Finance Specialist | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Summary of responsibilities:

1. Implementation of operational and financial management strategies
2. Budget planning and management
3. Accounting management
4. Cash and treasury management
5. Financial reporting
6. Team Management
7. Knowledge building and knowledge sharing
8. 
   1. Implementation  of operational and financial management strategies

Ensures the implementation of the operational and financial management, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Lead the MCOs  finance business processes mapping and elaboration/establishment of internal standard operating procedures; control of the workflows in the Multi country Office projects.
• Advice to senior management on sound financial resources management.
• Provide guidance on  requirements for handling transactions concerning UNOPS’ financial practices and rules.
• Continuous analysis and monitoring of the financial situation, presentation of financial statuses of the MCO admin projects, and provide recommendations on appropriate measures to ensure financial sustainability of the Country Offices under the MCO.
• Develop a financial database and financial management information system for the MCO that supports budgeting, planning in a way that enables UNOPS to respond to the financial reporting requirements of the funding partner.
• Full compliance of financial activities, financial recording/reporting system and audit follow up with UN/UNOPS rules, regulations, policies and strategies and IPSAS standards.
• Implementation of the effective internal control, proper design and functioning of the financial resources management system.
• Monitoring of financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions and investigation of anomalies or unusual transactions.
• Proper planning, expenditure tracking and control on the utilization of the MCOs financial resources
• Elaboration and implementation of cost saving and reduction strategies.
• Support the MCO during project audits.

2. Budget planning and management 

Manages the ETMCOs budgets focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Financial resources management through planning, guiding, controlling of the resources in accordance with UNOPS rules and regulations.
• Preparation and monitoring of the project’s budget.
• Advice on budget revisions upon authorization by the Senior Management (can be done only on the basis of signed documents and project budgets).
• Elaboration of proper mechanisms to eliminate deficiencies in budget management.
• Preparation of Budget variance reports

3. Accounting Management

Ensures effective accounting systems focusing on achievement of the following results in compliance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and UNOPS policies and procedures:

• Elaboration of the internal control framework which ensures that payment requests ( RFP) are  processed are e-matched and completed, financial transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Enterprise system ( ERP); travel claims and other entitlements are duly processed and timely receipting of goods and services in the ERP system.
• Timely accounting and reconciliation of all transactions security for cash assets on site.
• Advice on proper management of the contributions management business process and accounting for contributions to ensure that funds due to UNOPS are properly identified, consistently and uniformly classified, recorded on a timely basis and received with sufficient supporting documentation
• Timely corrective actions on unposted payment requests , including RFP’s with budget and fund check errors, match exceptions and  unapproved payment vouchers. Follow up with HQ for timely resolutions on finance  requests.

4. Cash and Treasury Management

Ensures effective cash management systems focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Monitoring of financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions and investigation of anomalies or unusual transactions. Provision of information to supervisors and other UNOPS staff at HQ on the results of the investigation when satisfactory answers are not obtained.
• Primary contact with local bank management on routine operational matters.
• Efficient local banking and/or treasury arrangements and compliance with local financial and banking regulations.

5. Financial Reporting 

• Prepare Monthly and Quarterly Interim Financial Reports (IFR’s) for both the Senior Management and the Client, in the prescribed format.
• Approval of Contribution’s Tranche requests, in prescribed format and on the ERP to apply funds to projects.

6. Team Management

• Facilitate the engagement and provision of high quality results and services of the team supervised through effective recruitment, work planning, performance management, coaching, and promotion of learning and development.
• Provide oversight, ensuring compliance by team members with existing policies and best practices.
• Ensure principles of human rights, gender equity, peace, voice and accountability, ‘doing no harm’ and aid effectiveness in all activities.
• Create, foster and role model a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse. Ensure accountability for actions and perform duties in accordance with protection mechanisms and action plans, as expected by UNOPS policies, standards and commitments.

7. Knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• Provide strategic guidance and on-the-job training to ensure work standards are achieved, both in terms of quality and quantity of inputs/outputs processed.
• Lead, approve and conduct initiatives on capacity development and knowledge building for Finance personnel, including network development, plans, learning plans and activities, Finance practice information and best practice benchmarking.
• Oversee team’s contributions to Finance knowledge networks and communities of practice including collaborative synthesis of lessons learnt and dissemination of best practices in human resources management.
• Guide team’s collection of feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices and utilize productively.

Impacts of results.

The effective and successful achievement of results by the Finance Specialist directly impact on the availability of UNOPS’ financial resources to effectively develop and implement the organization’s programmes and projects.  It enhances the organization’s financial and programme performance, demonstrating UNOPS’ effective stewardship of donor and partner funds. These promote the credibility of the organization as an effective service provider in project services and management.

 Education/Experience/Language requirements