UN WOMEN Jobs - 103442- WRD Regional Operations and Finance Officer (Fiji

WRD Regional Operations and Finance Officer (Fiji National Only)

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

Suva, FIJI

Type of Contract :

Service Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

09-Dec-21 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

SB-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

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

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.

The UN Women Pacific Multi-Country Office is based in Suva, Fiji and works alongside over 20 other UN agencies in the region and in 14 countries: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

Under its Strategic Note 2018-2022, UN Women Fiji MCO focuses on delivering on four interlinked programme areas underpinned by support for intergovernmental and normative processes:

Women’s Political Empowerment and Leadership
Women’s Economic Empowerment
Ending Violence against Women
Gender and Protection in Humanitarian Action and Disaster Risk Reduction

Women’s Resilience to Disasters (WRD)

Disaster risks converge with critical socio-economic vulnerabilities, environmental degradation and climate change making the Pacific a disaster hotspot. Disasters and climate change are widening inequalities and undermining poverty reduction in the region. Threats such as COVID-19 are further exacerbating the inequalities and hardships faced by women and girls including those with disabilities. Women and girls face greater vulnerability and exposure to disasters, yet women remain largely ignored and their capacities unleveraged in conventional resilience building processes. As a result, women are generally absent in the development of resilience strategies and decision-making processes for prevention, preparedness, and recovery. This is compounded by significant gaps at the global, regional and country level in relation to the availability and use of sex, age and disability disaggregated data (SADDD), knowledge sharing on women’s resilience; an enabling environment for building women’s resilience (including capacities, leadership and funding); translation of commitments into action; coordination and private sector partnership; and a need for transformative change to tackle the underlying drivers of disproportionate risk.

UN Women’s WRD programme proposes a comprehensive package for building women’s resilience to disasters, climate change and threats (including COVID-19). The aim of the WRD Programme will be to render women’s and girls’ lives and livelihoods disaster-resilient, contributing to sustainable and secure communities, by promoting gender responsive prevention, preparedness, and recovery systems, plans and tools; and by enabling targeted action to help women and girls withstand hazards and threats, recover fully from disasters, and increase their resilience to future risks. The expected end-of-programme outcomes (EOPOs) are:

Prevention, preparedness and recovery systems, plans and tools are gender-responsive through women’s leadership in DRR, women’s enhanced influence in DRR decision-making, enhanced gender capacity of DRR and climate resilience stakeholders, increased access to knowledge, guidance and expertise on gender-responsive disaster resilience, and strategic partnerships and networks for women’s agency and leadership in DRR; and
Women and girls are prepared to withstand natural hazards, climate change and COVID-19, recover from disasters and increase their resilience to future risks, through gender-responsive early warning systems, gender targeted and mainstreamed services for women’s resilience, women’s informal and formal climate and disaster resilient businesses, women’s increased access to climate and disaster resilient livelihoods and strategic partnerships for resilient livelihoods.

Under the direct supervision of the WRD Gender and Resilience Specialist, the WRD Regional Operations and Finance Officer is responsible for ensuring the provision and the execution of programme finance services and the effective and transparent utilization of financial resources including the integrity of financial and administrative services. The position promotes a client-oriented approach consistent with UN Women rules and regulations.

The WRD Regional Operations and Finance Officer further leads the production of the annual financial report for the WRD Programme on behalf of the program partners and provides technical advice to the Programme partner on financial matters as required. The WRD Regional Operations and Finance Officer works in close collaboration with the Programme and Operations team at the Fiji MCO and WRD programme partners.

Duties and Responsibilities

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

Review and verify financial transactions, activities, and documentation;
Finalize reports on financial status, procedures, exchange rates, costs, and expenditures;
Monitor financial exceptions reports for unusual activities or transaction, investigate anomalies and report to the supervisor conclusions and/or present recommendations for actions/decisions;
Follow-up on audit recommendations to monitor implementation of corrective actions;
Collect, verify, and present information and data for use in the planning of financial resources and the formulation of the WRD programme work plans, budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements and execution modalities;
Monitor the proper functioning of the financial resources management system for the WRD programme and programmatic budgets and resources;
Implement and monitor cost saving and reduction strategies;
Finalize cost sharing and Trust Fund agreements including conditions of contributions within resource mobilization efforts. Follow up on contributions within the MCO resource mobilization efforts;
Review with Budget owners in line with Month-end Closure Checklist, the WRD Project Delivery Status Report and investigate any overspend;
Participate as a member of the WRD team in the internal and external audits of the Multi Country Office.
Liaise with the Finance officers of the Programme partners to ensure continuous monitoring of the Programme delivery;
Provide expert advice to UN Women and programme partners and recommend solutions to a wide range of programme related financial issues.

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

Support the formulation of the budget, control allotments, monitor expenditures, and prepare revisions according to the needs of the WRD Programme;
Track the appropriate and timely use of financial resources including through the preparation of monthly detailed core and non-core resources delivery reports;
Finalize cost recovery documents or bills for the services provided by UN Women to other programmes or organizations;
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;
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;
Verify accuracy of Combined/Programme Delivery Reports and One UN Financial Reports as applicable. Take appropriate action to ensure accuracy of information;
Manage petty cash fund, cash impress level and other temporary General Ledger accounts;
Ensure that project budgets are entered correctly and on time into ATLAS;
Assist the budget re-phrasal as required;
Provide technical advice to programme partners on financial reporting;
Provide support to Programme partners on the preparation of integrated annual program budget.

Provide finance support to the WRD Programme Team:

Review accounts receivables for UN Women WRD programme and follow-up with the Gender and Resilience Specialist, Gender and Resilience Analyst and finance section at regional office and/or headquarters on contributions, deposits creation in Atlas and their application to AR pending items;
Prepare PO and non-PO vouchers for development projects;
Review transactions in Atlas, ensure payroll, travel claims, MPOs, and other entitlements are processed;
Support the preparation of budgets for PCAs and LOAs with IPs;
Maintain proper follow up of advances to implementing partners, review their financial reports together with the Gender and Resilience Analyst;
Monitor the financial status, and under the guidance of the supervisor implement control mechanisms for management/development projects;
Keep stakeholders and clients informed for timely actions/decisions and review status reports for quality control;
Provide information to the executing agencies on routine implementation of projects;
Manage projects closure, ensuring operational and financial due diligence;
Associate revenue and expenditure in commitment control for non-core projects.
Maintain auditable records of all expenditure reviewed against source documents by Implementing Partners and Projects;
Gather information for, coordinate with partners and lead the preparation of integrated financial reports to donors.

Financial control, due diligence, and risk management for the WRD Programme and Implementing Partners (IPs):

Contribute to financial business operational practices and management innovations
Improve capacity of IPs to effectively manage funds, by providing trainings and capacity building activities;
Mitigate and minimize risks related to the utilization of funds and cash transfers through assessment of the IPs’ financial management capacity, field monitoring and annual reviews;
Support improving the IPs’ internal financial controls through assurance activities;
Check accuracy of Projects and IPs’ reporting on the use of funds and cash transfers; and provide support as required;
Perform proper controls and due diligence for the project’s payments and advances’ liquidations, and raising any significant issues with the supervisor and program manager for resolution;
Act as the WRD Programme focal point for the Audits on IPs;
Support the implementation of the UN Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfer (HACT) as required.

Facilitation of 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.

Support other operations related activities as may be needed and requested by Supervisor.

Competencies

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

Thorough 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.
Client oriented approach to work;
Skills to manage relationships and communicate.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

Master’s Degree (or equivalent) in finance, business administration, accounting, or other related discipline, is required.
A first-level University Degree (Bachelors’ Degree) in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Professional certification as qualified accountants from an internationally recognized institute of accountancy, CPA, CFA or similar is required.
Successful completion of UN Women Accounting and Finance Test is required

Experience:

A minimum of two (2) years (with Masters’ Degree), or minimum of four (4) years (with Bachelors’ Degree) of progressively responsible experience in accounting and financial management at the national or international level in a large public and/or not-for-profit organization;
And including work experience in a large international and/or corporate organization, preferably in the UN system and its organizations or in Public International Development organizations is an advantage;
Experience in the usage of office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
Experience in web-based management systems and ERP financial systems such as PeopleSoft.
Experience of IPSAS or IFRS highly desirable

Language Requirements:

Fluency in written and spoken English is required;
Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.