The UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

Fiji Multi-Country Office (the MCO) is an office with full delegated authority as of 2013 and covers the 14 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). Currently, UN Women Fiji Multi Country Office is implementing its Strategic Note (SN) for 2018-2022, which is aligned to the United Nations Pacific Strategy (UNPS) 2018-2022 and the Global Strategic Plan of UN Women.  The SN 2018-2022 directly supports all six UNPS priority outcomes and support the implementation of the Pacific Leaders Gender Equality Declaration of 2012 and of the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific. It aims at advancing progress under the following five strategic priority areas: global norms and standards, Women’s Political Empowerment and Leadership (WPEL), Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) (focusing on the informal sector through market vendors and agriculture), the Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW), and Gender and Protection in Humanitarian Action.

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Operations Manager in Fiji MCO, the Finance Associate is responsible for the execution of a wide range of financial services and administrative processes in the MCO, ensuring timeliness, efficiency and transparent use of financial resources and delivery of services in accordance with organizational financial rules, regulations, policies, procedures and approved allocations. The Finance Associate promotes a client-oriented approach consistent with UN Women rules and regulations, standard practices and guidelines.

The Finance Associate works in close collaboration with the Operations Team in the Regional Office as well as with the Operations and Programme teams in UN Women HQ for solving complex finance-related issues and information delivery.

Implement financial strategies, and adapt processes and procedures in full compliance of UN Women rules, regulations, policies, and recording and reporting systems:

• Perform duties in full compliance with UN Women financial regulations and rules, policies and standard operating procedures, including internal controls;
• Keep abreast of and ensure full compliance with amendments to International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS);
• Review and verify financial transactions, activities, and documentation; taking corrective actions as needed and reporting any unusual activities;
• Monitor financial exceptions reports for unusual activities or transaction, investigate anomalies and report to the supervisor conclusions and/or present recommendations for actions/decisions;
• Collect, verify and present information and data for use in the planning of financial resources and the formulation of the MCO programme work plans, budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements and execution modalities;
• Provide assistance in Annual Work Plan entry in Results Management System (RMS) as required.
• Provide advice and recommend solutions to a wide range of financial issues;
• Manage the financial business processes mapping and elaboration of the content of internal Standard Operating Procedures in finance, in consultation with the supervisor;
• Monitor the financial status and implement control mechanisms for management/development projects and keep stakeholders and clients informed for timely actions/decisions. Review status reports for quality control.
• Recommend and/or implement cost saving and reduction strategies in consultation with the office management;
• Review with Budget owners and Project Managers, in line with Month-end Closure Checklist, the Project Delivery Status Reports and investigate any overspend;
• Follow-up on audit recommendations to monitor implementation of corrective actions;
• Actively promote a client-oriented finance service to Regional office and Country offices.

Prepare and administer the MCO budgets in full compliance of UN Women rules, regulations, policies, and recording and reporting systems:

• Formulate the budget, control allotments, monitor expenditures, and prepare revisions according to the needs of the MCO;
• Track the appropriate and timely use of financial resources; 
• Prepare cost recovery documents or bills for the services provided by UN Women to other programmes or organizations;
• Create projects in Atlas, prepare budget revisions, revise project awards and status; and determine unutilized funds
• Ensure the maintenance of the control mechanism for development projects through monitoring budgets preparation and modifications and budgetary status;
• Maintain internal expenditure control system;
• Undertake corrective actions on un-posted vouchers, including vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions and unapproved vouchers. Frequently review and investigate payment vouchers which are in error; and respond to MCO requests to resolve financial data issues;
• Prepare VAT reimbursements with adequate documentation support, as necessary;
• Input data in Atlas and monitor status. Keep stakeholders and clients informed for timely action and/or decisions;
• Manage petty cash fund, cash imprest level and other temporary GL accounts, ensuring accuracy and transparency in use and reporting.
• Assist Project Managers with budget re-phrasal as required.

