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.

Women’s Political Participation (WPP) is one of UN Women’s primary areas of work, recognizing the role of women’s leadership in strong and stable democratic processes and inclusive societies. It is covered under the Entity’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025 Impact Area 1 – Participation and Governance in Public Life: “Women and girls participate in leadership and decision making and benefit from gender responsive governance”; and across several Systemic Outcomes of the Strategic Plan, mainly: Outcome 1 on normative frameworks and policies, Outcome 5 on Voice Leadership and Agency; and Outcome 7 on UN coordination.

UN Women works with various partners and stakeholders nationally, regionally, and globally to ensure more women of all ages fully participate, lead, and engage in political institutions. Within this framework, UN-Women has partnered with the European Union to one of the components of the European Union funded Women and Youth in Democracy Initiative (WYDE) Initiative. Launched by the European Union in 2023 WYDE seeks to strengthen the rights, empowerment, and participation in public and political life of youth and women as key actors of development and change. A multiparter initiative, WYDE includes five interlinked components,[1] which are aligned with the European Union Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy for the period 2020–2024 and the Youth Action Plan.

UN Women, jointly with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), will implement the WYDE/Women Leadership component through a three-year programme titled: “Advancing Women’s Political Participation and Decision-Making through Social Norms Change, Networking and Global Advocacy.” Over three years the four partners will support leverage collective action, partnerships, coordination, knowledge, and resources at a global level to promote the full and effective participation and decision-making of diverse women, especially those most often left furthest behind, through social norms change, networking and global advocacy.

Under the overall guidance of the EU Finance Specialist, Brussels Liaison Office and the daily supervision of the Programme Manager, the Finance Associate is responsible for the execution of financial services and administrative processes related to the WYDE/Women’s Leadership Programme Office, ensuring timeliness, efficiency and transparent use of financial resources and delivery of services in accordance with organizational financial rules, regulations, policies, procedures and approved allocations. The Finance Associate promotes a client-oriented approach consistent with UN Women rules and regulations, standard practices, and guidelines.

The Finance Associate works in close collaboration with the EU Finance Specialist in Brussels Liaison Office as well as with the Operations and Programme teams in UN Women HQ for solving complex finance-related issues and information delivery.

[1] “Youth Participation in Public Affairs” (WYDE tendersglobal.net Civic Engagement); “Youth for Freedoms of Association and Assembly” (WYDE tendersglobal.net Freedoms); “Youth and women in Parliaments” (WYDE tendersglobal.net Inter Pares); “Youth and Women in Political Parties,” (WYDE tendersglobal.net Political Parties) and “Advancing Women’s Political Participation and Decision Making” (WYDE tendersglobal.net Women Leadership).

Duties and Responsibilities

Implement financial strategies, in full compliance of UN Women rules, regulations, policies, and recording and reporting systems:

• Perform duties in full compliance with UN Women financial regulations and rules, policies, and standard operating procedures, including internal controls.
• Review and verify financial transactions, activities, and documentation; taking corrective actions as needed and reporting any unusual activities.
• Monitor financial exceptions reports for unusual activities or transaction, investigate anomalies and report to the supervisor conclusions and/or present recommendations for actions/decisions.
• Draft reports on financial status, procedures, exchange rates, costs, and expenditures.
• Follow-up on audit recommendations to monitor implementation of corrective actions.
• Collect, verify, and present information and data for use in the planning of financial resources and the formulation of the Country Office (CO) programme work plans, budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements and execution modalities.
• Provide assistance in Annual Work Plan entry in Results Management System (RMS) as required.
• Provide advice and recommend solutions to a wide range of financial issues.
• Monitor the proper functioning of the financial resources management system for office and programmatic budgets and resources.
• Implement cost saving and reduction strategies.

Prepare and administer the WYDE/Women Leadership Programme budget in full compliance of UN Women rules, regulations, policies, and recording and reporting systems:

• Formulate the budget, control allotments, monitor expenditures, and prepare revisions according to the needs of the Programme.
• Track the appropriate and timely use of financial resources.
• Prepare cost recovery documents or bills for the services provided by UN Women to other programmes or organizations.
• Create projects in Quantum prepare budget revisions, revise project awards and status; and determine unutilized funds.
• Implement and maintain control mechanism for development projects through monitoring budgets preparation and modifications and budgetary status.
• Maintain internal expenditure control system.
• Undertake corrective actions on un-posted vouchers, including vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions and unapproved vouchers. Respond to RO /HQ requests to resolve financial data issues.
• Prepare VAT reimbursements with adequate documentation support.
• Input data in Quantum and monitor status. Keep stakeholders and clients informed for timely action and/or decisions.
• Manage petty cash fund, cash impress level.

Provide finance support to the WYDE/Women Leadership Programme team:

• Review accounts receivables for the Programme and follow-up with the Programme Manager and finance section in headquarters on contributions, deposits creation in Quantum and their application to AR pending items.
• Prepare PO and non-PO vouchers for development projects.
• Record and post transactions in Quantum, process payroll, travel claims, MPOs, and other entitlements.
• Monitor the setup of budgets in Quantum to ensure they are in accordance with budgets agreed with donors and are input into Quantum at the detailed Activity ID level.
• Monitor each month over-expenditure of budgets and follow up with Budget Owner.
• Monitor regularly transactions posted to projects ensuring actual expenditure has been recorded against correct budget category and activity, take timely corrective actions as required.
• Monitor proper follow up of advances to implementing partners, review their financial reports together with project managers.
• Monitor the financial status and under the guidance of the EU Finance Specialist implement control mechanisms for management/development projects.
• Monitor and proper follow up of all the financial items in Month-end and Year-end closure instructions status and under the guidance of the Operations Manager, take correction actions as required.
• Keep stakeholders and clients informed for timely actions/decisions and review status reports for quality control.
• Provide information inputs to financial reports for HQ Finance and stakeholders.
• Associate revenue and expenditure in commitment control for the Programme.
• Provide inputs and take necessary actions to facilitate timely financial project closure.
• Support financial donor reporting by providing timely information and taking necessary actions as required by UN Women Virtual Global Service Centre for financial donor reporting.

Provide administrative support to Resource Mobilization:

• Compile and process information from donors, and WYDE programme team, as inputs to various databases and documents.
• Prepare drafts for cost sharing agreements including conditions of contributions within resource mobilization efforts, adhering to standard agreements where possible. Follow up on contributions within the CO resource mobilization efforts.

Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing:

• Conduct training and/or help organize training events and activities; as well as participate in trainings.
• Collect and compile lessons learned and best practices in financial management and services. Disseminate to clients and stakeholders as appropriate to build capacity and knowledge.
• Contribute to financial business operational practices and management innovations.

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:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

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 Core Values and Competencies:

https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:

• Strong knowledge of financial rules and regulations and accounting principles.
• Strong knowledge and application skills of IT tools and understanding of management systems.
• Strong knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
• Ability to provide input to business processes re-engineering, implementation of new systems.
• Ability to administer and execute financial and accounting processes and transactions.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

• Completion of secondary education is required.
• Specialized national or international certification in accounting and finance is an asset.
• Bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting is an asset.
• Successful completion of UN Women Accounting and Finance Test is required as part of the selection process.

Experience:

• At least 6 years of progressively responsible experience in finance.
• 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 European Union funded programmes 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 French is desirable.

Application:

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc. Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

Note:

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.)