Finance Specialist (Supply Financing), P3, FT, PSC, post# 96137, UNICEF Supply Division, Copenhagen, Denmark

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, hope

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does – in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life – in its social, political, economic, civic, and cultural dimensions – her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education, and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens – addressing inequity – not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also accelerating the equitable development of nations.

How can you make a difference?

The Finance Specialist will be based at the UNICEF Supply Division and will coordinate day-to-day activities related to both the financing of essential health commodities (such as vaccines and nutrition products) and other transactionally-driven activities. The Senior Manager (Innovative Financing), as supervisor, leads the area of work on setting up and deploying financial instruments for essential health commodities.

Purpose for the job

Under the supervision of the Senior Manager (Innovative Financing), the Finance Specialist will coordinate the day-to-day deployment of financing interventions and other special contracting transactions, including under the Vaccine Independence Initiative (VII) Revolving Fund and other VII-enabled financial instruments, to help secure timely access to affordable essential health commodities for partner countries.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Coordinates internal and external work on expansion of VII and other financing interventions with the objective of helping improve timely access (particularly to immunization and nutrition commodities) and/or market dynamics.

• Leads origination and execution of financing transactions and liaises with partner countries, UNICEF country offices and financing partners such as the World Bank and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Drafts transaction approval requests for submission to UNICEF senior management.
• Leads financial monitoring, tracking and financial analysis activities for the Financing unit within UNICEF’s Procurement Services Centre.
• Supervises Senior Planning Associate performing data reviews and analyses related to pre-financing and other special contracting transactions.
• Leads design of tools to support the monitoring of special projects and activities.
• Engages with other Supply Division units to ensure payments and monitor account balances and identifies and initiates required adjustments.
• Supports negotiations and drafting of amendments/renewal of external donors’ and financing partners’ contributions.

2. Designs and prepares financial reports for internal management and external donors and other third parties with support from the Senior Planning Associate.

• Executes year-end reporting and reconciliations for area of responsibility.
• Prepares periodic reports, statements, schedules summaries analysis and document work papers relating to areas of responsibility. 
• Addresses queries by UNICEF teams as well as external donors.

3. Analyses utilisation and optimises use of current capital base available for financing, including in-depth financial forecasting.
4. Drafts reports and reviews / recommendations of strategic options related to available financing mechanisms for essential health commodities.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education

• Advanced University Degree (Master’s degree) preferably in Business Administration, Finance or Economics is required.
• A first University degree may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree in the above field in conjunction with two additional years of relevant work experience.

Work Experience

• Minimum 5 years of relevant financial industry experience (banking, accounting, auditing) in an international organization or in the private sector is required.
• Experience with deploying financial instruments (including guarantees, trust funds, innovative financing mechanisms) desirable.
• Proven strong analytical and numerical skills and detail-oriented.
• Computer literacy (incl. good command of Microsoft Excel).
• Experience with reviewing legal documentation is an asset.
• Experience in interacting with internal and external stakeholders and donors (international organisations, philanthropists, etc.) desirable.
• Experience with financing or commercial issues relating to health products is an asset.

Languages

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

 UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships, (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness, (3) Drive to achieve results for impact, (4) Innovates and embraces change, (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity, (6) Thinks and acts strategically, (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be cancelled.

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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.

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.