Org. Setting and Reporting

UNRWA, the largest United Nations operation in the Middle East with over 30,000 staff working across five areas of operation, is looking for highly committed personnel wishing to make a change. If you are looking for a rewarding opportunity to make a tangible difference for one of the most vulnerable communities in the world, UNRWA would like to hear from you. The Senior Finance Officer reports to the Deputy Director of Finance and Chief of Accounts Division.

Responsibilities

Provides technical guidance to ensure efficient functioning of general accounts and financial systems functions and manages day-by-day operations; manages the responses to internal and external audit requests and reports for the areas of responsibilities; is responsible for review and updates of notes to the financial statements pertaining to the areas of responsibilities. Contributes to the review and updates of Financial Systems; ensures compliance of the financial systems with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS); proposes and leads changes and enhancements to ensure improved controls and operational efficiency; coordinates with different stakeholders to ensure timely delivery of financial systems related projects; provides guidance, support, and training to finance staff on financial systems. Is responsible for the preparation and review of Financial Statements, Notes to the Financial Statements, and management reports to external and internal stakeholders such as Advisory Committee, Sub Committee, Host Governments, Senior Management Team, Staff representatives and other ad hoc reports in coordination with all divisions within Finance and other stakeholders as necessary. Provides technical advisory and taking lead on all matters related to Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems including payroll accounting and reporting, reconciliation and timely submission of financial reports on payroll to internal and external stakeholders; recommends system enhancements and acts as a finance focal point on matters related to systems ; provides support at the senior level for matters related reconciliations between UN agencies including UN secretariat, Group Medical Insurance, UNJSPF, US taxation for international staff. Provides authoritative advice and guidance to the supervisor on policies and procedures related to areas of responsibility; suggests enhancements to improve internal controls and operational efficiency; assists variety of special assignments requiring extensive research and data analysis as required including supporting department wide priorities and initiatives. Performs other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor(s) including officiating the supervisor in their absence.

Competencies

UN Core Values of Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity, and Core Competencies of Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results apply by default. Default managerial competencies may apply. Adapting and Responding to Change Leading and Supervising Planning and Organizing Deciding and Initiating Action Analyzing

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in business administration, computer applications/ systems or related field.

Job – Specific Qualification

Membership in a professional body of accountants (e.g., Institute of Chartered Accountants, Institute of Certified Public Accountants) is desirable.

Work Experience

At least seven years of progressively responsible and relevant professional experience in finance, systems implementation is required. four years of relevant experience in a senior position in a large international, governmental or commercial organization in areas of financial systems implementation, experience working with contemporary ERP System is required. Unless already serving as an international staff member in the UN Common System, a candidate for an international post must have at least two continuous years of relevant international experience outside UNRWA, and outside the country(s) of which the candidate is a national or holds citizenship, a passport, or a national identity number is required. Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in business administration, computer applications/ systems or related field is required. Working experience with either International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is desirable.

Languages

Excellent command of written and spoken English.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This is a Temporary Job Opening. Type of Contract and duration: 6 months, with the possibility of further extension subject to need and performance. Only applications that have been fully completed in UNRWA’s online e-recruitment system inspira will be considered and no late applications will be accepted. The Personal History Profile (PHP) should be completed with full work experience under the experience tabs as per the requirements in the Job Opening. All university degrees must also be stated, where applicable. UNRWA personnel must ensure adding their contract type and grade level. Providing incorrect or misleading information on an application form will result in the immediate disqualification of the candidate. The Agency disqualifies applicants whose name appears on the UN Sanctions List or a UN database of staff separated for reason of misconduct or of staff who separated while a misconduct process was pending. UNRWA shares investigation and misconduct information with other UN Agencies, and past and prospective employers about staff members who have been separated for misconduct, or who have separated while an investigation and/or disciplinary process for misconduct is underway; and those individuals may be prohibited from employment with the United Nations. A roster may be created from the selection exercise, and successful candidates may become eligible for appointment to the same post or a similar post, when the need arises. UNRWA welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities. Join our eco-friendly organization dedicated to environment sustainability and targeting to be plastic free by 2025. Equivalency: A first level university degree in combination with additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. NB: work experience alone or formal qualifications with no relevant work experience are not considered an acceptable combination. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states, regional bodies, business foundations and individual contributions. The mission of UNRWA is to help Palestine refugees achieve their full potential in human development under the difficult circumstances in which they live. For more details on UNRWA, please visit: https://www.unrwa.org/

United Nations Considerations

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA and to assignment by him or her. UNRWA is committed to achieving gender parity at all levels of staffing under the current UN-wide gender agenda and strongly encourages applications from qualified applicants from under-represented groups. At UNRWA, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. UNRWA is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. UNRWA Considerations UNRWA staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of efficiency, competence, neutrality, impartiality and integrity. This includes respect for and commitment to human rights, diversity and non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. Candidates will not be considered for employment with UNRWA if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. The Agency may disqualify applicants who have separated for reason of misconduct, who left a UN Agency while misconduct processes were pending, or who appear on the UN Sanctions List. UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment. Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST (UNRWA) DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE OR REQUEST MONEY FROM CANDIDATES AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDING PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING, ONBOARDING). UNRWA DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.