UN Women: Programme and Finance Associate (A.C.T Programme) (local post for nationals of Kenya and applicants with a valid permit)

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.  

The United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund) was established through the UN General Assembly Resolution 50/166 in 1996. The UN Trust Fund is a global multi-lateral grant making mechanism supporting national efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls, one of the most widespread human rights violations in the world. It provides technical assistance and funding to advance the development of innovative models and strategic interventions in the area of ending violence against women and girls. Since 2010, UN Women has administered the UN Trust Fund on behalf of the UN system, providing a strong institutional foundation and field support through a global infrastructure of country and regional offices.  

The UN Trust Fund invests in innovative, demand-driven, evidence-based solutions and life-changing initiatives led by civil society and women’s rights organizations. The long-term vision of the UN Trust Fund is a world of global solidarity in which all women and girls live free from all forms of violence and enjoy and exercise their human rights. To help achieve this vision, the UN Trust Fund focuses on enabling CSOs, especially Women’s Rights Organizations (WROs) and those representing the most marginalized groups, to play a central role in delivering survivor-centered and demand-driven initiatives and support their programmes to achieve sustainable impact on ending violence against women and girls (VAW/G) in a manner that contributes to global solidarity, partnerships and stronger, inclusive feminist movements (UN Trust Fund Strategic Plan for 2021-2025). In this context, the UN Trust Fund is partnering with the European Union UN Women to implement a new programme to strengthen coalition building and advocacy to end gender-based violence against women and girls,  the A.C.T programme (Advocacy, Coalition Building and Transformative Feminist Action to End Violence against Women) developed by the EU and UN Women.  

Under the direct supervision of the UN Trust Fund CD and Operations Manager, and with a dual reporting line to the Programme Manager in Africa, the Programme Associate will support the Programme Manager to ensure that the development and implementation of the A.C.T programme is consistent with UN Women rules and regulations. The Programme Associate will contribute to research, financial management, and programme implementation including providing necessary operational, administrative and programmatic support. The Programme Associate will also work in close collaboration with the operations, programme and projects’ staff in the East and Southern Africa Regional Office and UN Women HQ as required for resolving complex finance-related issues and exchange of information. The Programme and Finance Associate will also support the Programme Manager with partner and stakeholder management, logistical support in coordinating events, convenings, advocacy spaces and support to civil society organizations (CSOs) and women’s rights organizations (WROs) and partners with partner agreements, monitoring and reporting.

Duties and Responsibilities

Provide administrative and logistical support to the formulation and management of the A.C.T. programme

• Provide administrative support in the preparation of the A.C.T. programme work plans, budgets, and proposals on programme implementation arrangements.
• Provide technical guidance to the executing agencies on routine delivery and reporting of programme supported activities and finances.
• Prepare information for the audit of programmes/ projects and support implementation of audit recommendations.
• Identify sources and gather and compile data and information for the preparation of documents, guidelines, speeches and position papers.
• Assist the Programme Manager and Programme Specialist in all aspects of partner agreement and management.
• Provide administrative support to the coordination of the call/request for proposals, including the organization of technical review committees, and capacity assessment of partners.
• Monitor the submission of implementing partner financial and narrative reports.
• Support the capacity development training to partners on financial management and monitor implementation.

Provide administrative support and facilitate knowledge sharing for the Programme

• Undertake all logistical, administrative and financial arrangements for organization for meetings, workshops, events, and missions.
• Make travel arrangements for the Programme Team, including travel requisitions and claims, and undertake monitoring missions as needed.
• Assist the Regional Coordinator in coordinating meetings, dialogues, advocacy spaces, engaging with civil society, women’s rights and feminist networks for the implementation of the programme.
• Provide logistical support and technical inputs for the coordination of events and participation in global and regional fora and advocacy spaces.

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.
• 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.
• Input and update the UN Trust Fund management budget and work plan in Quantum (ERP system)– verify accuracy by checking data sources, making necessary calculations and ensuring inclusion of all relevant data.

Prepare and administer UNTF budgets in full compliance of UN Women rules, regulations, policies, and recording and reporting systems

• Support the preparation of the annual budget and work plan, extract resources and financial data for planning purposes.
• 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.
• Monitor, reconcile advances to grantees which are not in accordance with the approved budget and report any non-compliance to UN Trust Fund Chief.
• Generate Quantum management reports, review data periodically and monitor projects delivery. Follow-up with Finance and Budget Sections on inconsistencies and ensure adjustments are accurately entered in the system.
• Assist the UN Trust Fund in internal and external audits, coordinating the implementation of audit recommendations.
• Undertake corrective actions on un-posted vouchers, including vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions and unapproved vouchers. Respond to requests to resolve financial data issues.
• Input data in Quantum and monitor status. Keep stakeholders and clients informed for timely action and/or decisions.

Provide finance support to the Programme and Operations team

• Prepare PO and non-PO vouchers/invoices for projects.
• Support the review of financial reports from grantees to ensure proper recording of expenses providing feedback on technical accounting topics (ai. foreign currency, accruing staff costs, etc) and prepare the necessary journals (accounts payable journal vouchers or APJVs) to process the financial reports in Quantum ERP system to liquidate cash advances to grantees.
• 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 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 Regional Office, HQ Finance and stakeholders.
• Provide inputs and take necessary actions to facilitate timely financial project closure, financial reporting, and closure of transactional processes.
• Provide administrative and procurement support to the UNTF procurement focal point to arrange procurement activities for projects.

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, 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.
• Knowledge of EU funded programmes is desirable;
• Experience in the use of a modern  ERP system, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable.

Language Requirements:

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

Other requirements:

The person to be hired must be a Kenyan citizen (natural or legal), or foreigner with permanent legal residence and valid work permit to remain and work in Kenya for the duration of the contract.

Application:

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from: . 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.)