Programme Finance Analyst

Background
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UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Under the overall guidance and supervision of DRR/ OM, the Programme Finance Analyst is responsible for effective and transparent utilization of financial resources and integrity of financial services. The Programme Finance Analyst promotes a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations. He/she analyzes and interprets the financial rules and regulations and provides solutions to a wide spectrum of complex financial issues. The Programme Finance Analyst promotes a collaborative, client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

The Programme Finance Analyst works in close collaboration with the operations, programme and project teams in the Country Office (CO) and with UNDP HQs staff and Government officials ensuring successful Country Office (CO) performance in Finance.

The Programme Finance Analyst will supervise, lead and support the Financial Resources Management Unit.

Position Purpose

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the OM/DRR, the Programme Finance Analyst is responsible for delivery of programme finance services to ensure effective and transparent utilization of financial resources and integrity of financial services in the Country Office. The Programme Finance Analyst promotes a collaborative, client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

The Programme Finance Analyst supervises and leads the finance staff unit. The Programme Finance Analyst works in close collaboration with the Programme, Operations, and project teams in the CO, and staff in UNDP JOR CO, and GSSC to resolve complex programme, finance, and operations-related issues as well as to ensure successful CO financial management performance.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration

Duties and Responsibilities

• Ensures implementation of operational and financial management strategies, and adapts processes and procedures focusing on achievement of the following results:
  • Full compliance with UN/UNDP 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.
  •    CO Finance business processes mapping and elaboration of the content of internal Standard Operating Procedures in Finance under the supervision of the Finance Specialist
  •    Continuous analysis and monitoring of the financial situation, presentation of forecasts for development and management projects, monitoring of financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, including dashboards.
  • Puts in place and oversees processes to identify, develop solutions and act upon project-level operational and financial. 
  • Contribute of the CO annual workplan and target setting
  • Ensure month payroll transactions are being timely posted and clear and expectations that might occur in a timely manner, 
  • Advise and elaborate on proper mechanisms to eliminate deficiencies in budget management.
  • Collaborate on the design and implementation of cost-recovery mechanism and monitor cost-recovery income.
  • Facilitate CO Programme Finance business processes mapping and elaboration of the content of standard operating procedures in programme finance in consultation with office management.
  • Routinely monitor financial exception reports for unusual activities and/or transactions, investigate anomalies, and inform senior CO management when satisfactory answers are not obtained.
  • Preparation and monitoring of the management budget; regular analysis and reporting on the budget approvals and delivery situation and control of budgetary status versus authorized spending limits (ASL).
  • Analysis and elaboration of proposals on cost saving and reduction strategies.
  • Ensure the functioning and collection of the cost recovery and billing for the services provided to the UN agencies. 
  • Manage and supervise the Financial Resources Management Unit including workload analysis and distribution, preparation of unit workplans, coaching, and annual performance assessment. Contribute of the CO annual workplan and target setting
  • Acting as focal point for the HACT audit and preparing  the annual Audit plan for the selected projects for the year according to the NIM Audit criteria
• Ensure effective CO programme finance management and optimal cost recovery. 
  • Develop, implement, and follow up on Programme Portfolio Pipeline and Project Tree in ERP. Ensure programme financial resources management through planning, guiding, controlling of the resources. Prepare and monitor development projects’ budgets.
  • Oversee ERP matching, implement effective internal controls, and ensure proper functioning of a client-oriented financial resource management system. Implement control mechanisms for development projects by monitoring budget preparation and modifications, and budgetary status versus Authorized Spending Level (ASL). Follow up with HQ on ASL for development projects.
  • Analyze requirements and synthesize proposals on proper mechanisms to eliminate deficiencies in budget management.
  • Ensure Control of Combined Delivery, regular monitoring of the CO delivery, and control of Accounts Receivables for UNDP projects.
  • Exercise delegated manager authorities in ERP.
  • Provide advice on administrative and programme reporting, particularly on budgetary issues, and prepare reports. Monitor dashboards and exceptions; and identify remedial actions.
  • Monitor cost-recovery bills preparation in ERP for the services provided, implement the revenue tracking system, and follow up on cost recovery
• Ensures the management of projects’ budgets and organization and functioning of the optimal cost-recovery system focusing on achievement of the following results:
  • Elaboration of proposals for planning of financial resources of the CO, preparation of reports containing analysis of the financial situation.
  • Preparation and monitoring of budgets; regular analysis and reporting on the budget approvals and the delivery situation.
  • Establishment of projects’ budgets preparation/modification monitoring system, control of budgetary status versus authorized spending limits (ASL) and budgets delivery levels.
  • Implementation of the control mechanism for projects through monitoring budgets preparation and modifications, budgetary status versus ASL, follow up with HQs on ASL for projects, maintenance of the General Ledger.
  • Assist in preparation of the workplans, prepare budget revisions and ensure compliance with donor requirements in terms of budgeting and financial reporting.
  • Review, verification and reconciliation of financial data and reports to ensure accuracy and conformity with UNDP programme and operations policies procedures.
  • Monitor financing contributions and manage the programme resources.
  • Provide advice to programme and project Staff on different donor reporting requirements; and monitor financial reports to be submitted to donors.
  • Identify and escalate resources management issues related to programme and project, propose and contributing to the development of solutions.
  • Liaison with project implementation agencies and responsible parties to ensure that project financial reports are correct. 
  • Review and advise on the preparation of financial authorizations, delegation of authorities, and operationalization schemes.
  • Coordinate preparation of project documents’ drafts, work plans, budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements, through consultations with thematic teams at CO; creation of projects and awards in Quantum, preparation of required budget revisions and operational closure.
  • Organize DPC collection mechanisms for services provided by the country office through workload analysis ensure cost-sharing financing contributions are properly transferred to UNDP on a timely basis
  • Support with compliance of arrangements for project approval, revisions, and closure of projects with UNDP policies and regulations.
  • Assist in preparation of various presentations and background information on various programme related matters, and coordinates and contributes to the development of briefing materials and reports. 
  • Approval level 1 and IDAM requester
  • Acts as Certifying Officer and bank signatory.
• Ensures proper CO cash management and control CO accounts focusing on achievement of the following results
  • 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 Atlas; payrolls are duly prepared; MPOs, travel claims and other entitlements are duly processed, and receipting of goods and services and establishment of accruals are properly done in compliance with IPSAS and UNDP policies and procedures. 
  • Control of accounts closure
  • Timely response to HQ requests to resolve financial data issues.
  • Ensuring that receipting of goods and services and establishment of accruals are properly done in compliance with IPSAS and UNDP policies and procedures.
  • 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 UNDP projects and maintenance of the General Ledger.
  • Timely review of cash position for local accounts to ensure sufficient funds on hand for disbursements. Timely identification and recording of receipts for income application
• Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing and provide guidance to all stakeholders on financial matters. 
  • Organization/conduct of training for the operations/ programme/projects staff on financialmanagement.
  • Synthesis of lessons learned and best practices in Finance. 
  • Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
  • Preparation of reports synthesizing lessons learnt and good practices, including inputs for the synthesis on the implementation of the gender marker.
  • Learn from and contribute to corporate knowledge tools including related to portfolio review and innovative approaches to finance gender capacities
• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: Supervise Programme Finance staff. 
 
