Finance Specialist

Job Title: Finance Specialist

Organization: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Accounting and Payments Unit, Finance Branch, Division for Management Services

Level: P-3

Contract Type: Fixed Term Appointment

Closing date: 14 Jul 2023 05:00 PM (America/New York)

Duty station: New York, USA

The Position:

The Finance Specialist position is part of the Finance Branch of the Division for Management Services. The Finance Branch is responsible for global finance and accounting including providing guidance and oversight for financial management to country, regional and headquarters offices. The Branch advances and owns key financial policies and processes, statutory and donor reporting, treasury services, and ensuring the ERP and related systems are configured to implement, manage, and report on key financial processes. The incumbent of this position will supervise the staff and activities of the Accounting and Payments Unit (APU) and work in close collaboration with other units of the Finance Branch as well as providing guidance and support to country and regional offices, and payment services to headquarters units.  The position reports to the Chief, Accounts and will oversee two General Service staff positions. 

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

The Accounting and Payments Unit (APU) is responsible for the execution and handling of requests for global accounting adjustments, knowledge leader in the Accounts Payable (AP) and supplier management business processes (including execution of AP for headquarters and liaison offices) and implementing the financial aspects of UNFPA’s Administrative Agent function. The APU is comprised of three staff positions and functions under the oversight of the Chief, Accounts. 

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

Advanced university degree in Business Information, Finance or Accounting.  A first level university degree combined with a professional accounting designation (CPA, CA) may be acceptable in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• Five (5) years progressively responsible experience in managing a small accounting unit, including the General Ledger and Accounts Payable, as well as financial reporting.
• Experience in using a major Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (preferably Oracle), in Accounts Payable, General Ledger and financial reporting.
• Demonstrated experience in organizing a unit’s activities, managing detailed oriented activities with a focus on implementing activities to completion on a timely basis. 
• Progressively responsible experience of supervision of staff and positive engagement and relationship management with business focal points and clients. 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including in Microsoft and other data analytics tools.
• Understanding of the UN common system in particular the United Nations Sustainable Development Group and UN Development Coordination Office is desirable.

Languages: 

Fluency in English is required; knowledge of other official UN languages, preferably French and/or Spanish, is desirable. 

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