UNDP Jobs - 63647- Administrative and Finance Officer

Administrative and Finance Officer - (Open to Filipino Nationals Only)

Location :

Manila, PHILIPPINES

Type of Contract :

Service Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

19-Feb-16 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

SC-7

Duration of Initial Contract :

Six Months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

With possible extension depending on performance and fund availability

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 Philippines is the world’s second largest archipelago, consisting of 7,107 islands covering 30 million hectares of land territory. It is part of the Southeast Asian region, located in the westernmost side, facing the Pacific Ocean. The country’s complex geological history, long periods of isolation from major continents, and unique climatic conditions produced a wide variety of land and water forms, thus giving rise to high levels of biodiversity and endemism. As a tropical country, it is endowed with high valued dipterocarp forests, other forest ecosystem types, expansive coral reef, and rich marine life and resources.

The ancestry of the Philippines is just as diverse, comprising more than a hundred ethno linguistic groups distributed along the country’s fragile ecosystems. The NCIP estimates the population of indigenous peoples in the Philippines between 12 and 15 million (or 12-15% of the total population) distributed into approximately 100 different indigenous cultural communities (ICCs).

It is estimated that in the Philippines, the overlap between PAs and ancestral domains is 1,440,000 hectares, or about 26% of the total PA estate; while the overlap between KBAs and CADTs can reach about 1,345,198 hectares (involving 91 CADTs in 65 KBAs). This means that 29% of the entire area of KBAs requiring protection falls into territories occupied by indigenous peoples. Moreover, spatial analysis showed that in KBAs that are not covered by PAs, ancestral domains is the de facto governance regime, and that in these areas – the governance by IP communities have contributed to the continued protection of existing forest cover, despite the absence of PA. Globally, in areas where IPs continue the protection of existing forest cover is called ICCAs. ICCAs present a long history of conservation and sustainable use that is much older than the government-managed protected areas. Indigenous peoples and local communities, both sedentary and mobile, have for millennia played a critical role in conserving a variety of natural environments and species. ICCA is not a new concept to indigenous peoples, including in the Philippines, where the indigenous peoples generally term their territories as ancestral domains. As such, indigenous people’s areas do not refer only to hectarage or physical features.

To further support the management of ICCAs, the DENR through the Biodiversity Management Bureau will be implementing a project entitled “Strengthening National Systems to Improve Governance and Management of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Conserved Areas and Territories”. It aims to strengthen the conservation, protection and management of key biodiversity sites in the Philippines by institutionalizing Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Conserved Areas and Territories (ICCAs) as a sustainable addition to the national PA estate.

Hence, to ensure that the objectives under this Project are implemented accordingly, a project management unit will be set-up in BMB. The PMU will be supported by an Administrative and Finance Officer to ensure compliance of the Project with the standard accounting procedures.

Duties and Responsibilities

General Description of Responsibility

Under the over-all guidance of the BMB, the Administrative and Finance Officer is expected to maintain financial records and observe financial and accounting standard procedures for the Project and ensure compliance with all regulatory laws as maybe required by UNDP and BMB. The Administrative and Finance Officer is expected to develop, in consultation with UNDP and BMB, and implement accounting and reporting requirements along with necessary internal controls to facilitate accurate and timely reporting. He/She is expected to work with the Responsible Partners (RPs) who shall be implementing agreed-upon deliverables in behalf of the Project.

Specific Functions

Financial Management:

Develop, in consultation with UNDP and BMB, the Financial and Budgeting System of the Project that is aligned with the NIM Guidelines;
Ensure that the financial integrity of the Project is maintained and in accordance with UNDP and BMB rules and guidelines;
Maintain accounting system and databases of the Philippine ICCA Project financial transactions;
Ensure cost effectiveness and quality of accounting services through continuous process of improvement and automation;
Review, endorse and consolidate financial reports submitted by Responsible Partners;
Prepare a consolidated financial reports to be submitted to UNDP on a periodic basis;
Facilitate review and process payment/disbursements of the Project;
Supervise accounts, records and file management functions e.g. review and identification of the integrity of monthly accounts, bank reconciliation reports, and ensures that issues are addressed and actions completed on time;
Perform other related functions as may be assigned by the Project Manager.

Partner engagement:

Conduct field/site visits as part of financial monitoring effort and partner interaction;
Participate in project events to maintain effective working relationship with RPs as well as other partners including government institutions, donors, and other Philippine ICCA Project stakeholders;
Monitor and record co-financing of the Project.

Competencies

Core Values / Guiding Principles:

Integrity:

Demonstrates consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.

Professionalism:

Demonstrates professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work;
Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure.

Core Competencies

Teamwork:

Works collaboratively with colleagues and partners to achieve organizational goals.

Self-management:

Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task.

Client orientation and Continuous Learning:

Focuses on results for the client and responds positively to criticism and feedback.

Positive Attitude:

Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.

Functional Competencies:

Ability to perform work of confidential nature and to handle a large volume of work possibly under time constraints;
Ability to administer and execute administrative, financial and logistical processes and transactions;
Ability to extract, interpret, analyze data and resolve operational problems;
Ability to perform a variety of repetitive and routine tasks and duties;
Ability to produce accurate and well-documented records conforming to the required standard;
Ability to handle web-based management systems;
Ability to support a team and team building skills;
Strong attention to details;
Strong IT skills and excellent knowledge of office software packages; and
Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

University / College Degree Holder in Economics, Accountancy and related course;
Certified Public Accountant is an advantage.

Experience:

At least 5 years of relevant experience, preferably in foreign-assisted projects;
Experience in UNDP projects is an advantage.

Language:

Fluency in written and spoken English;
Well versed in national language.

Skills:

Excellent knowledge of MS Office, internet use and budget/finance databases.

Application procedure

The selected candidate will receive a salary that is commensurate with his/her background and work experience. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply ONLINE and attach the UN Personal History Form (P.11), available in our website http://www.ph.undp.org/content/philippines/en/home/operations/jobs/ and send to us on or before 19 February 2016. Kindly note that only completed P.11 forms will be reviewed. Please group all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document. UNDP is an equal opportunity employer. Please note that we will contact only the short-listed candidates.