Finance Associate

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Description

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The objective of the Division of Business Operations (BOS) is to support the work of WHO in the European Region through delivery of services within the areas of human resources, finance, contracting and procurement, legal advice, information & communications technology, printing, security, facilities management, fixed assets, conference support, travel and transport, safeguarding personnel and staff wellness and well-being. As an enabling function, the division enhances the productivity of the health technical programmes and country offices while at the same time overseeing accountability, transparency and compliance with WHO administrative rules and regulations. The BOS division strives to strengthen the capacity of WHO/Europe to react in an agile way to external and internal changes. The division projects are designed to increase productivity, ensure financial sustainability of the region’s structures, reinforce a client-oriented culture, strengthen country office capacities, and drive strategic initiatives to enhance staff motivation and well-being. As part of the BOS division, the Financial control and assurance unit (FCA) supports the operations of the technical divisions and country offices in WHO/Europe in their work towards achieving the goals set by the WHO European Programme of Work. FCA delivers continuous guidance, review, capacity building and oversight of financial transactions, policies and procedures. FCA also ensures compliance with financial regulations and rules, policies and procedures and maintains internal controls in order to effectively discharge WHO’s accountability obligations to Member States and donors.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

As a member of Financial Control and Assurance Unit (FCA), the Associate will perform duties under the supervision of a Finance Officer as follows: 

Transactional Assurance: 

• Performs pre and post facto checking/review of documents for compliance with WHO rules and regulations. Reports on findings of transactional compliance on operations in Europe Region. 
• Builds capacity in technical units/Country Offices/GDO through establishing dialogue and discussing issues that raise concerns with the WHO/Europe country office focal points.
• Supports the Finance Officer to develop a prioritized action plan for the implementation of recommendations. Monitor, follow up on the implementation of recommendations. Supports in preparation of draft consolidated reports on findings and follow ups.
• Provides regular guidance and assistance to technical units/country offices and GDOs with operations, management, and reconciliation of WHO/Europe offices imprest accounts. Provides guidance and support on financial operations, including analysis of receipts and payments, verification of bank and cash reconciliations, confirmation that the imprest balances equals the General Ledger balances.
• Supports in review of proposals submitted for supervisors’ approval to ensure compliance with WHO financial rules and regulations. 
• Supports in preparation of reports on in-depth capacity assessments of implementing partners (e.g., Ministries of Health, NGOs, or other).
• Supports Finance Officer on post-facto financial spot checks on Direct Financial Cooperation (DFC), Direct Implementation (DI) or Grant Letter of Agreement (GLOA) activities.
• Participates in on-site verification missions to implementing partners and WHO/Europe Country Offices to assess whether funds transferred were used in accordance with contractual requirements and relevant WHO policies and procedures.
• Assists country offices in establishing agreements with third party audit firms and supports CO colleagues by review and feedback on third party audit firms’ deliverables.
• Helps in capacity development activities in WHO/Europe on programme implementation modalities through training sessions, workshops, and presentations.
• Actively participates in financial closure related activities under FCA’s responsibilities, during monthly, yearly and biennial closure.
• Supports implementation of new tools and development of existing tools – Business Management System (BMS), e Workflow, financial dashboard, share point or other – in assigned subject area.
• Provides hands-on support to country offices in the absence of responsible officers or assistants.
• Provides back up for other finance assistants during their absence and perform any other task as assigned by the supervisor.

Donor, Awards and Reporting:

• Guide the technical units, country offices and GDOs on the analysis of information from various financial reports obtained from the legacy accounting systems. Provide them with advice on the preparation of the management financial reports. Reconcile and clear the management financial donor reports prepared by EURO colleagues prior of submission to donors. Reviews and analyze the financial report to provide meaning information to finance officer.

• Reviews the requests from EURO colleagues for compliance with donor agreement. Advise on the process of award management- i.e. award activation, amendments, monitoring, implementation.
• Review new donor agreements for financial clauses including but not limited to audit requirements, interest accrual, Programme Support Cost, financial reporting, and payment terms. Work in close collaboration with the technical units and country offices to advise them on the procedures to follow in case a deviation to the standard terms and conditions is identified.
• Helps in capacity development activities in EURO through guidance on financial rules and regulations, training sessions, workshops, and presentations in the area of donor reporting and award management.
• Conduct monthly, quarterly, and yearly monitoring exercises using WHO’s ERP system of receivables, bad debts, awards ended with balances.
• Monitoring and regular follow ups for active encumbrances for EURO region on a regular basis. Provide necessary and guidance to EURO colleagues on encumbrance management.
• Provide necessary training and guidance to EURO colleagues on raising expenditure batches.  Act as focal point for processing and management of non-standard expenditure batches for EURO region
• In depth reviews of donor reports with European Commission, analysing all cost reported together with supporting documentation for salaries charged to the project. Supports finance officer for EC verification missions.
• Analyse and provides necessary information in area of donor awards and reporting for country for transactional compliance reports prepared by FCA for different budget centers
• Actively participate in financial closure related activities under FCA’s responsibilities, during monthly, yearly and biennial closure.  Supports finance officer to provide information and guidance for accruals, cost recognition, donor agreement recognition for EURO region.
• Manage in kind and in service awards. Create all tasks to have the in kind and in service donations fully expended in GSM/CEM. Workplan creation, workplan funding, award increase, collecting supporting document from EURO colleagues.
• Supports implementation of new tools and development of existing tools – CEM, Business Management System (BMS), e Workflow, financial dashboard, share point or other – in assigned subject area.
• Provide hands-on support to country offices in the absence of AOs/FAs/AAs
• Provide back up for other finance assistants during their absence and perform any other task as assigned by the supervisor

Education

Essential:

• Completion of secondary school or equivalent with training in the areas of finance and/or accounting.

Experience

Essential:

• At least 8 years of progressively responsible experience in the finance and accounting area of a large organization.

Skills:

• Demonstrated knowledge of general accounting principles, procedures, practices and information technology for extracting quick and correct information from financial database. Demonstrated knowledge of Excel spreadsheets andapplication of excel skills as applied data generated from an ERP system. Attention to detail. Ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions, as well as helping others to do the same.

Language Skills:

Essential:

• Advanced knowledge of English

Source: https://careers.who.int/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=2406783

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