Finance Analyst, PSRS – P2

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 United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) is a partnership between the United Nations, Member States, and the civil society, which supports women led and women’s rights organizations working to build peace and provide humanitarian response throughout the world. Since the end of 2016, the WPHF has been supporting over 1,000 civil society organizations and is present in 43 countries worldwide.

UN Women hosts the Secretariat of the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund. The WPHF Secretariat provides support to the Funding Board, mobilizes resources from Governments, companies, foundations and individuals, designs funding windows and mechanisms, provides day to day support to Country Offices implementing WPHF programs, and ensures timely and quality monitoring and reporting. The Secretariat’s mandate is also to strengthen stakeholders’ knowledge of and engagement with women, peace and security issues through proper internal and external communications, advocacy and outreach. The Secretariat provides knowledge management services for the WPHF and manages the Community of Practice (CoP) for WPHF partners and grantees. Finally, in April 2020, following the recommendation of the UNSG in his 2019 report on WPS, the WPHF Funding Board established a new Rapid Response Window (RRW) on women’s participation in peace processes, and in 2022, the WPHF launched a new funding window for the protection and participation of Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs).

Under the overall guidance of the Deputy Director for Financial Management in Headquarters (HQ) and the daily supervision of the Operations Specialist, the Finance Analyst is responsible for providing assistance to WPHF Secretariat , Rapid Response Window (RRW), Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) Windows, and Global Learning Hub, the Finance Analyst will be supporting country offices implementing WPHF programmes as necessary to ensure capacity and support; assistance with development projects for the finance users of UN Women for better business practices and controls as well as automation; ensuring all finance users are compliant with and trained in the accounting standards, financial regulations and rules, policies and procedures; assisting Finance Section HQ in dedicated support, training, advice for Regional Offices, Multi-Country Offices and COs (ROs/MCOs/COs); and acts as the Audit focal point for WPHF projects in co-ordination with Finance Section HQ, as well as finance users in ROs and MCOs/COs.

The Finance Analyst works in close collaboration with Finance Section HQ, WPHF Secretariat and windows Programme and Operations colleagues, teams at the country level, UNDP staff and Government officials ensuring high performance and efficiency in Finance.

Key Functions and Accountabilities:

1. Coordinate the financial planning, analysis, and provision of services to the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) in accordance with UN Women internal control framework, rules, regulations, policies and procedures:

• Recommend and/or implement cost saving and reduction strategies;
• Review and/or verify financial transactions/activities, recording/reporting system and audit reports. Co-ordinate with Finance Section HQ on suggestions for amendments;
• Review financial business processes and use of Quantum system to ensure accurate and complete reporting of financial transactions by UN Women staff in accordance with the Internal Control Framework and Delegation of Authority and the timely flow of financial information in UN Women for management, monitoring and oversight purposes;
• Analyze and oversee all financial resources managed by the WPHF and provide high-quality professional advice on financial issues to the WPHF management, as necessary;
• Coordinate cash management processes, including liquidity management, recommend impress level, risk assessment, security for cash assets on site.
• Assist with financial risk assessment reviews for the WPHF, by identifying areas of risk and providing recommendations and action plans for addressing issues raised.

2. Coordinate the monitoring and oversight of financial systems in accordance with UN Women rules, regulations, policies and procedures

• Monitor financial systems and reports for unusual activities, transactions, investigate anomalies;
• Coordinate the WPHF timely completion of their Month-end Instructions Checklist and Year-end Instructions Closure Checklist;
• Draft all financial reports in accordance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and ensure continued compliance.  Monitor the WPHF for compliance with IPSAS accounting standards by reviewing business processes and systems modules resulting in IPSAS compliant general ledger and financial statements;
• Review Implementing Partner advance procedures and test against UN Women policies to ensure compliance.  Investigate and follow up on any anomalies for timely action and resolution, as necessary;
• Review all contractual arrangements with suppliers of goods and services to ensure that the financial terms and conditions of all contracts are being adhered to by the suppliers of goods and services;
• Report to Operations Specialist and Deputy Director for Financial Management any case of non-adherence for timely action and recommendations for actions/decisions, as necessary;
• Respond to questions and provide analysis as requested to the Finance Section HQ.

3. Coordinate financial reporting in the WPHF in accordance with UN Women rules, regulations, policies and procedures

• Draft timely and accurate automated interim financial reports to governments and donors as required under the donor agreements and other cost-sharing arrangements for submission to Virtual Global Service Centre Finance Specialists;
• Track and report contributions within the resource mobilization efforts, including pipeline, contracted and overdue and future milestones. Review contributions receivables and provide information to Operations Manager for follow up, as necessary;
• Write ad hoc financial Donor and other reports as requested;
• Follow up and/or take prompt action to respond to audit and other findings on financial management.

