FINANCE ASSISTANT

Org. Setting and ReportingThe United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. UN-Habitat is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. UN-Habitat works with partners to build inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities. UN-Habitat promotes urbanization as a positive transformative force for people and communities, reducing inequality, discrimination and poverty. This post is located in the Management Advisory and Compliance Service (MACS), UN-Habitat, Nairobi duty station. Under the overall guidance of the Chief, Budget and Finance Unit and direct supervision of the Associate Finance Officer, the incumbent will perform the following functions: Responsibilities1. Programme and Financial Management:- Create budget revisions and allotments in Umoja and other financial systems as appropriate; Provide finance and administrative support to the various units and projects; Produce annual financial reports for all projects; Review and assist with clearing IOVs (Inter Office Vouchers) in liaison with Programme Management Officers (PMOs) and United Nations Office at Nairobi(UNON); Assist in the monitoring of outstanding commitments and send summary report to PMOs for their follow-up and action; For year-end closure, liaise with all PMOs to ensure that all outstanding commitments are closed and Appendix D (APND) charges are correct as possible. 2. Donor reporting:- Prepare and verify donor reports periodically and when required. Prepare and verify donor receipts with regard to contributions received by UN-Habitat. 3. Project Management and Budget:- Assist in the creation of projects and budget account coding blocks; preparation of Country Activity Reports; preparation of monthly Foundation Non-Earmarked and other fund reports including pre-investment fund reports. 4. International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS):- Assist in the compilation of IPSAS opening and closing balances in relation to revenue and in monitoring organization-wide compliance with IPSAS accrual accounting requirements in the financial systems. 5. Umoja ERP System:- Compile list of grants for Umoja upload in required templates; participate in the internal working group processes for data cleansing and validation; reconciliation of financial data to financial statements; verification of data for IPSAS compliance purposes; create and maintain grant and related master data in Umoja; analyze cash received from donors and advise on status of budget release; Assist in generating various Grant Management (GM) Reports to enhance review and monitoring of grants in good time; act as focal point for all GM related issues/queries in Umoja and liaise accordingly with PMOs or key stakeholders 6. Support to Audit and other Administrative Issues:- Prepare spread sheets and other documents for internal and external auditors; Raise shopping carts and funds' commitment documents; Assist administrative assistants in preparation of donor reports for their projects; Identify deposits in bank statements as remitted by donors and other third parties and taking action and/or giving advice on the necessary accounting entries; Draft correspondence to various offices as and when the need arises. 7. Training: Provide guidance and training to interns and new staff serving in the Division. 8. Assists with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making. 9. Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures. 10. Perform other related duties as may be assigned. CompetenciesPROFESSIONALISM: Ability to perform a broad range of administrative functions related to the work of the Finance and Budget Unit. Ability to apply knowledge of various United Nations administrative, financial and human resources rules and regulations in work situations and assist on a range of basic legal issues. The ability to perform analysis, modeling and interpretation of data in support of decision-making. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence; 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. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work. 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. 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. EducationCompletion of High school diploma or equivalent is required. Job - Specific QualificationSupplementary training in field of accounting and finance or related fields is required. Work ExperienceA minimum of five (5) years work experience in the fields of Accounting, finance, programme or project administration or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to three (3) years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as SAP is required. Experience within the United Nations System or similar international organizations is desirable. One (1) year or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another United Nations official language is desirable. NOTE: ''Fluency'' equals a rating of ''fluent'' in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and ''Knowledge of'' equals a rating of ''confident'' in two of the four areas. AssessmentEvaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Special NoticeAppointment against this position is for an initial period of one (1) year and may be subject to extension. This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. 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. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. When completing the form, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you. 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. All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. Online applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira \"Contact Us\" link. United Nations ConsiderationsAccording 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. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile 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 FeeTHE 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.