UNDP Jobs - 52998- Financial Resources Management Associate

Financial Resources Management Associate

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA Local

Starting Date :

01-Apr-2015

Application Deadline :

06-Mar-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

GS-7

Duration of Initial Contract :

One year (renewable subject to satisfactory performance)

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 the United Nations Development Programme (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 based on comprehensive analysis that enhances UNDP’s financial and administrative performance, as well as facilitates UN reform and coherence. To these ends, the framework addresses strategically critical financial resource planning and management issues, including results based budgeting; the integration of the Programming Arrangements and the Institutional Budget within the context of the integrated budget from 2014 onwards; enhanced cost classification and cost recovery; capital budgeting; adherence to IPSAS; foreign exchange and investment activities; corporate reporting of organizational assets; performance management tools and initiatives; and support to UN harmonization.

Effective and efficient integrated resources management is enabled 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;
Providing corporate reporting guidance to ensure that fixed assets are adequately recorded in all locations.

Accounts and Client Service Division provides accounting, resource management and financial services. The Corporate Financial Reporting (CFR) promotes clear accountability for financial transactions and produces corporate financial statements. The Client Service Team (CST) provides advisory services and operational support to strengthen client capacities The GSSC provides transactions services to UNDP offices and other ad-hoc services to OFRM. The Client Service Team promotes timely and accurate planning, allocation, monitoring and oversight of resource through providing advisory services to corporate clients which include promoting best practices and provision of financial analyses.

Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Manager, Client Services Team, the Financial Resources Management Associate is the first point of contact for Regional Bureau, Country Offices and HQ Units seeking advisory services and operational support. Support OFRM in monitoring resources and data quality.

Support to Advisory Services

Provides support to Country offices, Regional Bureau Bureaus HQs, Regional Centres and Corporate HQ units:

On financial resource management with emphasis on cost-sharing and cost-sharing deficits, trust fund budgets and trust fund deficits;
Provides guidance on changes to systems and procedures;
Provides support to Country offices, Regional Bureau Bureaus HQs, Regional Centres and Corporate HQ units prior to periodic closing on recording, reconciliation/certification and quality of data to promote timeliness and accuracy of data input.

Resource planning and allocation (Ensures planning and allocation of resources)

Compiles critical resource data as inputs to the resource management decision-making process;
Monitors the planning and utilization of resources to confirm availability of resources, integrity of balances and provision for reserves;

Resource monitoring and oversight (Ensures monitoring and oversight of resource management)

Monitors resource utilization against approved workplan/initiatives to confirm alignment with organizational priorities;
Monitors and provides feedback to clients on data quality, dashboards indicator, compliance (including HACT) and exceptions;
Preparation of quarterly comptrollers lists and one-pager reviews for the COs;
Monitor and support the country offices in the financial closure of Development projects and Trust funds.

Provides financial analysis to Rbx/COs/HQ units

Analyzes General Ledger (GL) information for various purposes and advises Rbx/COs/HQ units accordingly;
Carries out the age analysis of the assets and liabilities and supports the Country offices with reconciliations and information requirements;
Interprets CDRs and other ATLAS performance reports for clients.

Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing

Synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices in financial resource management;
Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

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:

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.

Budget Management

Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.

Knowledge Management

Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Secondary Education with specialized certification in Accounting and/or Finance;
University Degree in Finance, Business or Public Administration desirable, but it is not a requirement.
Part-qualified accountants from an internationally recognized institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage.
Long-listed candidates will be required to undergo the UNDP Accountancy & Finance Test.

Experience:

Minimum 7 years of progressively experience in finance/accounting;
Experience with ERP financials (preferably PeopleSoft) desirable;
Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Office) and advanced knowledge of spread sheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based collaboration tools;
Knowledge of IPSAS and/or IFRS required.

Language

Fluency in English;
Working knowledge of another UN language is an advantage, particularly Spanish or French.