Location:

Freetown, Sierra Leone
Salary:

negotiable / YEAR
Job type:

FULL_TIME
Posted:

2 months ago
Category:

Budget and Accounting, Finance
Deadline:

23/10/2024

JOB DESCRIPTION

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background/Org Context:

As the Country Office is transitioning into a new CPD with a potential increase in resource mobilization with targeted programme delivery of $20M per year, the need to recruit an additional Finance Assistant remains critical to ensure timely financial services ensuring high quality, accuracy and consistency of work to efficiently and effectively deliver the country’s programmes and projects.
The Finance team supports the Country Office (Cin the promotion of its sustainable development agenda by continuously enhancing CO financial performance, delivering sound management of financial resources, and ensuring strong accountability through informed decisionmaking, effective financial management processes, and transparent financial reporting that complies with international standards and regulatory guidelines.

Position Purpose:

Under the supervision of the Finance Associate, the Finance Assistant provides financial services ensuring high quality, accuracy and consistency of work. The Finance Assistant promotes a clientoriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

The Finance Assistant works in close collaboration with the Operations, Programme and projects’ staff in the Country Office (Cand with UNDP HQ and GSSC staff to exchange information and ensure consistent service delivery.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

Support implementation of operational strategies:
•     Ensure full compliance of financial processes and financial records with UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPand strategies.
•     Provide input to the Finance unit and office management in preparing and reviewing CO business processes mapping and elaboration of the content of internal standard operating procedures in finance in consultation with the direct supervisor and office management.
•     Assisting in ensuring adherence to financial regulations and internal policies.
•     Assisting in the evaluation and optimization of financial processes to enhance efficiency.

Support the functioning of the optimal costrecovery system:
•     Provide inputs for preparation of costrecovery and Direct Project Costs (DPbills in ERP for the services provided by UNDP, and follow up on cost recovery.
•     Assisting in the analysis of cost data to identify trends, inefficiencies, and areas for potential savings.
•     Organizing and maintaining records related to cost recovery, including contracts, invoices, and payment receipts.

Provide accounting and administrative support to the Finance unit:
•     Provide support in ensuring proper control of the supporting documents for payment invoices and proper document management including systematic archiving.
•     Prepare financial reports for nondevelopment projects and management funds/budget balance.
•     Prepare all types of invoices for projects and on behalf of UNOPS and nonERP Agencies.
•     Maintain a proper filing system for finance records and documents.
•     Maintain the internal expenditures control system which ensures that invoices processed are matched and completed; transactions are correctly recorded and posted in ERP; and travel claims and other entitlements are duly processed.
•     Provide information on the status of financial resources as required.
•     Take timely corrective actions on unposted invoices, including invoices with validation errors, match exceptions, and/or unapproved invoices.
•     Manage cash receipts and petty cash.
•     Maintain the Accounts Receivables for UNDP projects in ERP.
•     Timely review and corrections to SCA rejected transactions

Ensure proper functioning of CO cash and Treasury management systems:
•     Serve as alternate to Finance Associate for timely review of cash position for local accounts to ensure sufficient funds for disbursements and maintain liquidity level approved by Treasury. Identify and record receipts and create deposits for revenue application on a timely basis.
•     Identify and record contributions.
•     Prepare timely and accurate bank reconciliations and provide documentation to GSSC according to service level agreement. Initiate bank transfers and deals in ERP.
•     Manage the H2H RCB Banking platform.
•     Effective and timely upload of AP UFF File and EKorpor payment disbursement request
•     Record cash receipt and daily deposit to bank.

Support knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the CO:
•     Participate in the training for the operations/ projects staff on finance.
•     Provide contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
•     Attending team meetings to discuss financial issues, share insights, and contribute to knowledgesharing initiatives.
•     Gathering feedback from staff on financial processes and contributing to continuous improvement initiatives.
•     Compiling and disseminating information about best practices in financial management within the office and across the organization.

Competencies

Core:

Achieve Results: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements

Learn Continuously: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

Adapt with Agility: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible

Act with Determination: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

CrossFunctional & Technical competencies (insert up to 7 competencie

Thematic Area	Name	Definition
Business Management	Customer Satisfaction/Client Management	Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns
Business Development	Knowledge Generation	Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need
Business Management	Working with Evidence and Data	Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decisionmaking
Administration & Operations	Documents and Records Management	Overall document (hard or electronimanagement; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving
Finance	Accounting (Genera	Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, regulations, policies and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.
Finance	Financial Reporting and Analysis	Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring.
Finance	Audit	Ability to examine and verify accounts and records

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Secondary education with specialized certification in accounting and/or finance. A university degree in finance or accounting is desirable. Partqualified accountants from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage.
Candidates with accountancy certification from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage. Candidates without certification but with relevant experience must complete the UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTC, if recruited.

Experience:

5 years (with high school diplomor 2 years (with bachelor’s degreof progressively responsible finance and accounting experience at the national or international level is required.
Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheets
Experience with webbased management systems such as ERP financials and database packages.
Knowledge of IPSAS and/or IFRS is desired.

Language Requirement:

Fluency in English Language is required.
Fluency in Krio

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holder

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Nondiscrimination

UNDP has a zerotolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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