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Job Title:   Finance Senior Officer

Organisation: United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

Duty Station:  Kampala, Uganda

About US:

United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)’s mission is to expand the capacity of the UN system and its partners to implement peace building, humanitarian and development operations that matter for people in need. Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, UNOPS vision is to always satisfy partners with management services that meet world-class standards of quality, speed and cost effectiveness. By assisting UN organizations, international financial institutions, governments and other development partners, UNOPS makes significant, tangible contributions to results on the ground.

Job Summary:  Under the overall management of the Head of Support Services and direct supervision of the Support Services Officer, the Finance Senior Officer provides advisory, management and planning services to ensure compliant planning, administration and management (including budget, treasury and cash management) of the Business Unit’s financial resources; and maintains oversight and control of Programme financial activities, providing value-added advisory services. This role provides support to the ESO and its field programmes in the region.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Ensures administration and implementation of operational strategies, adapts processes and procedures focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Full compliance with UN/UNOPS 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.
• Implementation of cost sharing and trust fund agreements, elaboration of conditions of contributions within the office’s resource mobilization efforts.
• Implementation of cost saving and reduction strategies in consultations with office management.

Budget preparation and management: Ensures and is accountable for the following:

• Coordination of the preparation of the field operating budget; review of budget submissions, regular analysis and reporting on the budget approvals and the delivery situation; monitoring of expenditures against budget allotments and reporting on variances.
• Identification of administrative budgetary requirements; provision of guidance on guidelines for budget preparation.
• Review and update of guidelines, procedures in light of changing circumstances or for the purpose of complying, streamlining and/or strengthening of existing financial and budgetary procedures.
• Review, analysis and revision of data with respect to the finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements submitted by project managers; review of budget proposals for reasonableness, consistency with the organizational goals and priorities.
• Monitoring of budget implementation, expenditure levels against allotments and determination/recommendation of reallocation of funds when necessary.
• Status of budgetary allocations monitored on an ongoing basis; networking with clients to strengthen budget management and take corrective actions when required. Provision of information to supervisors and other UNOPS colleagues at HQ on the results of the investigation when satisfactory answers are not obtained.
• Collaboration in the improvement of the UNOPS Project Budget formulation system, with the cooperation of the Information Technology, ensuring relevance of system at all times by updating and proposing change to facilitate financial management of project and enhance financial reporting.
• Review and appropriate recommendations with respect to the finalization of budget performance reports, analyzing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.

Cash management: Ensures and is accountable for the following:

• Organization and oversight of cash management processes, timely accounting and reconciliation of all transactions, security for cash assets on site.
• Timely review of cash balances for local petty cash and operational advance accounts to ensure sufficient funds on hand for disbursements; identification and recording of receipts for expense application.
• Building of project capacity to effect payments using ERP/OneUNOPS and/or Imprest Accounts.
• Monitoring of the delivery and applications of the Funds to project PC/OA accounts.
• Discussion and communication with the project support colleagues on the savings or potential concerns that may require further review.

Accounts and payments: Ensures and is accountable for the following:

• Analysis and elaboration of proposals for the internal expenditures’ control system which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in ERP; payrolls are duly prepared; travel claims and other entitlements are duly processed.
• Quality control of the account by performing ongoing review, analysis and reconciliation of accounts. Investigation of discrepancies and initiation of timely corrective actions on unposted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers. Timely response to HQ requests to resolve financial data issues.
• Control of the Accounts Receivables for UNOPS projects and follow up with partners on contributions, maintenance of the General Ledger.
• Ensuring proper maintenance of the field financial accounts; preparation of financial records, statements and reports as required or approval of the work of subordinates; coordination of field replies to internal and external audit queries.
• Ensuring proper receipt, management, safeguarding and disbursement of payments handled by the field; review, modification, initiation and implementation of internal control procedures in coordination with Headquarters.
• Proper control of the supporting documents for payments; preparation of all types of vouchers; Pay Cycle and payments execution.
• Support in preparation of timely financial reports for submission to the funding agency in accordance with UNOPS rules, and in line with the established procedures.
• Monitoring of financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions and investigation of anomalies or unusual transactions.

Knowledge building and knowledge sharing:

• Organize, facilitate and/or deliver training and learning initiatives for personnel on Finance related topics.
• Contribute to Financial management knowledge networks and communities of practice by providing collaborative synthesis of lessons learnt and dissemination of best practices in financial management.
• Collect feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices and utilize productively.

Team Management:

• Facilitate the engagement and provision of high quality results and services of the team supervised through effective performance management, coaching, and promotion of learning and development.
• Provide oversight, ensuring compliance by team members with existing policies and best practices.

Impact of Results:

• The effective and successful achievement of results by the Finance Senior Officer 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.

Functions / Key Results Expected

• Implementation of operational strategies and procedures
• Budget Preparation and Management
• Operational Advance and Petty Cash Management
• Control of Accounts and Payments
• Team Management
• Knowledge Building and Sharing

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The applicant must hold an Advanced University Degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) with 2 years of relevant experience OR a First Level University Degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) with 4 years of relevant experience is required.
• Relevant experience is defined as experience in professional-level budgeting with responsibility for project budget planning and preparation of financial statements in an international organization providing financial management services.
• Experience with ERP (particularly Agresso) is desired.
• Experience with MS Office and financial management software is considered an asset.
• Language: Fluency in English (Reading, Speaking & Writing) is required. Knowledge of another official UNOPS language is an asset.

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified and interested candidates should apply online at the link below.

Click Here

Deadline: 17^th April 2022

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