Finance Analyst

Position Purpose

Under the overall guidance of Programme Management Support Specialist and direct supervision of Programme Finance Specialist, the Finance Analyst is responsible for the effective and transparent utilization of financial resources and integrity of financial services. The Finance Analyst promotes a client- oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations. He/she analyzes and interprets the financial rules and regulations and provides solutions to a wide spectrum of complex financial issues. The Finance Analyst promotes a collaborative, client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

The incumbent is part of the Programme Management Support Unit of the Country Office and works in close collaboration with the operations, program, and partnership section of the Country Office as required for optimal project implementation. S/he is also responsible for maintaining a revenue management system, contribute to the accuracy in donor reporting and pipeline management from contributions point of view and timely quarter and annual financially reporting.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. This is a recognition of the interconnected nature of development risks and crises that the world is facing and that calls for assembling of multidisciplinary teams for an integrated and systemic response. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration

The incumbent will approach work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude and display a strong client orientation. As such s/he will display flexibility in performing other emerging tasks and additional duties as required.

Duties and Responsibilities

Ensures implementation of operational and financial management strategies, and adapts processes and procedures

• 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.
• Prepare CO Finance business processes mapping and elaboration/establishment of internal Standard Operating Procedures in Finance, control of the workflows in the Finance Unit.
• Elaborate the framework and conditions of contributions within the CO resources mobilization efforts.
• Elaborate and implement cost saving and reduction strategies.
• Routinely monitor financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, and investigate anomalies or unusual transactions. Inform supervisors and other UNDP staff at Headquarters of the results of the investigation when satisfactory answers are not obtained.

Maintains revenue management system; maintaining donor contribution agreements; development of donor profiles and updating of the pipeline table

• Review of cost sharing and trust fund agreements to ensure compliance with corporate policies and procedures.
• Regularly monitoring of contribution receivable account balances and milestone status for all contribution agreements. If needed, follow-up with partners on past due contributions. Timely submission of required supporting documents and service requests on Oracle CX/Quantum/Quantum+ for GSSU’s action on revenue management, such as, record contribution agreements, prepare AR pending items, and apply deposits.
• Assist in analyzing and researching on donors’ information, identification of opportunities for cost-sharing on donors, preparation of donor’s profile.
• Follow up on the resource mobilization activities, income and reporting schedules and assist on timely donor reporting.
• Provide advice to programme and project staff on different donor reporting requirements; monitoring of financial reports to be submitted to donors.
• Support to maintain and update the CO partners’ database and donor profiles and briefing notes on key partners, including government counterparts, donors, and the academia, in close coordination with partnership unit and programme unit.
• Ensure all the contribution agreements are archived and UNDP SharePoint is updated with finalized documents.
• Keeping track of all cost sharing (donor agreements) through a database to ensure sufficient and reliable data availability.

Supports with monitoring partner agreements, ensuring compliance with partner and corporate requirements and monitor pipeline management

• Support CO pipeline management, including ensuring monitoring the pipeline management in UNITY, in close coordination with partnership unit and other programme unit.
• Monitor management of partner agreements, including cost-sharing contributions.
• Support the HACT focal point in the planning and implementation of HACT.Provide guidance to projects and programmes on the use of the Standard template of contribution agreement / Letter of Agreement (LOA) / Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formats in line with prescriptive content and in consultation with the legal office for clearance if non-standard agreement is to be used.
• Facilitate negotiation of new partner agreements, including amendments.
• Provide support on government cost-sharing contributions, including new modalities for implementation in Afghanistan.

Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the CO and guidance to all stakeholders on financial matters

• Organize/conduct of training for the operations/ programme/projects staff on financial management.
• Synthetize lessons learned and best practices in financial management.
• Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Ensure Capacity building of project and program staff and counterparts:

• Provide training to new staff on Quantum and UNDP project implementation, including Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for contributions-management, pipeline management, and resources mobilization related matters.
• Advise project staff on programme finance matters, in particular, contributions-management related matters.
• Synthesize lessons learnt and best practices in contributions-management related matters.
• Recognized contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• A professional accounting qualification from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy, and/or Advanced (Master’s) University Degree in Finance and/or Accounting is required. Candidates with professional accounting qualifications from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage. OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree
• Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications, but with degrees that major in accountancy and/or finance must complete the Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited.
• Candidates satisfying the two above criteria are exempted from undertaking the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT).
• Candidates with MBA or master’s in finance with no accountancy qualification but with relevant experience must successfully undertake the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT) to be eligible for shortlisting.

Experience:

• Applicants with a master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience.
• Applicants with a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience in providing financial management services and operational systems at the national or international level.
• A sound and detailed understanding/experience of the UN environment, and the Finance and Accounting policies of UN and UNDP, is an asset.
• Experience in handling web-based performance management systems and ERP financials, including knowledge and experience of the application of IPSAS and/or IFRS is desirable.
• Proven track record of excellent interpersonal skills in a service provider environment is an advantage.
• Advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages is desired.
• Demonstrated experience building capacity of project and program staff and counterparts is an advantage.
• Experience in monitoring donor contribution agreements is an asset.
• Fluency in English is required.
• Fluency in the local language of duty station Dari and/or Pashto is required.

Source: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/24070