Finance Associate - Financial Statements and Board of Auditors relations

Job Highlight

Ensure efficient and compliant financial operations by providing accounting, budget administration, cash management, and financial reporting support, adhering to UNOPS financial rules and regulations.

About The Group

The Finance Group serves as a strategic partner and fiduciary advisor, ensuring transparent, accountable, and effective resource management across UNOPS. The Group defines financial strategy in alignment with organizational goals, establishes finance policies, systems, and processes, and leads corporate budgeting to enable full cost recovery and ensure long-term financial sustainability. Throughout the project lifecycle, the Finance Group provides expert guidance, oversight, and tailored financial solutions. Responsibilities include delivering comprehensive financial and corporate performance reporting, strengthening financial capacity across the organization, and continuously enhancing resource planning and allocation. In addition, the Finance Group prepares and oversees the implementation of finance-related policies, upholding the highest standards of financial stewardship and supporting UNOPS in achieving operational excellence and fiscal responsibility.

Role Purpose

The Finance Associate provides accounting, budget administration, cash management and financial reporting support to ensure efficient and compliant financial operations. The incumbent performs a wide range of financial transactions with a high degree of accuracy, ensuring compliance with UNOPS financial rules and regulations (FRRs), policies and donor requirements.

Functions / Key Results Expected

• Accounting, Journal posting and Reconciliations
• Support in the pre-clearing journals (GLJE) recording transactions which are not possible through normal process of Receipts, payments or payroll, or to correct an accounting entry.
• Ensure timely and proper recording of goods receipt, service delivery and accruals.
• Process and reconcile accounts receivable and accounts payable, including follow-up with partners and projects on pending items.
• Perform monthly and quarterly account reconciliation, identifying and resolving discrepancies in coordination with HQ and project teams.
• Support annual leave monthly accrual processing and other staff related adjustments, ensuring accurate and timely reporting.
• Ensure timely monthly and yearly closure of accounts and submission of required financial reports, including AD-HOC activities for reconciliation and analysis of general ledger accounts.
• Monitor and ensure timely completion of monthly, quarterly, and year-end financial closure activities by the field office, including regular follow-up on deadlines and progress.
• Respond promptly to HQ and Country offices queries to resolve financial data or audit issues.
• Prepare quarterly and year-end submission from the Country offices for VAT, Prepayments, Receipt accruals, Retentions, Prepaid expenses to ensure accuracy of financial data and compliance with Financial Rules and Regulations.
• Assist the Finance Specialist - Accounting in the staff separation clearance by reviewing resource status of receivables and payables and annual leave accruals.
• Assist Country offices in the PO closure process.
• Perform YE receipts accruals validation and cutoff exercise.
• Assist in the preparation of UNOPS census data for yearly actuarial valuation.
• Maintain the Unit's issues log and liaise with ITG regarding any issues to be solved with the system.
• Office Cash and Treasury Management
• Prepare reconciliation for petty cash and operational advances, ensuring compliance with policy and timely settlement.
• Financial Reporting and Analysis
• Prepare and review ad hoc financial reports and management dashboards.
• Participate in quarterly and annual financial closure activities, ensuring completeness and consistency of data.
• Support internal and external audit exercises, ensuring timely submission of documentation and clearance of audit findings.
• Maintain accurate records of Value Added Tax (VAT), prepayments, operational advances and other balance sheet accounts, ensuring reconciliations are performed regularly.
• Analyze and prepare adjusting entries (GLJEs) and ensure accuracy of financial postings across projects.
• Knowledge Building and Sharing
• Support the organization, facilitation and delivery of training and learning sessions on finance topics.
• Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned.
• Conduct research on finance-related topics and contribute to the drafting of reports, summaries and briefing notes.
  
  

Education Requirements

Required

• Secondary school (or equivalent) with 6 years of relevant experience OR
• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 2 years of relevant experience is required.
  
  

Desired

• A globally or nationally recognized professional certificate in audit or accounting (e.g CPA, ACCA, CA, CIMA) is desired.
  
  

Required

Experience Requirements

• Relevant experience is work in accounting, project financial management, budgeting, cash management and financial reporting, balance sheet and general ledger reconciliation or related areas.
  
  

Desired

• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is desired.
• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.
• Experience with financial systems or ERP software is desired.