4. Coordinate the audit process in accordance with UN Women rules, regulations, policies and procedures

• Coordinate the pre-audit preparations for financial management of the WPHF to be audit ready and complete the pre-audit checklist.  Travel to the COs as necessary to assist during CO audits.
• Contribute technically to the training in the WPHF as part of the training plan or requirement of pre-audit preparations or as otherwise determined by Operations Manager or Deputy Director for Financial Management;
• Write responses to internal and external audit inquiries and other findings related to financial management for review/approval by Operations Specialist and Deputy Director for Financial Management and incorporate recommendations in development in policies, procedures and practices;
• Plan and track expenditures and performance audit of financial resources, including extra-budgetary income.

5. Coordinate programme/ project budgets in accordance with UN Women rules, regulations, policies and procedures

• Coordinate all financial resources of programmes/ projects through planning, guiding, monitoring and controlling of the resources;
• Prepare and monitor budgets of the Fund’s Secretariat , Windows and management projects;
• Analyze and report on the budget approvals and the delivery situation of management projects;
• Contribute to the proper mechanisms to eliminate deficiencies in budget management;
• Submit financial information for timely preparation of donor reports;
• Prepare advance payments and direct payments for programme implementation and record them in Quantum.
• Provide assistance to offices implementing WPHF programmes in relation to project closure and provide training on a regular basis, in conjunction with Virtual Global Service Centre Finance Specialists.

6. Coordinate financial training and communication for the WPHF

• Monitor the effectiveness of the services on a regular basis and ensure close relationship with HQ Finance Section and take corrective measures as needed.
• Coordinate development projects to ensure effective finance and communication tools are in place and regularly monitored for improvements.
• Perform the Finance Helpdesk function for WPHF to ensure accurate and timely response to issues and advice requested in conjunction with HQ Finance Field Support Unit;
• Support in the implementation of the approved Training plans (specifically QUANTUM and IPSAS) in conjunction with HQ Finance Field Support Unit and Finance specialist in HQ on a recurrent basis to ensure competency across all users.

7. Participate in knowledge management and capacity building

• Identify, participate in the development and/or recommend enhancement/updates/improvement in Quantum financial modules for better business practices and controls in the WPHF
• Capture, synthesize and/or codify lessons learned and best practices in the WPHF support and financial management and services. Disseminate to Finance Section HQ to share knowledge and build capacity;
• Contribute to the design of learning tools, best practices and innovations in financial business operational practices and management, promote transparency, ease of communications, hosting of financial documents, and all policies and procedures between all UN Women users of the WPHF data.

8. Financial tasks, approving and certifying function

• Oversee that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Quantum; payrolls are duly prepared; travel claims and other entitlements are duly processed;
• Implement timely corrective actions on unposted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, matching exceptions, unapproved vouchers;
• Provide timely response to HQ requests to resolve financial data issues;
• Perform delegated approval function in Quantum on a timely basis;
• Review and provide financial clearance of all donor agreements as delegated for compliance with standard agreements on a timely basis.

9. The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

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

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework:

Functional Competencies:

• Good knowledge and expertise in financial planning and management;
• Good knowledge of complex financial rules and regulations, preferably UN/UN Women Financial Rules and regulations;
• Good conceptual/strategic skills and success in implementing financial re-engineering, management systems development, policy design, innovation and knowledge product development is an asset;
• Good knowledge and experience in the application of complex financial systems and modules (such as Quantum);
• Good knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages;
• Ability to provide advice and support;
• Demonstrated knowledge of IPSAS/IFRS.
• Good analytical skills.

Recruitment Qualifications:

Education and Certification:

• Master’s Degree (or equivalent) in Finance/Accounting, or a Professional accounting qualification from an internationally recognized institute of accountancy, Chartered Accountant, or Certified Public Accountant is required.
• Successful completion of UN Women’s Accounting technical test, as part of the selection process.

Experience:

• At least 2 years’ experience in an accounting-specific role with in a large international organization preferably in the UN system is required.
• Demonstrated financial experience using an ERP financial system is required.
• Demonstrated experience in providing financial and budget support to programmes/projects is required.
• Demonstrated experience at developing detailed financial reports for senior management is required.
• Demonstrated experience in supporting more than one office simultaneously is desirable;
• Demonstrated financial experience of working in a regional or multi-country context is desirable;
• 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 is required.
• Experience in the use of a modern web-based ERP System, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).

Statements :

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.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

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