UNDP Jobs - 47681- Re-advertisement

Re-advertisement - Finance Coordinator

Location :

EL SALVADOR

Type of Contract :

Service Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

27-Sep-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

SB-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English Spanish

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. 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

Candidates who previously applied need not apply again.

UNDP works in areas where natural disasters, insecurity and violent conflicts negatively determine sustainable development, based on a Crisis Prevention and Recovery (CPR) approach and Practice Area. In 2009, UNDP enhanced its presence in the Latin American and Caribbean region with the establishment of a Regional Service Center (RSCLAC) in Panama, with the purpose of providing technical assistance and effective support to UNDP Country Offices in the region for the promotion and implementation of its programs and strategies in disaster risk reduction and recovery activities, citizen security, conflict resolution and other areas of UNDP focus, both nationally as well as locally.

The Regional Service Center’s CPR Practice Area prioritizes three main issues: (i) conflict prevention, (ii) citizen security, and (iii) disasters risk reduction and recovery. The efforts in these three issues are carried out in a coordinated manner with the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean (RBLAC) and the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR).

The increase in violence rates has elevated insecurity as one of the main problems according to citizen perception at a global level, in the region and in particular sub-regions, such as Central America, that has witnessed relatively high levels of violence as well as in perception of insecurity over the last decades, which in turn has constituted an obstacle to development. In the case of the northern triangle, comprised of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, insecurity has been growing since 2000 according to their police data.

Based on this experience, USAID seeking to create a cooperative effort with UNDP have formulated the project “Evidence-based Citizen Security Information in Central America” to work in the countries of the Central America northern triangle in citizen security information management at the regional and national level. The focus of this initiative is in the establishment of effective information management mechanisms that monitor specific interventions both at national and regional level, which will vary depending on the context within each country. For this, detailed contextual analysis will be carried out with participation of governments and civil society at national and regional level.

The project aims as well to strengthen evidence-based policy making by improving the quality and comparability of regional citizen security statistics and increasing regional coordination and collaboration on effective citizen security strategies in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panamá, Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

The citizen security team in UNDP’s Regional Center will coordinate this initiative with its Country Offices in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and will articulate with other UN agencies in the regional context as well as with national institutions and civil society, focusing on the improvement of information, strengthening data sources and the functioning processes of citizen security observatories. In that context, a regional project team, which will be located in San Salvador, El Salvador is being established to start and implement this initiative.

Under the direct supervision of the Project Team leader, the Finance Coordinator will have the overall responsibility for effective delivery of financial services and transparent utilization of the overall project financial resources including the regional and national components. He/she analyzes and interprets the financial rules and regulations and provides solutions to a wide spectrum of complex financial issues.

He/she will directly liaise with Sub Technical Units (STU) based in UNDP Country Offices of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and the teams located in the Regional Service Center.

Duties and Responsibilities

Regional project strategic direction of operations:

Ensure adequate business processes mapping and establishment of internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the project and financial management;
Timely and proper preparation of procurement plan for the project, establishment of the deadlines and monitoring of its implementation;
Participate in the project personnel selection processes.

Financial management of the project:

Financial resources management and supervision of the administrative and finance Assistants located in the STU support units in the national level;
Continuous analysis and monitoring of the financial situation, presentation of forecasts for the project;
Supervise the payments and documents for contracts. Overview the registration of new suppliers/consultants, requisitions, Purchase Orders, payment vouchers and vouchers when required;
Follow-up on payment cycle, according to the UNDP financial rules & regulations;
Carry out monthly reconciliation of expenditures, as per UNDP regulations;
Preparation and monitoring of project budgets including monthly, quarterly and yearly analysis of the overall budget of the project (including regional and STU components) and submission of financial reports on a timely and quality basis, when necessary;
Guarantee full compliance of financial activities, financial recording/reporting system and audit follow up with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, policies and strategies; implementation of the effective internal control framework, proper design and functioning of the financial resources management system;
Elaboration and implementation of cost saving and cost reduction strategies;
Oversight to ensure adequate elaboration of the internal expenditures’ control system which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Atlas; F10s, travel claims and other entitlements are duly processed, receipting of goods and services and establishment of accruals are properly done in compliance with IPSAS and UNDP policies and procedures;
Control of accounts closure;
Guarantee proper management of the contributions to ensure that the money due to UNDP is properly identified, consistently and uniformly classified, recorded on a timely basis and received with sufficient supporting documentation;
Oversight of transactions approvals. Oversight of pending disbursements (bank checks, bank transfers, EFT)
Monitoring of financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions and investigation of anomalies or unusual transactions;
Overview the administrative management of the project (contracts management, procurements procedures according to UNDP regulations, missions and organization of workshops, human resources, etc.)
Support any other operational activities established in business unit work plans.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional competencies:

Ability to conduct strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;
Ability to lead monitoring of management projects;
Ability to lead business process;
Ability to affect staff behavioral/attitudinal change;
Ability to perform a variety of specialized tasks related to Results-Based Management, including support to design, planning and implementation of the programme, managing data, reporting;
Analytical and strategic thinking/results orientation;
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;
Ability to establish effective working relations in a multicultural team environment;
Excellent supervisory, management and team-building skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master University Degree in Finance, Economy, Management, Project Management or a related field.

Experience:

At least five (5) years working with international organizations managing projects of similar magnitude and complexity; preferably with experience on UNDP and USAID procedures;
Experience in project finance, project development, management and support, project cycle management and associated processes;
Specific expertise in regional management of projects would be an asset;
Experience in handling of web-based finance and management systems. Experience in ATLAS would be an asset;
Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.).

Language Requirements:

Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Spanish are essential.

Note:

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UNDP Personal History Form (P.11) which can be downloaded from the job section at http://www.regionalcentrelac-undp.org.

Please note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed P.11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

Only short-listed qualified candidates will receive an acknowledgement.