Senior Accounting Assistant

Org. Setting and ReportingThis position is located in Laayoune, the headquarters of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). The incumbents report to the Chief Finance and Budget Officer. ResponsibilitiesUnder the delegated authority of the Chief of Unit/Section, the Finance & Budget Assistant (GS-7) will perform the following duties. Budget Management • Review, analyze, and assist in preparing cost estimates for budget proposals. • Advise managers in preparing justifications for resource requirements. • Monitor budget implementation and expenditures. • Review requisitions for goods and services to ensure: o Correct object codes of expenditure are applied. o Sufficient availability of funds. • Assist in preparing budget performance reports. • Actively contribute to the preparation of budget and budget implementation presentations, ensuring clarity and accuracy. Collaborate effectively to draft timely and comprehensive responses to queries as received. • Perform additional tasks as required. Accounting Operations • Complete monthly mission accounts and prepare all required Monthly Mission Reports (MMR) for submission. • Perform yearly closing of mission accounts. • Analyze complex or unusual accounting transactions, invoices, and entitlement matters, providing recommendations to the Chief of Unit/Section on follow-up procedures. • Review and reconcile clearing accounts and address erroneous or invalid entries with appropriate corrective actions. • Manage the reconciliation and clearance of suspense accounts to ensure accurate financial records. • Verify banking details for wire transfer payments to ensure funds are accurately disbursed to legitimate recipients. • Perform bank reconciliations. • Process staff and vendor payments, verifying accuracy and correcting discrepancies. • Enter and approve commitments in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. • Coordinate with field missions, agencies, and other organizations to settle or initiate debit advice, ensuring effective account reconciliation. • Respond to inquiries from staff and third parties regarding financial transactions. • Supervise General Service or National Staff as required. • Authorize and execute financial transactions. Treasury/Cashier Functions • Generate, approve, and release cash, cheques, and bank transfer payments. • Issue Cash Receipt Vouchers (CRVs) for incoming funds. • Reconcile and balance the cash imprest on a daily basis. • Replenish mission imprest cash as necessary. • Prepare monthly cash reconciliation statements for the Cashier Imprest accounts in the mission. • 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. • Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures. CompetenciesProfessionalism: Knowledge in the use and application of the Organization’s financial regulations and rules as well as accounting policies and practices. Ability to extract, interpret, and analyses a wide variety of data and to resolve data discrepancies and other problems. 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. 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. 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. EducationHigh school diploma or equivalent is required. The minimum number of years of relevant experience is reduced to eight (8) years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree. Job - Specific Qualification• Good knowledge of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is desirable. • Local Process Expert in Umoja is desirable. Work ExperienceAt least (10) years of progressively responsible experience in accounting, budgeting and financial management or related field is required. Experience in budget formulation, financial monitoring, accounting, audit, financial reporting, or other related areas is desirable. Please explain how you meet this criterion using examples. Experience with Enterprise Resource Programme (ERP) system, especially System Applications and Products (SAP) is desirable. Please explain how you meet this criterion using examples. Experience working in the Data Analytics field and Data Reporting Process is desirable. Please explain how you meet. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position(s) advertised, fluency in English is required; and knowledge of French and Arabic is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage. AssessmentEvaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Special NoticeThis position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for positions in the General Service and related categories must be authorized to work for the United Nations in the duty station where the position is located. Eligible applicants selected from outside the duty station are responsible for any expenses in connection with their relocation to the duty station. Staff members subject to local recruitment are not eligible for allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. The United Nations Secretariat is also committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. 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.