Finance Assistant

Org. Setting and Reporting

The position is located in the UNODC Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific (ROSEAP), Bangkok (Thailand), Division for Operations (DO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The incumbent will work under the general guidance of the UNODC Operations Manager and the direct supervision of the Finance Associate leading the Finance team in the ROSEAP Core team. For more information on UNODC, please visit the following website: www.unodc.org.

Responsibilities

The Finance Assistant will be responsible for providing support to all UNODC financial operations in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Within assigned authority, the incumbent will be responsible for the following specific duties: Grant management and budget – Liaise with headquarters, project teams and the ROSEAP Monitoring & Evaluation Officer to create/extend grants for all initiatives under the UNODC Regional Programme for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. – Monitor budget expenditures for all grants and initiatives under the Regional Programme for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. – As required and in coordination with the project teams, liaise with local donors and other UN agencies in connection to payments to UNODC and to explain the UNODC funding model. – Liaise with all project teams to inform on budget consumption, amounts remaining, explanation of figures, and releasing of funds for consumption. – Provide support in the preparation of expenditure analyses for ROSEAP management on a regular basis. – Keep track of the appropriate and timely use of financial resources and flag to project teams unutilized funds and/or funds about to expire. – Monitor and follow up with all project teams on all financial transactions at the month- and year-end closures, in line with instructions provided by Headquarters, and take corrective actions as required. – Provide information to and facilitate the preparation of any type of financial report. – Liaise with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offices and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) regarding outstanding items and payment instructions. – Undertake corrective actions on un-posted account payable documents, ensure actual expenditures are recorded against correct budget categories, and take timely corrective actions as required. Support to the Core Team and Programme Offices – Review and reconcile various clearing accounts to ensure appropriate balances, and investigate erroneous/invalid entries and take appropriate corrective accounting action. – Review and reconcile payroll charges on the eIOV portal for several recruitment types, such as service contracts, fixed-term appointments, United Nations Volunteers (UNV) contracts, etc.. – Perform periodic monitoring of open financial commitments, identify remedial actions, and undertake corrective actions. – Liaise with Programme Offices in Southeast Asia and the Pacific for the establishment of local operating costs and their distribution across UNODC projects. – As needed, act as Certifying Officer for a range of transactions (e.g. low-value acquisitions, travel requests/expense reports, purchase orders, service orders, fund commitments, service receipts, etc.). – Support the processing of agreements with UNODC implementing partners and approve applications/agreements/payments and certify funding as required. – Follow up on audit recommendations to monitor implementation of corrective actions. – Provide advice and recommend solutions to a wide range of financial issues. – Contribute to developing and implementing cost-saving measures. Knowledge-building/sharing – Keep up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to programme, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures. – Collect and compile lessons learnt and best practices in financial management and disseminate them, as appropriate, to build capacity and knowledge. – Conduct training for project staff on financial matters. – Contribute to financial business operations practices and management innovation. – Assist with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making. – Assist with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures. Perform other work-related duties as required.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Has knowledge of, and ability to apply financial rules, regulations and procedures in the UN environment. Has knowledge, skills and ability to extract, interpret, analyze and format data across the full range of finance and budget functions, including programme development and database management, claims and treasury operations. Is able to identify and resolve data discrepancies and operational problems. Has ability to perform analysis, modeling, and interpretation of data in support of decision-making. 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. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work. • Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable. • Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of experience in finance, accounting, and administrative services in programme management or other related disciplines, with involvement in the management of complex budgets, is required. The minimum number of years of relevant experience is reduced to five for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience with International Public Services Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and the related compliance implications for large organizations is required. Work experience with Excel is required. Experience in working with an ERP (Enterprise Resources Planning Software) system is required. Experience in managing voluntary funds (grants) and project budgets, corrections to expenditure etc. is required. Experience in working with SAP (System, Applications & Products)/Umoja is desirable. Work experience with financial rules, regulations and processes with regards to fund and project management is desirable. Work experience within the United Nations system or similar international organizations is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another United Nations official language is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise and a competency based interview.

Special Notice

This is a project post. Filling of this position is subject to funding availability and the initial appointment will be for a period of one year. Extension of the appointment is subject to extension of the mandate and/or the availability of the funds. This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. The movement of staff members from the General Service and related categories to the Professional category in the United Nations Secretariat is exclusively allowed through the Young Professionals Programme competitive examinations. Only a few staff members pass the competitive examinations. Passing the competitive examinations does not guarantee movement to the Professional category. For further information, please visit https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=GP

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. 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. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

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.