Temporary Appointment: Finance Associate, GS-6 Level, Ha Noi, Viet Nam (for Vietnamese Nationals)

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, an opportunity…

Please click the link for further information about UNICEF Viet Nam: https://www.unicef.org/vietnam/

How can you make a difference? 

Job organizational context:

UNICEF Viet Nam is one of more than 190 offices of the United Nations Children’s Fund globally and part of the United Nations system in Viet Nam working in close collaboration with all UN agencies in the country. Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF has a universal mandate to promote and protect the rights of all children everywhere – especially those hardest to serve and most at risk.

UNICEF’s mission in Viet Nam is to make sure every child in the country is healthy, educated and safe from harm, therefore having the best start in life and a fair chance to reach her or his full potential and benefit from the country’s prosperity. We believe children have a right to live in a more equitable society, where their voices are heard and needs met as a matter of priority in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. 

As a trusted and strategic development partner, UNICEF has been active in Viet Nam since 1975 improving the lives of children and their families. The first country in Asia and the second globally to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990, Viet Nam and its children today face new and emerging challenges following a sustained and dynamic period of economic and development growth. In response, UNICEF is working with the government and partners to reduce disparities and bring about an inclusive, non-discriminatory and caring society that protects the rights of Viet Nam’s 26 million children, including the most marginalized and vulnerable ones.

Purpose for the job:

Under the supervision of the Senior Finance Associate or OIC Finance Specialist, the Finance Associate will be responsible for providing a variety of technical and specialized tasks in finance functions, ensuring accurate and timely delivery that is in compliance with UNICEF financial rules and regulations, whilst demonstrating the capacity to research, adapt and evaluate irregular cases, and also to recommend improvements to process delivery and design.

At the G-6 level, the tasks below are expected to be carried out with some level of independence.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

1.  Advises and assists on all aspects related to preparation of reports, compilation of data and answering queries on pledges recorded, funds received, adjustments made to ensure financial compliance, accuracy and completeness of data for its inclusion into statement of accounts and adjustment of budgets. Advises units of discrepancies and assists to resolve differences in their records.

2. Act as a Local Finance focal point, verify and ensure accuracy by checking invoices, making necessary calculations including all relevant data to be submitted to GSSC.

3. Maintains financial records and monitoring systems to record and reconcile expenditures, balances, payments, statements and other data for day-to-day transactions and reports.

4. Selects and enters data from a wide variety of documents, verifying and ensuring accuracy by checking sources, making necessary calculations and assuring inclusion of all relevant data.

5. Prepares recurring reports as scheduled and special reports as required for budget preparation, audits or other reasons.

6. Closes year-end account and assists in the preparation of year-end reports related to accounts receivable, accounts payable, prepayment, deposits, NEP and leave Balances (if applicable), etc.

7. Advises and assists international staff, experts and consultants on all aspects of allowances, salary advances, travel claims and other financial matters if needed before forwarding to GSSC. 

8.  Initiates correspondence to verify data, answers, queries and obtains additional information on accounts and financial transactions, as required. 

9. Maintains liaisons with officials of local banks to obtain day-to-day information on exchange and interest rates, changes in procedures and regulations, and matters pertaining to maintenance of office bank accounts. This includes preparing recurring reports and bank reconciliation.

10. Prepares detailed cost estimates, and participates in budget analysis and projects, as required.

11. Performs other duties, as required. 

This is a temporary appointment of 364 days’ contract.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education requirement:

Completion of secondary education is required. Professional and/or university courses related to the field of work are highly desirable.

For this position, a bachelor’s degree from a recognized academic institution in a relevant field may replace three years of related work experience. A master’s degree may replace additional two years.

Work Experience: 

Minimum six years of clerical experience in the area of finance and accounting is required.

Language Requirements: 

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chines, French, Russian or Spanish) or local language of the duty station is considered an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with Others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drive to Achieve Impactful Results (1)
• Manages Ambiguity and Complexity (1)

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/

Life at UNICEF

Working at UNICEF is highly rewarding. With attractive remuneration package encompassing competitive pay and benefits, a culture that helps staff thrive and diverse opportunities for personal and professional development, we aim to help you maintain a fulfilling life both at and outside the office.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff. Our contracts, wellbeing policies and initiatives ensure that you are well equipped to effectively deliver for children such as:

Tax exemption, family allowances, hardship benefits, 10 UN holidays and annual leave allowance, maternity, paternity, adoption leave, medical and dental insurance, pension etc.

Pension benefits: You will become a participant in the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (https://www.unjspf.org).

Health insurance scheme: You and your eligible dependents will be covered by the UN Medical Insurance Plan (https://www.un.org/insurance/plans/medical-insurance-plan-mip).

Career support, staff wellbeing programme, breastfeeding policy, flexible work arrangements, family support, policies & initiatives, security, reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

Professional Development: The encouragement of professional development for all staff is one of UNICEF’s core values and we put this into practice through various services and initiatives. You will have different learning opportunities to strengthen your skills and competencies.

Be part of the United Nations: As an International organization that is part of the United Nations system, you will be considered an International Civil Servant and you will have career opportunities inside and outside the country.

Quality working conditions:

The workplace and working conditions are a huge asset for all UNICEF employees. Our staff are working in the Green One UN House – the first building in Viet Nam to be awarded gold LOTUS certification from the Viet Nam Green Building Council for efficient and environmentally sustainable use of resources and operations.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility jobs-near-me.org UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

https://vietnam.un.org/en/86207-announcement-time-hire-un-agencies-viet-nam-national-positions