FINANCE ASSISTANT

The Department of Operational Support (DOS) was established to provide end-to-
end operational support, advisory services and other solutions to operating
entities across the Secretariat, including departments, offices away from
headquarters, peace operations, and regional commissions. Under the strategic
guidance of the Department of Operational Support (DOS), the Kuwait Joint
Support Office provides efficient and client-oriented services with the goal
of moving transactional, non-location dependent administrative functions from
its client entities. These include transactional elements of human resources,
finance, travel and payroll.

This position is located in the United Nations Kuwait Joint Support Office
(KJSO). The incumbent will report to the Chief of Payroll Officer under the
general guidance of the Office of Chief KJSO.
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Finance Assistant will be responsible for the
following duties:

Payroll
* Process monthly payrolls and final pay as well as approve and release offcycle payments for National Staff and Individual Uniform Personnel (IUPs).
* Approve of off cycle payments of relocation grant and settling-in-grant for International Staff.
* Approve travel expense reports for all personnel category as well as relevant payments to individual contractors and consultants.
* Reissue rejected and returned payroll deposits for National Staff and IUPs.

Accounts
* Perform the monthly and yearly closing procedures in Umoja ERP
* Analyze complex/unusual accounting transactions and difficult claims for travel, invoices and entitlement matters, etc. and make recommendations to the Team Leader or Chief Payroll Officer on appropriate follow-up procedures.
* Review and reconcile all open-item-managed (OIM) accounts and investigate erroneous/invalid entries to take appropriate corrective accounting action.
* Review various vouchers and accounting transactions, e.g., payroll, payment of staff entitlements, final payments, travel claims, vendor invoices, agencies, field missions, etc., to ensure conformity adherence to relevant staff rules, financial regulations and rules, ST/AI issuances or practices.
* Issue of invoice to agencies through Service Delivery Module, and generate periodic report to review the agencies/missions balances.
* Review prior and current budget period commitments for review, recommitment and cancellation of outstanding commitments.
* Respond to queries from staff members and third parties.

Payments
* Verify that the necessary goods and services have been received in accordance with the contract, agreement, purchase order or other form of undertaking by which they were ordered and that they have been certified by a duly designated certifying officer before vouchers are submitted to approving officers for further review and approval.
* Review and prepare payments to staff and vendors for goods and services, including checking payments for accuracy and correcting any discrepancies.
* Review the computation of staff members regarding their entitlements, including salaries, claims, danger pay, daily subsistence allowance, mission subsistence allowance, voluntary living allowance and any other allowances, and prepare vouchers.
* Assist in preparing of the year-end reports for the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) on all pension contributions made by locally-recruited staff.

Treasury/Cashier
* Review incoming payment instructions with regard to banking details and sources of funds.
* Release payments from a House Bank in the Umoja ERP
* Prepare and disburse payments/cheques.
* Dispatch payment instructions and cheques to banks.
* Prepare receipts and deposit slips for all incoming funds.
* Notify payees of status of payments.
* Identify and annotate bank account movements and monitors bank balances of the mission's accounts.
* Assist in cash management, including preparing cash flow forecasts.
* Assist to make sure cash in vault are accounted for on a daily basis.
* Monitor cheque stock and cash receipt vouchers and requests for new stock as required.
* Monitor/review methods used to remit payments.
* Coordinate filing and archiving as required.

Budget
* Review, analyse and prepare cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements, including programmatic aspects.
* Assist managers in the justification of resource requirements for budget submissions; coordinate with other finance and budget staff on related issues during preparation of the budget reports.
* Monitor budget implementation/expenditures and assist with the reallocation of funds as necessary.
* Monitor extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures.
* Assist in preparation of budget performance submissions and finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
* Verify accuracy of input data, ensuring consistency of data in previous allotments to new allotments issued.
* Provide inputs into the preparation of allotments and prepare redeployment requests.

General
* Keep up-to-date on guidelines that have bearing on matters related to programme/peacekeeping budgets, ensuring compliance with United Nations policies and procedures.
* Draft or prepare correspondence to respond to enquiries in respect to financial and budget matters.
* Provide guidance and training (including preparation of training materials) to junior staff with respect to transaction processing and the use of various systems such as Umoja ERP System (SAP).
* Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor(s).
Competencies
Professionalism:
Knowledge of payroll, accounting, finance and budget functions and treasury
operations. Ability to analyse and apply data across the full range of
finance, accounting and budget functions. Demonstrated use of initiative and
ability to make appropriate linkages in work processes and anticipate next
steps showing skills and ability to analyse and interpret financial data.
Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence
and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting
commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by
professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with
difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.

Communication:
Speaks and writes clearly and effectively
Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds
appropriately
Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way
communication
Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience
Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed

Client Orientation:
Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients " and seeks
to see things from clients' point of view; Establishes and maintains
productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect ;
Identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; Monitors
ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep
informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or
setbacks in projects; Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to
client.
Education
High school diploma or equivalent is required. Technical or vocational
certificate in accounting, finance, budget business administration, public
administration or related fields is a requirement.
Job - Specific Qualification
Technical or vocational certificate in accounting, finance, budget business
administration, public administration or related fields is required.
Work Experience
A minimum of eight (‎8) years of progressively responsible experience within
the United Nations system or in the private sector at the national or
international level in accounting, budgeting or financial management is
required.

A minimum of three (‎3) years of experience with the HCM module of SAP,
PeopleSoft, or similar ERP systems is required.

A minimum of two (‎2) years of experience in a Service Center is desirable.

A minimum of three (‎3) years of experience in Finance and Budget in a UN
Peacekeeping or Special Political Mission is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations
Secretariat.
For this position, fluency in English is required.
Knowledge of Arabic is desirable.

Note: "Fluency" equals a rating of 'fluent' in all four areas (speak, read,
write, and understand) and "Knowledge of" equals a rating of 'confident' in
two of the four areas.
Assessment
Previously rostered candidates are not subject to any further assessment and
as such, will not be invited for such an assessment.
Special Notice
This "Recruit from Roster" job opening is only open to roster applicants who
are already placed on pre-approved rosters, following a review by a United
Nations Central Review Body. Only roster applicants who were placed on rosters
with similar functions at the same level are considered to be eligible
candidates. Eligible applicants receive an email inviting them to apply.
Rostered applicants are encouraged to apply only if they are interested and
available to take up the position at the duty station/s specified in the Job
Opening. Applying to this job opening carries an expectation to accept the
offer, if selected.

At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and
employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of
efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity.
All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and
organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse
and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and
employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race,
religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable
accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support
participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the
application.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving ‎50/‎50 gender balance
and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly
encouraged to apply for this position.

Staff Members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to
assignment by him or her. In this context, all Staff are expected to move
periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established
rules and procedures.
United Nations Considerations
According to 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.
Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if
they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations
of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or
sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they
have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term "sexual
exploitation" means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of
vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including,
but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the
sexual exploitation of another. The term "sexual abuse" means the actual or
threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under
unequal or coercive conditions. The term "sexual harassment" means any
unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be
perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with
work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or
offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the
termination of the perpetrator's working relationship. Candidates who have
committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for
employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a
geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on
the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under
conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United
Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon
request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of
staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency,
competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United
Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General
and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United
Nations in accordance with staff regulation ‎1.2 (c). In this context, all
internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically
to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions
established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the
online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants
may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking
on "Manuals" hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder
homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information
submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job
opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations
including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General
Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and
guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information
pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the
instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening.
No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to
applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration
for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information
provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at ‎11:59 p.m.
(New York time) on the deadline date.
No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT
PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED
NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS' BANK ACCOUNTS.