Senior Finance Assistant (SC 6), Kyiv

Senior Finance Assistant Parent Sector : Field Office Duty Station: Ukraine Job Family: Finances Type of contract : Non Staff Level : Level 3 Duration of contract : 6 months subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds Recruitment open to : Internal and external candidates Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 17/02/2025 UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST Under the overall authority of the Liaison Officer of the UNESCO Antenna in Kyiv, the guidance and direct supervision of the Finance and Administrative Project Officer (AO), the Senior Finance Assistant shall undertake administrative & financial tasks ensuring adherence to UNESCO financial rules, policies and controls. S/he shall work closely with other team members to ensure to ensure effective and efficient service delivery. The incumbent shall perform the following duties and responsibilities: FINANCIAL:

• Responsible for the processing of financial transactions in line with established financial rules and regulations. Co-ordinates with others on related issues during transactional processing.
• Reviews incoming payment requests, scrutinizes supporting documents for relevancy, completeness & accuracy in line with applicable policies, procedures, rules and regulations.
• Conduct pre-qualification of payment request posting eligibility reviews within delegated authority in accordance with established financial rules and policies ensuring due diligence, adherence and compliance to controls.
• Verifies accuracy of payment/wire postings. Audits transactional activity to ensure accuracy of disbursement postings and adherence to relevant financial regulations and internal practices.
• Conduct pre-periodic reviews and analysis of accounting data. Identifies anomalies and initiates corrective action as appropriate. Flags complex matters and issues that may impact financial risks/liability to the supervisor for guidance.
• Analyzes and monitors open Outstanding items (ULOs) in travel, FRN, Contracts, SES, & unposted payments. Initiates corrective action.

BUDGETING:

• Assists Administrative Officer (AO) in budget preparations. Undertakes research and consolidates cost estimates for Budget proposals development.
• Assists AO in budget execution and expenditure monitoring/reporting.
• Ensures procurement requisitions are in line with authorized budgets and agency financial rules and regulations.
• May certify financial commitments and payments (where applicable) within delegated authority ensuring adherence to established Controls & budget availability.
• Assists in cash flow computations to guide periodic replenishment.
• Liaises with BFM/AP and other units on outstanding payment items and rejected payment instructions.

GENERAL:

• Extracts financial data from SAP. Runs various reports for management review as requested.
• Responds to queries. Drafts correspondence in relation to budgetary and financial matters for management review and/or internal clients/stakeholders.
• Supports AO office in enforcing quality assurance standards particularly with regard to IPSAS financial accounting transacting, ensuring adherence to established checks & controls.
• Ensures all relevant supporting records are maintained online in SAP and DUO backend for audit trail.
• Drafts or prepares correspondence to respond to inquiries in respect to relevant financial and budgetary matters. Maintains up to date e-files.
• Assists with data collection and analysis, preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing. Responds to queries and contributes to knowledge building and management.
• Supports review of travel & procurement requests in accordance with ADMIN manuals and agency financial rules.
• May provide logistical and administrative backstopping support as necessary.
• Performs other related duties as required by Unit Chief.

Long Description Long Description Long Description COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial) Accountability (C) Communication (C) Innovation (C) Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C) Planning and organizing (C) Results focus (C) Teamwork (C) - For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework . REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS Education: Bachelors degree in the field of Finance or Accounting. Business Administration degree may be considered with course work in finance and/or accounting. Work Experience:

• 5 - 8 years progressive experience in finance, budget or accounting or business administration.
• Demonstrated knowledge of accounting principles with experience in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) financial systems.
• Progressive experience in payment and payroll posting, accounts reconciliations and financial reporting.
• Ability to interpret financial and administrative policies to guide accurate application.
• Ability to extract, interpret, analyze, and format data across all finance & budget functions.

Skills:

• Good negotiating skills to resolve conflict. Ability to shape and influence agreements with requisitioning units.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks simultaneously. Ability to work under stress and manage competing priorities.
• Ability to listen effectively, correctly interpret messages/queries from others and respond appropriately providing accurate guidance.
• Ability to work collaboratively with others in a team environment to achieve organizational goals ensuring confidentiality and discerning sensitive data.

Languages: Excellent knowledge (written and spoken) of English and Ukrainian. DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS Education: MBA and/or Professional accounting certification (e.g. ACCA, CPA) is desirable. Work Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years progressive experience in finance, budget or accounting.
• Knowledge and experience in International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) is desirable.
• Experience with integrated business intelligence systems for data analytics and reporting is desirable.

BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS Estimate Monthly Salary: 1.848 USD + reimbursement of medical insurance and pension up to 15% + danger pay (623 USD) subject to decisions by ICSC. SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted. The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview. UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates. Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided. Footer UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of staff members shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity. UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. UNESCO is committed to achieving and sustaining equitable and diverse geographical distribution, as well as gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Candidates from non- and under-represented Member States ( last update here ) are particularly welcome and strongly encouraged to apply. Individuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. Worldwide mobility is required for staff members appointed to international posts. UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. Please note that UNESCO is a non-smoking Organization.