UNDP Jobs - 52081- Accounts Specialist (HR)

Accounts Specialist (HR)

Location :

Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

19-Dec-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-3

Duration of Initial Contract :

one year renewable

Languages Required :

English

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

The Office of Financial Resources Management (OFRM), Bureau of Management supports UNDP in the promotion of its sustainable human development agenda. It achieves this by developing and making fully operational a dynamic and harmonized integrated resource management framework.

As part of this commitment, UNDP adopted International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) on 1 January 2012, and established the Global Shared Service Centre (GSSC) to serve UNDP’s network of offices (covering 166 countries around the world) in the provision of financial, accounting and procurement services. In addition to their day-to-day operations, the GSSC supports UNDP’s country offices through transactions support training where needed, and other ad-hoc services to OFRM.

Specifically for the payroll finance functions, GSSC supports all processes related to payroll finalization, pension administration and payroll accounting, third party disbursement of payroll deductions, after-service health insurance accounting, valuation of longer-term and short-term liabilities, absence monitoring for international staff and monitoring/reconciliation of staff receivables accounts. The team also develops and disseminates operational guidance on recording of employee benefits under IPSAS and supports the corporate financial accounting activities for the recording of period and post-employment employee benefits.

Duties and Responsibilities

The position reports to Chief, International Payroll Finance Unit. Serving as the primary contact for the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund, the incumbent manages pension enrollment, pension accounting, pension reporting and reconciliation for all UNDP and UNDP administered staff. The Finance Specialist also provides principal financial accounting monitoring and review support for employee benefit expense and liability accounts, maintenance and update of corporate employee benefits accounts. The incumbent manages a fairly large support team of Finance Associates to support the Chief, International payroll Finance Unit to provide assurance on the IPSAS compliance of employee benefits financial transactions.

As part of the Payroll Finance team, s/he will also be able to assist on Procure to Pay, Record to Report, Analytics and Regional Tier 1 processes.

Pension accounting, payroll accounting/third-party disbursements and reporting:

Operationally manage all aspects of pension accounting and reporting for all UNDP and Agency staff including enrollment, recognition of periodic staff and organizational pension contribution, disbursement of pension contributions to the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund and general ledger accounting;
Manage recording of pension contributions of staff on non-payroll status, and for staff wishing to benefit from validation and restoration of prior service;
Monitor the approval of final pension clearance forms for separating staff;
Generate reconciliation schedules for annual reconciliation of active participant records and contributions. Reconcile Participant Reporting Exceptions (PREs) reported by UNJSPF;
Coordinate periodic review and update of pension calculation rules in Atlas;
In consultation with the supervisor establish yearly performance targets;
Provide Prepare periodic exception reports for the UNDP management on performance statistics and adherence to the established performance measures.

Resource management, monitoring and oversight (Ensure monitoring and oversight of resource management):

Manage third party disbursement for payroll deductions including medical/life insurance/wage garnishment/other third party disbursements;
Review and monitor payroll expense and liability accounts for reconciliation between global payroll and general ledger;
Support the Chief, International Payroll Finance Unit in reconciliation and reporting of expenses and liabilities for Agency administered staff;
Coordinate with OFRM, Financial Reporting Unit on issues related to inter-module reconciliation;
Monitor categorization of expenses charged directly to employee benefits accounts in general ledger by OFRM;
Identify the need for and approve adjusting journal entries to correct transactional errors or attribution of expenses to corporate operating units and departments;
Support the development of relevant operational and year-end operational and financial closure guidance.

IPSAS compliance and year-end financial closure support:

Monitor HQ and country office financial accounting transactional compliance with IPSAS standards and the OFRM guidance for employee benefits long-term and post-employment benefits;
Develop operating procedures for the GSSC team to validate accounting transactions for correct usage of chart of accounts for the UNDP and Agency staff;
Review and undertake revaluation, year-accrual for earned but unpaid benefits and reconciliation of employee benefits liability accounts
Provide guidance to GSSC team on adjusting entries for employee benefits accounts including home leave, annual leave and receivable accounts;
Review and, in consultation with the payroll specialist, validate bad debt provisions for staff receivable accounts;
Review periodic payroll accruals for adequate funding of centrally managed budgets including post-employment benefits and centrally managed funded reserves.

Supervision and coordination:

Supervise locally recruited staff assigned to the Unit for operationally supporting the employee benefits accounting team;
In coordination with the Staff Advisory Services and the OFRM budget team, support the preparation of budgetary estimates for payroll services and monitor monthly recovery of service fees;
Coordinate introduction of entitlement policy and process changes in Atlas HCM with OIST and OHR technical teams;
Provide support in review of the year-end closure instructions for adherence to policy, procedures and operating standards and internal control issues related to pension and payroll accounting.

Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing:

Support the development of appropriate dash boards and performance management matrices;
In coordination with the Supervisor propose changes to and, as required, develop appropriate procedural guidance for the GSSC staff on standard operating procedures;
Support the development of organizational performance indicators for pension and payroll accounting;
Contribute to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Assume responsibility for special tasks and projects assigned by the supervisor and other GSSC managers.

Competencies

Core:

Innovation:

Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Leadership:

Ability to persuade others to follow.

People Management:

Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication:

Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery:

Ability to get things done.

Technical/Functional:

Primary:

Accounting (General):

Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, regulations, and policies and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Audit:

Ability to examine and verify accounts and records.

Financial Reporting and Analysis:

Ability to evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful manner.

Payroll:

Knowledge of payroll processes and management and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Secondary:

Knowledge Management:

Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced (Master’s) University Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or a relevant discipline or a professional accounting qualification certificate from an internationally recognized institute of accountancy;
Professional accounting qualification certificate from an internationally recognized institute of accountancy will be a distinct advantage.

Experience:

Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in accounting/finance;
Experience in the usage of computers and MS Office packages
Advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
Experience in handling of web-based management systems.
Hands-on experience with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), preferably with ATLAS (PeopleSoft) is desirable.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English. Knowledge of any other UN languages (French/Spanish/Arabic) is a plus.

Important note:

Long-listed candidates will be required to undergo the UNDP Advanced Accountancy & Finance Test.