UNFPA recrute un Finance Associate

The Position:

Under overall guidance and direct supervision of the SWEDD Project Director and the direct supervision of the WCARO International Operations Manager, the Finance Associate ensures the effective functioning of financial operations and systems in support of the SWEDD Project and the unit management.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

The Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Project (SWEDD) is a regional project encompassing Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Benin, Cameroon and Guinea, including new countries to be covered. The project is funded by the World Bank’s regional IDA (International Development Association) resources. The project acts on the UN-World Bank commitment and partnership to address the Demographic Dividend in the Sahel. The overall goal of the project is to accelerate the demographic transition, to spur the demographic dividend, and to reduce gender inequality in the participating countries.

The project contributes to achieving the governments of the country member’s objective to increase women and adolescent girls’ empowerment and their access to quality reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health, and nutrition (RMNCHN) services in selected areas of the participating countries and to improve regional knowledge generation and sharing, as well as regional capacity and coordination. The project is focused on mainstreaming the dividend demographic in the development agenda of the countries and the region.

The SWEDD Project interventions are structured around 3 primary components:

• Component (1) Generate demand for RMNCHN services by promoting social and behavioral change and the empowerment of women and adolescent girls;
• Component (2) Reinforce the regional availability of RMNCHN commodities and qualified health workers;
• Component (3) Reinforce advocacy and dialogue at high levels and promote policy development and the project’s implementation.

The governance of the project is entrusted to a regional steering committee, supported by the Regional Technical Secretariat (RTS) located at the UNFPA Regional Office for West and Central Africa (WCARO). The RTS is responsible for building the project management capacity of implementing agencies at the country and regional levels.

The RTS is responsible for building the project management capacity of implementing agencies at the country and regional levels. It also oversees the programming and implementation of all funding channeled through UNFPA for project activities directly executed by UNFPA or UNFPA or subcontracted to other agencies and partners.

As part of the Regional Technical Secretariat (RTS) staff member, the Finance Associate is responsible for effective delivery of financial services, transparent utilization of financial resources and supports the management of the SWEED/RTS. He/she analyzes and interprets the financial rules and regulations and provides solutions to a wide spectrum of complex financial issues. The Finance Associate promotes a collaborative, client-oriented approach consistent with UNFPA rules and regulations. The Finance Associate supervises works in close collaboration with the operations, programme and project teams in the Regional Office (RO) and with UNFPA HQs staff and Government officials ensuring successful Regional Office (RO) performance in Finance.

The Finance Associate actively participates in local inter-agency coordination to ensure UNFPA’s needs in common systems and service issues are met. External partners include other UN agencies, vendors, and other non-UN partners that are essential to the work of the Finance section.

You would be responsible for:

A. Effective Financial Resources Management and Oversight

• Financial resources management through planning, guiding, controlling of the resources in accordance with UNFPA rules and regulations.
• Preparation and monitoring of budgets of management projects.
• Establishment of the development projects’ budgets preparation/modification monitoring system, control of budgetary status versus authorized spending limits (ASL) and budgets delivery levels.
• Elaboration of proper mechanisms to eliminate deficiencies in budget management.
• Processing of cost-recovery bills in Quantum for the services provided by UNDP.
• Carry out financial analysis and ensure oversight of all resources managed by the RO, and provision of high-quality professional advice to the RTS management.
• Supervise timely production of accurate donor reports.
• Undertake continuous analysis and monitoring of the RTS’s financial situation, and preparation of regular updates on the status of financial resources.
• Ensure full compliance, of financial activities, financial recording/reporting systems with UNFPA’s rules, regulations, policies and strategies; proper design and functioning of the financial resources management.
• Coordinate and prepare the development of Implementing Partners (IPs) project budgets;
• Supervise the financial management of Implementing Partners which will require regular spot checks and site visits;
• Ensure monitoring and analyze of activity expenditures, provides reports and forecasts to the Project Director;
• Serve as focal point or support for audits, both HACT and DAO, including coordination of HACT audit visits, training and support to staff and Implementing Partners, coordination of responses to audit observations, follow on implementation of audit recommendations, maintenance of HACT Database/TEAM CENTRAL, etc.

