Job Title: Finance Officer
Organization: United Nations Regional Service Centre Entebbe (RSCE)
Grade: FS6
Duty Station: Entebbe, Uganda
Vacancy Announcement Number: 14-FIN-RSCE-38900-R-ENTEBBE (M)
Reports to: Service Delivery Manager
About RSCE:
The Regional Service Centre Steering Committee is the decision-making body for RSCE, in compliance with General Assembly resolutions, United Nations Secretariat rules and regulations, strategic guidance from United Nations Headquarters and oversight bodies. The Steering Committee consults with the Global Field Support Strategy Implementation Coordination Team, as required.
The Regional Service Centre, as approved by the Member States, is owned, managed and staffed by the regional missions it serves. This framework reinforces the existing missions’ chain of command structures and lines of authority in a manner that does not create an additional layer between Headquarters and the regional missions. It also ensures that staffing for RSCE will be achieved through the redeployment of resources from the regional missions it serves.
Key Duties and Responsibilities: Within delegated authority, the Finance Officer will carry out the following duties:
- Accounts:
- Treasury/Cashier:
- General:
- Keenly reviews and verifies the closing of monthly accounts and preparation of financial statements for submission to Headquarters.
- Intuitively verifies the data reported in the financial statements.
- Scrutinizes source documents for completeness, accuracy and validity of charges.
- Reviews and approves various vouchers and accounting transactions, e.g., payroll, payment of staff entitlements, final payments, travel claims, vendor invoices, agencies, field missions, etc., to ensure adherence to relevant staff rules, financial regulations and rules, guidelines or practices.
- Maintains internal control procedures to ensure vouchers are processed and correctly posted (in SunSystems).
- Investigates erroneous charges and takes appropriate corrective accounting actions.
- Reviews and reconciles suspense accounts and ensure proper clearance procedures have been followed.
- Intuitively reviews and verifies bank reconciliations on a monthly basis.
- Keenly examines details of income, expenditure, assets and liability from accounting system in order to analyze and verify accuracy and validity.
- Examines the validity of requests for increases in petty cash levels; approve disbursement vouchers to replenish petty cash accounts.
- Approves the recording of obligations (in the SunSystems).
- Serves as Approving Officer for the Finance Section.
- Supervises other General Service or Field Service staff as required.
- Quickly responds to queries from staff members and third parties.
- Monitors/reviews methods used to remit payments and supervises investigation of non-receipt of payments.
- Responsible for monitoring the transmittal of payments worldwide.
- Intuitively reviews incoming payment instructions with regard to banking details and sources of funds.
- Prepares payments for final disbursement by Cashier.
- Monitors the dispatch of payment instructions and cheques to banks.
- Verifies receipts and deposit slips for all incoming funds.
- Supports staff members regarding queries on payment and deposit-related issues.
- Identifies and annotate bank account movements.
- Support the Chief of Unit/Section in cash management, including preparing cash flow forecasts.
- Investigates complaints of non-receipt.
- Monitors cheque stock and cash receipt vouchers and requests for new stock as required.
- Ensures that cash in the vault are accounted for on a daily basis.
- In the absence of a Chief Cashier, oversee the daily operation of the Cashier’s Unit including the transmittal of payments.
- Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to programme, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures.
- Offers technical guidance and training (including preparation of training materials) to junior staff with respect to transaction processing and the use of various systems such as Funds Management Tools (FMT), SUN and PROGEN.
- Drafts/verifies memoranda and/or cables relevant to financial and budget matters to various offices, departments and missions.
Performs other related duties, as assigned.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- The ideal candidates for the United Nations Regional Service Centre Finance Officer should hold a high school diploma or equivalent. Technical or vocational certificate in accounting, finance, budget or related fields is required. All candidates may be required to take basic accounting and mathematical tests to determine their eligibility for this position.
- A minimum of ten 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. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five years for candidates who possess a first level University Degree.
- Five or more years’ experience approving education grant advances and claims, is required.
Languages: Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required.
Personal Competencies:
Professionalism:
- Knowledge in the use and application of the Organization’s financial regulations and rules as well as accounting policies and practices.
- Knowledge, skills and ability to extract, interpret, analyse and apply data across the full range of finance, accounting, treasury 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.
- Ability to plan and achieve the unit’s operations and objectives
- 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.
- Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
Teamwork:
- Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals
- Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others
- Places team agenda before personal agenda
- Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position
- Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings
Planning & Organizing:
- Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies
- Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required
- Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work
- Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning
- Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary
- Uses time efficiently
Accountability:
- Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments
- Delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards
- Operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules
- Supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments
- Takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.
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 clients.
Managing Performance:
- Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority
- Ensure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member
- Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills
- Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines
- Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff
- Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative
- Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff
- Appraises performance fairly
How to Apply for the job:
All suitably qualified candidates who wish to join the United Nations in the aforementioned capacity should apply online by visiting the web link below.
Deadline: 17th December, 2014
