UN Finance Assistant Job Opportunity – United Nations Regional Service Centre Entebbe (RSCE)
Organization: United Nations Regional Service Centre Entebbe (RSCE)
Duty Station: Entebbe, Uganda
Reports to: The Service Line Manager
Job Opening Number: 20-Finance-RSCE-130070-F-Entebbe (M)
About US:
The Regional Service Centre Steering Committee is the decision-making body for RSCE, in compliance with General Assembly resolutions, United Nations Secretariat rules and regulations, strategic guidance from United Nations Headquarters and oversight bodies. The Steering Committee consults with the Global Field Support Strategy Implementation Coordination Team, as required.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Accounts
- Perform the monthly and yearly closing procedures in Umoja ERP
- Analyze complex/unusual accounting transactions and difficult claims for travel, invoices and entitlement matters, etc. and make recommendations to the Team Leader or Service Line Manager on appropriate follow-up procedures.
- Review and reconcile all open-item-managed (OIM) accounts and investigate erroneous/invalid entries to take appropriate corrective accounting action.
- Review various vouchers and accounting transactions, e.g., payroll, payment of staff entitlements, final payments, travel claims, vendor invoices, agencies, field missions, etc., to ensure conformity adherence to relevant staff rules, financial regulations and rules, ST/AI issuances or practices.
- Issue of invoice to agencies through Service Delivery Module, and gnertate periodic report to review the agencies/missions balances.
- Assist in the preparation of the bank reconciliation on a monthly basis.
- Review prior and current budget period commitments for review, recommitment and cancellation of outstanding commitments.
- Respond to queries from staff members and third parties.
Payments
- Verify that the necessary goods and services have been received in accordance with the contract, agreement, purchase order or other form of undertaking by which they were ordered and that they have been certified by a duly designated certifying officer before vouchers are submitted to approving officers for further review and approval.
- Review and prepare payments to staff and vendors for goods and services, including checking payments for accuracy and correcting any discrepancies.
- Review the computation of staff members regarding their entitlements, including salaries, claims, danger pay, daily subsistence allowance, mission subsistence allowance, voluntary living allowance and any other allowances, and prepare vouchers.
- Assist in preparing of the year-end reports for the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) on all pension contributions made by locally-recruited staff.
Treasury/Cashier
- Review incoming payment instructions with regard to banking details and sources of funds.
- Release payments from a House Bank in the Umoja ERP• Prepare and disburse payments/cheques.
- Dispatch payment instructions and cheques to banks.
- Prepare receipts and deposit slips for all incoming funds.
- Notify payees of status of payments.
- Identify and annotate bank account movements and monitors bank balances of the mission’s accounts.
- Assist in cash management, including preparing cash flow forecasts.
- Assist to make sure cash in vault are accounted for on a daily basis.
- Monitor cheque stock and cash receipt vouchers and requests for new stock as required.
- Monitor/review methods used to remit payments.
- Coordinate filing and archiving as required.
Budget
- Review, analyse and prepare cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements, including programmatic aspects.
- Assist managers in the justification of resource requirements for budget submissions; coordinate with other finance and budget staff on related issues during preparation of the budget reports.
- Monitor budget implementation/expenditures and assist with the reallocation of funds as necessary.
- Monitor extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures.
- Assist in preparation of budget performance submissions and finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
- Verify accuracy of input data, ensuring consistency of data in previous allotments to new allotments issued.
- Provide inputs into the preparation of allotments and prepare redeployment requests.
General
- Keep up-to-date on guidelines that have bearing on matters related to programme/peacekeeping budgets, ensuring compliance with United Nations policies and procedures.
- Draft or prepare correspondence to respond to enquiries in respect to financial and budget matters.
- Provide guidance and training (including preparation of training materials) to junior staff with respect to transaction processing and the use of various systems such as Umoja ERP System (SAP).
- Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor(s).
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- High school diploma or equivalent is required. Technical or vocational certificate in accounting, finance, budget or related fields is desirable.
- Knowledge of accounting, finance and budget functions and treasury operations. Ability to analyse and apply data across the full range of finance, accounting and budget functions. Demonstrated use of initiative and ability to make appropriate linkages in work processes and anticipate next steps showing skills and ability to analyse and interpret financial data. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
- Speaks and writes clearly and effectively
- Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately
- Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication
- Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience
- Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed
- Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients ” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view
- Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect
- Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions
- Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems
- Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects
- Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client
- At least 8 years of progressively responsible experience within the United Nations system or in the private sector at the national or international level in accounting, budgeting or financial management is required.
- Experience in a service centre is desirable.
- Experience in Finance and Budget in a UN Peacekeeping or Special Political Mission is desirable.
- English and French are the working languages of the United Nations. For the position advertised, Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is an added advantage.
Special Notice: This “Recruit from Roster” job opening is only open to roster applicants who are already placed on pre-approved rosters, following a review by a United Nations Central Review Body. Only roster applicants who were placed on rosters with similar functions at the same level are considered to be eligible candidates. Eligible applicants receive an email inviting them to apply. Rostered applicants are encouraged to apply only if they are interested and available to take up the position at the duty station/s specified in the Job Opening. Applying to this job opening carries an expectation to accept the offer, if selected.
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested Ugandan candidates should send their applications through the United Nations online portal at the link below.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira..
The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.
No Fee
The United Nations Does Not Charge A Fee At Any Stage Of The Recruitment Process (Application, Interview Meeting, Processing, Or Training). The United Nations Does Not Concern Itself With Information On Applicants’ Bank Accounts.
Deadline: 4th February 2020