B. Adapt and implement Operational and Financial Management Strategies

• Adapt processes and procedures to maximize effectiveness and efficiency in financial operations and management
• Ensure full compliance of financial activities, financial recording/reporting system and audit follow up with UN/UN rules, regulations, policies and strategies; implementation of the effective internal control, proper design and functioning of the financial resources management system.
• Continuous analysis and monitoring of the financial situation, presentation of forecasts for development and management projects.
• Control and approve the periodic financial reports including reconciliations of SWEDD COs plans with the RTS accounts
• Analyze and prepare for submission of complete, reliable and timely financial reports to donors, local entities and other partners as relevant;
• Elaboration and implementation of cost saving and reduction strategies.
• Routinely monitors financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, and investigates anomalies or unusual transactions. Informs supervisors and other UNFPA staff at Headquarters of the results of the investigation when satisfactory answers are not obtained.
• Oversee all programmatic financial transactions including IPs financial reporting;
• Supervise delivery of effective and efficient financial services to UNFPA’s staff and clients (payments, F10 settlements, reversals, petty cash, vendor initiation, etc.)
• Establish internal expenditures’ control system which ensures that all transactions are duly authorized; AP vouchers are matched and posted; payrolls are posted; travel claims and other entitlements are duly processed; receipting of goods and services and establishment of accruals are properly done in compliance with IPSAS and UNFPA rules, policies and procedures.
• Facilitate effective budget management of office resources; elaborate proper mechanisms to eliminate deficiencies in budget management.

C. RTS Cash Management

• Timely review of cash position for local mobile banking account to ensure sufficient funds on hand for disbursements for workshop allowances. Timely identification and recording of receipts for income application.
• Monitoring of financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions and investigation of anomalies or unusual transactions. Provision of information to supervisors and other UNFPA staff at HQ on the results of the investigation when satisfactory answers are not obtained.
• Primary contact with mobile bank management on routine operational matters including negotiation of rate on transactions.
• Transaction and stop payment approval on mobile banking systems.
• Approval and submission of monthly mobile account reports to management.
• Timely and accurate approval of mobile account reconciliation, including documented review of exceptions.
• Timely preparation of monthly workshop allowances cash flow forecast for use by Operations Manager and Programme Specialists. Liaison with programme units to obtain estimate of their cash requirements.
• Role as cashier for cash disbursements made on site.

D. General Support

• Stand-in for other team members on selected functions as may be required.
• Carry out any other duties as may be required by UNFPA leadership.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

• Completed Secondary Level Education required.
• First level university degree is desirable in accounting, business administration, finance, public administration, information technology, economics or related fields.
• Professional certification or membership of a professional association in accounting

Knowledge and Experience: 

• Seven years of relevant experience in administration, finance or office management.
• Relevant experience in providing financial management services and operational system.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems and ERP financials;
• Experience of IPSAS or IFRS is an added advantage
• A thorough understanding of the UN system in general, and especially UNFPA mandate, its policies and operations and current development topics and political issues in SWEDD Countries will be an added advantage
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team

Languages: 

• Fluency in English and Frenc

Required Competencies: 

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity,
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
• Embracing cultural diversity,
• Embracing change

Core Competencies: 

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,

Functional Competencies:

• Advocacy/Advancing a policy-oriented agenda
• Implementing management systems.
• Business acumen and ability to multi-task and balance competing priorities.
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/ building strategic alliances and partnerships
• Finance and Accounts Management
• Delivering results-based programmes
• Technical Understanding of the areas of work
• People Management and Leadership
• Managing financial processes
• Proficiency in current office and multimedia software applications

Compensation and Benefits:

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

Disclaimer: 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters or offers may be submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm

In accordance with the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in the international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.