting and invoicetopayment process.
o Focus on process improvements in accounts payable operations and design, configuration and implementation of new technologies.
Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 leve:
,
,
Desired languages
,
,
Operational context
To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel
The Accounts Payable Unit (APis an integral part of the Finance Shared Services Section within the Global Finance Service (GFof the Division of Financial and Administrative Management (DFAat UNHCR. The Unit is responsible for ensuring timely and accurate recording of payable transactions and processing payments, in strict accordance with UNHCR Financial Rules and Regulations. The incumbent will frequently interact with functional specialists in Supply Management Services (SM, administrative/finance officers in Field Offices and Regional Bureaux, and other crossfunctional teams to provide technical guidance and support on all aspects of invoice processing and accounting.
Under the general supervision of the Head of Global Accounts Payable and the guidance of the Chief of the Financial Shared Services Section (FSS, the Accounting Officer has a critical role in UNHCR’s financial operations and is responsible for the performance, development, and continuous improvement of the accounts payable invoice processing operations in compliance with UN financial regulations and UNHCR’s rules, policies and procedures. This includes proactive monitoring and approval of highvolume accounts payable transactions globally, management of invoicing exceptions and identification of most appropriate solutions in compliance with financial rules and regulations. The incumbent is responsible to monitor and coordinate the gathering, compilation and analysis of financial data needed to perform monthend and yearend Accounts Payable closure activities and supports internal/external audits.
The incumbent leads a multilocation team responsible for managing invoice processing and servicing an expanding number of UNHCR global operations, with a strong emphasis on internal controls in invoicetopayment process while ensuring efficient and effective service delivery.
Additional Qualifications
Skills
Education
Bachelor of Arts (B: Accounting, Bachelor of Arts (B: Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts (B: Economics, Bachelor of Arts (B: Finance, Bachelor of Arts (B: Public Administration
Certifications
AccountingOther, Association of Chartered Certified AccountantACCA, Certified Public AccountantOther, Chartered Accountant (COther
Work Experience
Competencies
Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Managing performance, Managing resource, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration
UNHCR Salary Calculator
https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales
September 2024 CompendiumPart B
Additional Information
Functional clearance
This position requires Functional Clearance