Provide finance support to the Programme and Operations teams:

• Review accounts receivables for UN Women projects and follow-up with project managers and finance section at regional office and/or headquarters on contributions, deposits creation in Atlas and their application to AR pending items;
• Review and verify accuracy and relevancy of the supporting documents for payments and prepare financial reports. Prepare PO and non-PO vouchers for development projects;
• Maintain internal expenditures control systems to ensure that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Atlas, travel claims, MPOs and other entitlements are duly processed
• Prepare General Ledger journal entries (GLJEs) from proper supporting documents authorized by the budget owners and project managers;
• Undertake timely corrective actions on un-posted vouchers, including vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions and unapproved vouchers. Timely response to HQ requests to resolve financial data issues.
• Monitor the setup of budgets in ATLAS to ensure they are in accordance with budgets agreed with donors and are input into ATLAS at the detailed Activity ID level;
• Monitor each month over-expenditure of budgets and follow up with Budget Owner;
• Monitor regularly transactions posted to projects ensuring actual expenditure has been recorded against correct budget category and activity, take timely corrective actions as required;
• Maintain proper follow up of advances to implementing partners, review their financial reports together with project managers;
• Monitor the financial status and under the guidance of the RO Finance Specialist implement control mechanisms for management/development projects;
• Monitor and proper follow up of all the financial items in Month-end and Year-end closure instructions status and under the guidance of the Operations Manager, take correction actions as required;
• Keep stakeholders and clients informed for timely actions/decisions and review status reports for quality control;
• Provide information inputs to financial reports for Multi Country Office, Regional Office, HQ Finance and stakeholders;
• Finalize mandated financial reports to donors and other clients and stakeholders;
• Associate revenue and expenditure in commitment control for non-core projects.
• Provide inputs and take necessary actions to facilitate timely financial project closure;
• Support financial donor reporting by providing timely information and taking necessary actions as required by UN Women Virtual Global Service Centre for financial donor reporting.
• Assist with preparation for Audit of Projects and Partners by third party audit firm.  Follow-up and/or take action on audit recommendations to ensure implementation of corrective actions. Assist in reviewing the audit reports on NGO executed projects.
• Ensure all supporting documents on financial transactions are secured and properly filed.

Provide administrative support to Resource Mobilization:

• Compile and process information from donors, MCO, and programme team, as inputs to various databases and documents.
• Prepare drafts for cost sharing agreements including conditions of contributions within resource mobilization efforts, adhering to standard agreements where possible. Follow up on contributions within the MCO resource mobilization efforts.

Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing:

• Conduct training and/or helping organize training events and activities;
• Collect and compile lessons learned and best practices in financial management and services. Disseminate to clients and stakeholders as appropriate to build capacity and knowledge;
• Contribute to financial business operational practices and management innovations.
• Supervise and guide staff and personnel under responsibility, as applicable, provide technical guidance and monitor performance to ensure delivery of results according to plans and standards of accountability and performance;
• Undertake all trainings in relation to financial management provided, including webinars from headquarters.

Key Performance Indicators:

• Timely, complete and accurate financial transactions/activities/documentation;
• Timely and accurate advice on UN Women financial rules and regulations;
• Timely and regular monitoring of financial resources management system and timely expenditure of financial resources;
• Timely and accurate support to budget formulation and controlling allotments;
• Timely and accurate monitoring of internal expenditures control systems;
• Timely and quality financial support to programmes and programme team.

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Functional Competencies:

• Excellent knowledge of financial rules and regulations and accounting principles;
• Excellent knowledge and application skills of IT tools and understanding of management systems;
• Excellent knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages;
• Ability to provide input to business processes re-engineering, implementation of new systems;
• Ability to administer and execute financial and accounting processes and transactions.
• Very good analytical skills and results orientation;
• Client oriented approach to work;
• Skills to manage relationships and communicate.

Education:

• Completion of secondary education is required;
• Specialized national or international certification in accounting and finance is an asset;
• Bachelor's degree in Finance or Accounting is an asset;
• Successful completion of UN Women Accounting and Finance Test is required d (to be conducted during the recruitment process).

Experience:

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in finance;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web based management systems;
• Experience in the use of PeopleSoft ATLAS is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required;
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset.

Additional Information:

• The United Nations in Fiji is committed to workforce diversity. Women, persons with disabilities and other ethnic or religious minorities, persons living with HIV, are particularly encouraged to apply.

Application Process:

• This is a local position; therefore only citizens of Fiji are eligible to apply. Applications should be submitted on line and include a fully completed UN Women Personal History Form (P11) as attachment instead of CV/resume, with the mark “Finance Associate /UN Women” by 15 April 2019, COB.
• Failure to disclose prior employment or making false representations on this form will be grounds for withdrawal of further consideration of his/her application or termination, where the appointment or contract has been issued.

Note:

• The system will only allow one attachment, hence all supporting document e.g. P11, CV and Cover letter must be scanned as one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment. Only qualified, shortlisted candidates will be contacted for test and interview.
• In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.