Finance Associate

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Description

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• Lead and line manage the legal team including people planning, leave planning, recruitment process, performance and discipline, well-being and skills development.
• Ensure effective planning and quality implementation of the sector/support activities
• Provide technical support and inputs to the legal team, and keep up to date about legal developments and changes to the relevant laws and legal frameworks in Ukraine
• Identifying advocacy issues based on analysis of current legislation and legal issues of beneficiaries and stakeholders
• Lead on drafting advocacy materials such as briefing notes, advocacy letters
• Lead on developing contextual and needs analysis as well as recommendations/feedback relevant to developing new programmatic avenues and innovative approaches

• Initiate the team involvement to the performing new project activities for obtaining additional skills and knowledge
• Provide high quality one-on-one legal counseling to conflict-affected population on their legal rights and remedies in the displacement context
• Organize and facilitate community-level group awareness-raising programs on recent legal developments addressing the information and legal needs of IDPs and conflict-affected populations
• Provide administrative and other para-legal assistance to enable IDP and conflict-affected population to access welfare benefits, livelihood opportunities and government and non-government benefits and privileges
• Any other duties as may be assigned by the Protection Manager relevant to the achievement of protection

• Ensure efficient and effective program implementation while following the budget and work plan
• Participate in preparing regular program reports and support in the development of proposals and budgets for donors if needed
• Collaborate with relevant internal and external technical experts on sector relevant issues
• Represent DRC at external meetings and other relevant technical coordination meetings and events. 
• Contribute contextual and needs analysis as well as recommendations/feedback relevant to developing new programmatic avenues and innovative approaches.
• Collaborate with MEAL staff to monitor and evaluate projects and develop and apply lessons learnt
• Plan and coordinate proactively logistics and movements of staff from and to different operational areas

• University masters degree in Law, and holds a license to practice law
• Minimum 3 years of management experience, preferably in the field of humanitarian response for an INGO
• Experience providing legal services to conflict affected people in Ukraine, including IDPs
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with vulnerable individuals, staff members, and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple responsibilities.
• Strong sense of personal integrity and understanding of confidentiality and ethics.
• Excellent skill in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Full professional proficiency Russian and Ukrainian
• Written and spoken English is mandatory
• Under the supervision and guidance of the Admin and Finance Officer, the Finance Associate supports the office in finance and accounts maintenance through providing a range of procedural, administrative and operational support in implementing, executing and monitoring financial transactions, ensuring effective and timely delivery that is consistent with UNICEF rules and regulations. 

• Coordinates with GSSC in processing finance-related activities and responds to queries.
• Assists staff in the VISION-SAP finance module and supports in troubleshooting.
• Manages the filing and safekeeping of finance and accounts records, including archiving according to established procedures.
• Supports the consolidation, recording, reporting and recovery of office VAT exemption payments, ensuring timely and accurate submission to the Government Tax Authority. Monitors and processes VAT reimbursements in VISION-SAP.
• Acts as Petty Cash custodian for the Country Office. When authorized, make disbursements from petty cash funds, maintain records of these disbursements and balance accounts, as required.
• Support to stewardship, safeguarding and reporting of financial resource
• Reviews invoice and payment documents and receipts to ensure accuracy and completeness, in compliance with established UNICEF financial policies, procedures rules and regulations.
• Supports supervisor on updates to financial policies, procedures rules and regulations.  Implements the appropriate application and interpretation of financial rules, regulations, policies and procedures. 
• Briefs and assists in training CO staff on accounting and basic financial procedures and requirements.
• Monitors cash management and financial expenditures in close coordination with supervisor to ensure that appropriate internal controls are in place for smooth financial operations of the office. Makes specific recommendations on the improvement of work processes and internal controls for stewardship of financial resources, taking into account the prevailing conditions in the locality.
• Maintains financial records in accordance with IPSAS-related policies and perform interim and year-end financial closure activities.
• Prepare recurring financial reports and schedules for internal and external audits, budgetary preparations, office work planning and other occasions, as required. 
• Keeps supervisor abreast of potential problem areas, and identifies and recommends solutions.  Prepares reports on financial matters as required.
• Maintains relationships with local banks and operate bank accounts in accordance with UN/UNICEF financial rules and regulations and local banking practices. Assist staff on banking procedures and requirements.
• Support in HACT implementation, assurance and risk management
• Together with qualified/experienced CO colleagues, undertake spot checks and simplified financial management capacity assessments of implementing partners to gain knowledge and experience.
• Provide finance technical support to CO in the execution of HACT activities to ensure timely and efficient delivery of results. 
• Review and verify cash transfer requests and liquidations to ensure accuracy, completeness and compliance with UNICEF financial rules and regulations. 
• Participate in appropriate inter-agency meetings/events to facilitate and promote sharing of information, knowledge, experiences and best practice and enhance coordination of activities in line with the UNICEF HACT Procedure.
• Support in knowledge management and capacity building
• Analyzes, synthesizes and shares information on good financial management practices and lessons learned to support knowledge development and capacity building
• Supports capacity development activities related to financial management, financial performance monitoring and related internal UNICEF systems/tools by preparing training materials and participating on exercises pertaining to financial processes and procedures which aim to build capacity of staff and implementing partners.

• Completion of secondary education supplemented by training through university courses in administrative field is desirable.  University degree in business administration, accounting and finance, economics or related-field an added advantage. Knowledge of UN/UNICEF accounting practices and procedures, financial rules and regulations an asset. 
• A minimum of 6 years of progressively responsible finance and accounting work experience is required. Knowledge and experience in auditing would be an advantage.
• Fluency in English and in the local language of the duty station required.

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