UNDP
Finance Associate [Open to Tier 0, 1 & 2 applicants]
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Tiered Approach
In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:
- Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
- Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
- Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
- Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates
Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.
Background
The Global Shared Services Centre (GSSC) within the Bureau for Management Services (BMS) supports UNDP in the promotion of its sustainable human development agenda. It achieves this by developing and making fully operational a dynamic and harmonized integrated resource management framework.
As part of this commitment, UNDP adopted International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) on 1 January 2012 and established the Global Shared Service Centre (GSSC) to serve UNDP’s network of offices (covering 166 countries around the world) in the provision of financial, accounting and procurement services. In addition to their day to-day operations, the GSSC supports UNDP’s country offices through transactions support training where needed.
Position Purpose
The Finance Associate provides financial services that ensure effective and transparent utilization of financial resources by supporting:
- Administration and implementation of operational finance strategies, processes and procedures
- Accounting and administrative support services
- Cash management
- Knowledge building and sharing
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
Duties and Responsibilities
1.) Ensures administration and implementation of operational finance strategies, processes and procedures focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Full compliance with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, and policies of financial activities, financial recording/reporting system and follow-up on audit recommendations; implementation of effective internal controls, proper functioning of a client-oriented financial resources management system.
- Finance business processes mapping and elaboration of the content of internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in Finance in consultation with office management.
- Elaboration of proposals and implementation of cost saving and reduction strategies in consultations with office management.
- Review, analyse and recommend improved work processes including collaboration with the continuous improvement team on optimization initiatives.
2.) Provides accounting and administrative support to the Finance Unit focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Proper control of the supporting documents for payments, review of financial reports for National Implementation Modality (NIM) and Direct Implementation Modality (DIM projects).
- Approval of suppliers in ERP (as a senior member of the Finance team).
- Maintenance of the internal expenditures control system which ensures that invoices processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in ERP; payrolls or other transactions are duly prepared; travel claims, MPOs and other entitlements are duly processed.
- Coordination and review of accounts closure and project closure.
- Timely corrective actions on unposted invoices, including the invoices with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved invoices. Timely response to HQ requests to resolve financial data issues.
- Maintenance of the Accounts Receivables for UNDP projects and follow up with partners on contributions.
- Timely and accurate recording of General Ledger transactions (fixed assets, cash, and others).
- Defines relevant data, processes, systems to be performed and relevant analysis by recording its activities, analysing discrepancies, and participating in continuous improvement exercises.
- Timely and accurate recording of accounting and financial records. Ensures completeness of Revenue and Treasury operations for UNDP and other organizations served by UNDP.
- Conducts accounts analysis between sub-system and GL in ERP, to prepare accounts reconciliations, identify differences and take corrective actions.
- Generate monthly reports for Agencies and timely address rejections of charges from agencies.
- Provide guidance to new joiners and junior personnel as needed.
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3.) Ensures proper processing of payments and cash management focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Timely identification and recording of receipts for income application.
- Timely and accurate preparation of bank reconciliations.
- Liaise with Cos to certify their local bank balances.
- Review and record bank transfers and deals for approval and settlements.
- Process pays cycle in ERP for emergency cases.
- Support Cos to resolve failed or rejected payments.
- Support the resolution of queries related to payments.
4.) Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the Finance Unit focusing on the achievement of the following results:
- Support the organization of training for staff in the Finance Stream.
- Synthesis of lessons learned and best practices in Finance.
- Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: None
Competencies
Core Competencies:
- 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
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Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:
Finance:
- Audit (General):
- Understands how regulations and professional standards in internal and external audit underpin audit work in the public services.
- Understands the key stages of audit work, including planning, documentation, testing and reporting.
- Ability to examine and verify accounts and records.
- Understands wider mechanisms for assurance and scrutiny.
- Understands the law and best practice relating to anti-bribery and corruption controls and the fraud risks faced by public bodies.
- 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 planning and budgeting:
- Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP's long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analysing and reporting
- 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.
Business Development:
- Knowledge Generation:
- Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.
- Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.
Business Direction & Strategy:
- Business Acumen:
- Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome.
- Ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks.
- Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization.
Business Management:
- Operations Management:
- Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the Organization’s business processes in order to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner.
- Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Secondary Education with specialized certification in accounting and/or Finance is required.
- University degree in Finance or Accounting desirable.
- Part-qualified accountants from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage.
- Fully Qualified Accountant, from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy or Full Completion of the UNDP Finance Training and Certification
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