Competencies

Core Competencies

Achieve Results: LEVEL 2:  Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2:  Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking 

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2:  Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process

Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2:  Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2:  Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

People Management: UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Business Direction & Strategy             

• System Thinking
  • Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Business Management Portfolio 

• Management
  • Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment

Business Development           

• Knowledge Facilitation 
  • Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally

Finance             

• Accounting (General)
  • Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, regulations, policies and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.
• Financial Risk Management 
  • Ensures financial resilience through proactive assessment of risk, implementation of controls and taking mitigating action. 
  • Understands risk and reward in relation to collaborative and commercial projects. Ensures a culture of positive risk management
• Management and Cost Accounting
  • Ability to produce periodic qualitative and quantitative performance reports to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring. 
  • Ability to use a range of costing techniques and analyze cost related data to provide quantitative information to the users of reports.
• Audit Risk Management
  • Ability to address audit issues raised in the course of an audit and propose solutions in order to ensure a true and fair audit opinion is achieved.

Required Skills and Experience
 
Education:

• A professional accounting qualification from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy, and/or Advanced (Masters) University Degree in Finance and/or Accounting is required. or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Candidates with professional accounting qualifications from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage.
• Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications, but with degrees that major in accountancy and/or finance must complete the Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited.
• Candidates satisfying the two above criteria are exempted from undertaking the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT).
• Candidates with MBA or master's in finance with no accountancy qualification but with relevant experience must successfully undertake the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT) to be eligible for shortlisting

Experience:

• Minimum of 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in providing financial management services, and/or managing staff and operational systems is required. 
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheets and web-based management systems such as ERP financials and database packages is an asset.
• Experience of IPSAS and/or IFRS is required for external candidates.
• Relevant experience in providing project/ programme financial management services is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience and understanding of UN/UNDP Finance Rules and Regulations, policies, and procedures is desirable.
• Experience in budget management and Direct Project Cost and cost is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in both English and Arabic languages is required

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Disclaimer
Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders) 
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
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