The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the global development network of the United Nations system that is on the ground in over 140 countries, with its Headquarters in New York, USA.  The Bureau for Management Services (BMS) is a central Bureau tasked with the development of corporate strategies, policies, tools and systems in key cross-cutting management areas. Drawing on sound analytics and a risk-management approach, BMS supports the achievement of development results through management advice, innovative business solutions, and other corporate services in line with international best practices and evolving needs and expectations of development partners. BMS also ensures policy adherence in operations management within UN Rules & Regulations, safeguarding UNDP’s accountability vis-à-vis Member States and other stakeholders.

The Office of Financial Management (OFM) performs a pivotal role within BMS and within UNDP’s global finance function, partnering with Bureaux and Country Offices. The primary role of OFM is to maintain the financial integrity of UNDP through providing financial leadership, supporting the efficient and effective management of its financial resources, promoting financial sustainability and responsible resource allocation in the context of a fluctuating funding environment. This is accomplished by the development and implementation of sound financial policies and practices, oversight of corporate financial management performance, and flexible scalable support to resource allocation. OFM is a key source of information for the Executive Board, General Assembly, to Partners and wider civil society. It supports transparency through the provision of on time and quality statutory and other financial reports that comply with international standards and regulatory guidelines.

OFM ensures effective and efficient integrated resources management through a continuous and robust process comprising:

• Formulation and implementation of corporate financial and administrative strategies, policies and procedures;
• Formulation, alignment, documentation and implementation of UNDP’s funding
• frameworks, assuring their integrity, viability and alignment with the Strategic Plan;
• Provision of policy guidance, advisory services and operational support to strengthen client capacities and help them achieve results, seeking to build consensus within UNDP and with key stakeholders on critical budgetary related matters requiring Executive Board legislation;
• Administration of the organization’s internal control framework, overseeing and monitoring financial management of all global UNDP offices, including through formulation/implementation of resource planning, management and oversight tools and reports;
• Promoting clear accountability for financial transactions and producing financial statements, including financial reporting to donors and the UNDP Executive Board.

The Finance Associate reports directly to Chief, Payroll Finance Oversight (PFO). PFO is part of the Financial Performance Management and Reporting (FPMR) unit within OFM. The Finance Associate conducts various activities related to payroll finance oversight, including:

• the recording and billing for UNDP’s After Service Health Insurance and Medical Insurance Plan (MIP) premiums to retirees and
• various accounting oversight tasks and analysis related to payroll related GL accounts; and
• Supporting and advancing key PFO projects including technology related projects.

S/he also works closely with different teams in Offices, all Regional Bureaus, HQ units in the Bureau for Management Services (BMS), Global Shared Services Centre (GSSC), Policy Unit/OHR, Office of Audit and Investigations (OAI), UNJSPF and CIGNA to ensure efficient service.

• Consolidates census data from ERP system needed by external actuary for preparing annual estimate of UNDP’s MIP liabilities. Conducts various quality checks and cross-validations to ensure data accuracy.
• Prepare, review, validate Census Report for MIP Valuation.
• Liaises with the Policy Unit in OHR/BMS to resolve requests for eligibility, retroactive enrolment, and requests for MIP financial data, etc.
• Reviews transactions in the MIP related accounts and prepares general ledger entries to clear errors, transfer funds or adjusts balance as per actuarial valuation. Requests budget for special expenses as needed.
• Prepares data and graphs for MIP Board as requested.

• Prepare, review, validate Census Report for ASHI Valuation.
• Prepare computations for all Agencies for whom UNDP administers MIPASHI and send out interagency invoices accordingly.
• Conducts various activities related to ongoing MIP after service health insurance authorization and monthly billing of MIPASHI premium via the Pension Fund (UNJSPF). Also, undertakes annual and bi-annual billing exercise for agency and locally collected.
• Ensures adjustments to premiums related to changes in coverage, annual cost of living adjustments (COLA) and exchange rates.
• Engages with GSSC to reconcile payments made to the 3rd party plan administrator (Cigna).Engages with Offices to troubleshoot and resolve reimbursement issues to beneficiaries, including via UNDP’s voucher payment procedure.
• Communicates with Retirees, Country Offices UNJSPF and other UN agencies to respond to various inquiries and resolve issues related to authorizations, billing, premium amounts, etc.
• Consolidates census data from ERP system needed by external actuary for preparing annual estimate of UNDP’s MIP liabilities. Conducts various quality checks and cross-validations to ensure data accuracy.

• Carry out Payroll related GL account reconciliation.
• Review and validate staff advance related accounts.
• Engages with Offices to troubleshoot and resolve Payroll related GL account transactions i.e. staff advances HCM ICP module.
• Post various adjustment journals related to Payroll related GL accounts.
• Closely working with ITM and Infosys on Payroll related GL accounts enhancements on Quantum configuration requirements and testing to ensure that Offices and Regional Bureau platform concerns are resolved.
• Closely working with ITM and Infosys and self-creating reliable reports (where possible) to ensure purposeful reports are made available for Offices.

4. HCM to GL (GP/GL) reconciliation

• Review and validate balances transacted in HCM GP module is recorded in GL module.
• Closely working with ITM and Infosys to automate the reporting in relation to discrepancies between the Quantum modules.

5. Periodic and other tasks 

• Support Regional Bureaus and Offices on issues relating to Payroll finance.
• Contribute to the team’s progress in the flagship initiatives geared toward supporting bureaus and offices in improving their POPP compliance including updating ongoing SOPs and reports for user manual for related Finance/HR module.
• Audit: support the request by auditors with regards to Payroll related GL transactions, including coordination of bureau inputs for the draft exit notes, as requested.
• Other deliverables, as assigned by supervisor.

REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

Education

• Secondary Education with specialized certification in Accounting and/or Finance. University degree in Finance or Accounting desirable.
• A professional accounting qualification certificate from an internationally recognized institute of accountancy is required.

Experience, Knowledge and Skills

• At least 7 years with a Secondary Education or 4 years with a Bachelor’s Degree, of experience in a financial management position(s), preferably with large international organizations.
• Audit experience in a large public auditing firm will be an added advantage
• Familiarity with international development, preferably the UN system, will be an added advantage.
• A sound understanding of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) (or IFRS) utilized by international organizations will be an added advantage.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Analytical capabilities with distinct knowledge of current analytical applications and tools is desirable.
• Experience with ERP systems is required. Experience with Oracle Cloud ERP will be an added advantage.
• Fluency in English. Working knowledge of another UN language is an advantage, particularly Spanish or French.

EXPECTED DEMONSTRATION OF COMPETENCIES

1. Core Competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1 – Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1- Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1- Open-minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1 – Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1 – Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1- Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1 – Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

2. Cross Functional and Technical Competencies

• Business Management – Risk Management

Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.

• Business Management – Monitoring

Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results.

• Business Development – Knowledge Generation 

Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.

• Finance – Audit Risk Management

Ability to address audit issues raised in the course of an audit and propose solutions in order to ensure true and fair audit opinion is achieved. 

• Finance – Finance Risk Management

1. Ensures financial resilience through proactive assessment of risk, implementation of controls and taking mitigating action. Understands risk and reward in relation to collaborative and commercial projects.
2. Ensures a culture of positive risk management.

• Finance – Finance Business Partnering

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements