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

Ending Violence Against Women / EVAW

The Pacific has some of the world’s highest reported rates of violence against women, with studies showing that up to 68% of women are affected.

To respond to the rates of violence in the Pacific, UN Women has developed a comprehensive EVAW programme which takes a transformative approach to prevent violence against women and girls at multiple levels (regional, national and community), and to ensure survivors have access to quality response services.  

UN Women’s EVAW programme is implemented under the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (hereafter referred to as ‘Pacific Partnership’), a new, four and a half year programme which brings together governments, civil society organizations, communities and other partners to change the social norms that allow violence against women and girls to continue; to ensure survivors have access to quality response services; and to support national and regional institutions to meet their commitments to gender equality and prevention of violence against women and girls. The Pacific Partnership is funded primarily by the European Union (EU) with targeted support from the Australian Government and UN Women supporting directly UN Women’s programmatic interventions under the programme.

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Management Support Specialist and the secondary supervision of the Fiji MCO Operations Manager, the Finance Officer is responsible for helping ensure 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 incumbent promotes a client-oriented approach consistent with UN Women rules and regulations.

The Finance Officer further leads the production of the annual financial report for the Pacific Partnership Programme on behalf of the program partners and provides technical advice to the Pacific Partnership Programme partner on financial matters as required.  The Finance Officer works in close collaboration with the Programme and Operations team at the Fiji MCO, UN Women RO and HQ staff and EVAW programme partners. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Implement financial strategies, and adapt processes and procedures 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 EVAW program work plans, budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements and execution modalities;
• Monitor the proper functioning of the financial resources management system for the EVAW 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 and the Program Manager and Deputy Program Manager, in line with Month-end Closure Checklist, the EVAW Project Delivery Status Report and investigate any overspend;
• Participate as a member of the EVAW team in the internal and external audits of the Multi-Country Office.
• Liaise with the Finance officers of the Programme partners, including Pacific Partnership programme partners, to ensure continuous monitoring of the Programme delivery;
• Provide expert advice to UN Women and programme partners, including Pacific Partnership programme partners, and recommend solutions to a wide range of programme related financial issues;

Prepare and administer the EVAW 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 EVAW 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 Program Manager with budget re-phrasal as required;
• Provide technical advice to programme partners, including Pacific Partnersip programme partners on financial reporting;
• Provide support to Programme partners on the preparation of integrated annual program budget;

Provide finance support to the EVAW Programme Team:

• Review accounts receivables for UN Women EVAW programme and follow-up with the programme manager, deputy programme manager 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 deputy programme manager;
• Monitor the financial status and under the guidance of the deputy program manager 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 for the Pacific Partnership programme.

Financial control, due diligence and risk management for the EVAW 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 projects payments and advances’ liquidations, and raising any significant issues with the supervisor and program manager for resolution;
• Act as the EVAW Progamme 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:

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in finance, business administration, accounting or other related discipline, is required.
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s Degree) in similar fields with combination of 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 five (5) years (with Master’s Degree), or minimum of seven (7) 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 organizations; in a large international and/or corporate organization, preferably in the UN system and its organizations or in Public International Development Organizations.
• 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:

• Fluency in English is required.