Finance Associate (G6)

Background

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. UNDP has been working in Afghanistan for more than 50 years on climate change and resilience, gender, governance, health, livelihoods, and rule of law. Under the broader framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in close coordination with other UN agencies, UNDP is supporting Afghan people’s aspiration for peace, prosperity, and sustainability. UNDP is currently implementing its flagship crisis response programme, ABADEI (Area Based Approach to Development Emergency Initiatives), as part of the ongoing UN-led response to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and the breakdown of Afghanistan’s economy following the August 2021 shift in power.

Under the overall guidance and direction of the Finance Specialist, and the direct supervision of the Finance Analyst, the Finance Associate ensures effective execution of financial services and processes in CO and transparent utilization of financial resources.

The Finance Associate mainly works for Country Office institutional budget (IB) management, cost recovery management (e.g., delivery enabling services, common office premises, fresh cash charges, agency services, etc.), managing financial performance, and control of CO accounts including managing CO’s financial performance and closure activities, in close collaboration with the operations, programme and projects’ staff in the CO and with UNDP HQs staff for resolving finance-related issues and information exchange. S/he promotes a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

Duties and Responsibilities

ONLY CURRENT AFGHANISTAN NATIONALS AVAILABLE FOR EMPLOYMENT AND WILLING TO TRAVEL IN KABUL AND THROUGHOUT VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN, ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION. ALL OTHER APPLICANTS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

The Finance Associate will be responsible of the following:

Support to ensure implementation of operational and financial management strategies and procedures.
Administer the budget of management projects and an optimal cost-recovery system.
Ensure proper control of CO accounts.
Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and sharing in the CO.

1. Supports to ensure implementation of operational and financial management strategies and procedures, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Full compliance of financial activities, financial recording/reporting system, and audit follow up with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, policies, and strategies; implementation of the effective internal control, proper design and functioning of the financial resources management system.
Support to continuous analysis and monitoring of the financial situation, including the presentation of the status of CO Institutional Budget (IB) and other management-related budgets (if applicable).
Support to monitor financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, and investigates anomalies or unusual transactions. Informs supervisors and other UNDP staff at Headquarters of the results of the investigation when satisfactory answers are not obtained.
Following up with the relevant units and projects on outstanding audit recommendations in relation to CO finance function.

2. Administers the CO Institutional Budget (IB) and organizes an optimal cost-recovery system focusing on achievement of the following results:

Support to prepare, manage, and monitor budgets for UNDP management projects, follow-up with HQs on ASL for management projects. This includes UNDP management projects, UNDP village, and locally cost-shared security budget (UNDSS-LCSSB).
Support to preapre and review resources availability and budget management through timely budget revisions and proper planning of financial resources for management projects.
Sending project budget to KK (if authorized by the Senior Management, on the basis of signed budgets).
Support to resolve issues related to budget exceptions and deficits for management projects and agency-related projects.
Support to provide CoA for management project-related activities.
Support to implement cost recovery mechanisms in line with the CO financial sustainability plan as agreed with the Bureau, including the necessary analysis to determine cost apportionment (e.g., the management of delivery enabling services, common office premises, UN fresh cash charges, and agency services, etc.).
Monitors the progress of the cost recovery status, including SCA rejection, DPC exception, and analyzing the impact on the management project.
Timely preparation of cost-recovery bills in Atlas for the services provided by UNDP, implantation of the income tracking system and follow-up on cost recovery.

3. Ensures proper control of CO accounts focusing on achievement of the following results:

Ensuring that all financial transactions are identified, recorded, and verified in compliance with corporate policies and procedures.
Periodic monitoring of various dashboards and exceptions, identifications of the remedial actions, in particular, for items relating to CO Finance functions.
Support the quarterly and annual certification of CO accounts exercise in line with corporate closure instruction, in close coordination with relevant stakeholders.
Timely response to HQ, RBAP, and GSSU requests to resolve financial data issues.
Ensuring effective communication and liaison with HQ, RBAP, and GSSU on accounting processes.
Maintain relevant documents in relation to the aforementioned activities in a timely manner.

4. Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the CO and guidance to all stakeholders on financial matters focusing on achievement of the following results:

Organization of trainings for the operations/project staff on Finance.
Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and sharing in the CO, including lessons learnt and best practices in Finance.
Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice

Perform other duties within your functional profile as assigned and deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the office.

Competencies

Core Competency

Achieve Results:

LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively:

LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements

Learn Continuously:

LEVEL 1: Open-minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

Adapt with Agility:

LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible

Act with Determination:

LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner:

LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Accounting (General)

Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, frameworks, standards, regulations, policies and trends, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations

Financial and process innovation

Financial and business process engineering expertise required to innovate, design, change and implement new financial business models, financial instruments, financing opportunities, business processes, policies and procedures, and technological solutions

Financial reporting and analysis

Understands changes in regulatory, legal and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in the public sector. Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring.

Understands the benefits of integrated reporting, including non-financial resources such as human, social and intellectual capital, and environmental and governance performance

Financial risk management

Ensures financial resilience through proactive assessment of risk, implementation of controls and taking mitigating action. Understands risk and reward in relation to collaborative and commercial projects.

Ensures a culture of positive risk management"

Customer Satisfaction/Client Management

Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs.
Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy.
Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests.
Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.

Finance business partnering

Able to support business units and add value by innovating and providing solutions to financial issues/queries, including through FAQs, financial tools, advisory, etc. Influences and appropriately challenges non-finance colleagues for whom the service is being provided. Understands the operations, opportunities and challenges of the organization. Holds a commercial outlook, demonstrating accountability towards organizational goals.

Results-based Management

Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results

Required Skills and Experience

UNDP STRONGLY ENCOURAGES QUALIFIED WOMEN TO APPLY FOR AVAILABLE POSITIONS FOR WHICH THEY MEET THE STATED MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

All Applicants MUST complete and attach the UNDP Personal History-P-11 Form (found here) to their applications in the vacancy site.

Submission of personal resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) will not be acceptable and candidates who fail to attach the above required P-11 form will not be considered.

Min. Education requirement:

Secondary Education is required or,
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Management, Business or Public Administration will be given due consideration,
Part-qualified accountants from an internationally recognized institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage.
Specialized certification in Accounting and Finance is highly desirable
Long-listed candidates may be required to undergo the UNDP Accountancy & Finance Test (AFT)

Relevant Experience:

Minimum of six (06) years with Secondary or three (03) years with Bachelor's degree or experience in Finance at the national or international level is required.
part-qualified accountants from an internationally recognized institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage.

Required Skills:

Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling web-based management systems and ERP financials, preferably PeopleSoft.
Knowledge of IPSAS and/or IFRS is required.

Desired Skills:

Experience in the context of UN/UNDP from a finance perspective is desired.
Proficiency in English is required – both written and oral.

Language Requirements:

Proficiency in English is required – both written and oral.

Fluency in the local language of duty station Dari and/or Pashto is required.