Head Field Finance Office

Org. Setting and Reporting

UNRWA, the largest United Nations operation in the Middle East with over 30,000 staff working across five areas of operation, is looking for highly committed personnel wishing to make a change. If you are looking for a rewarding opportunity to make a tangible difference for one of the most vulnerable communities in the world, UNRWA would like to hear from you. The Head of Field Finance Office reports to Deputy Director of UNRWA Affairs (Operations). Technical guidance and advice are received from the Director of Finance.

Responsibilities

- Manages a Field based Finance team to ensure, inter alia, that the Finance function provides accurate, relevant and timely financial information and advice to a multiplicity of internal and external stakeholders; Trains and instructs the staff on financial matters in the Field. - Is responsible for the interpretation of the financial information and for providing advice on a broad range of management issues to the Field Director, Programme Chiefs and other managers within the Field; advises on the management of the financial envelope and, in close coordination with Human Resources, advises on staffing costs for the Field including reallocation of financial resources based on Field/Agency priorities, forecasts costs and expenditures. - In full compliance with IPSAS, coordinates the preparation of the Field medium term forecasts and operating budget; reviews budget submissions, monitors expenditures against budget allotments and reports on variances; ensures that Field budget activities are carried out in an accurate, defendable and timely manner. - Ensures due diligence in all aspects of the disbursements, receipts and management of the Field’s financial resources including responsibility of internal control procedures, cash flow management and treasury functions in the Field; Ensures that local bank account administration and associated cash management functions are performed in adherence to Financial Regulations. - Supervises the preparation of the monthly financial report to internal management, the Quarterly Budget Review for all Programmes and Departments to enable management to conduct resource allocation, the fully accrued monthly accounts, the financial records and statements and reports including monthly figures covering also the staff cost in coordination with the Departments; ensures that yearly and biennium Field accounts closing activities are carried out in a precise and timely manner; coordinates Field replies to internal and external audit queries. - Ensures that the provisions of the IPSAS compliant Financial Regulations, the Finance Manual and Finance and Budget Technical Instructions issued by Headquarters are complied with throughout the Field and are supplemented locally to the extent necessary. - Is responsible for development and maintenance of Field’s financial systems and procedures in order to maintain a balance between operational expediency and financial control, and takes a lead in identifying local systems and processes that could be streamlined for greater efficiency. - Serves on Field Committees involving financial matters including Local Committee on Procurement and Tender Opening Committee.

Competencies

UN Core Values of Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity, and Core Competencies of Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results apply by default. Default managerial competencies may apply. Leading and Supervising Deciding and Initiating Action Learning and Researching Applying Technical Expertise Planning and Organizing For guidance on how to prepare for competency-based interviews: https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=AYIely.

Education

An advanced university degree from an accredited educational institution in finance, accountancy, business administration or related field is required.

Job - Specific Qualification

Membership in a professional body of accountants (e.g., Institute of Chartered Accountants, Institute of Certified Public Accountants) is desirable.

Work Experience

Seven years of progressively responsible and relevant work experience in the application of the knowledge acquired in finance, accountancy, business administration or related field is required. At least three years of work experience at a supervisory level, in a large commercial, industrial or government Agency, involving work in finance, accounting, budget, audit and related functions with solid grasp of accrual Accounting such as IPSAS or IFRS is required. Excellent understanding and/or experience of financial modules a major Enterprise Resource Planning System such as SAP or Oracle is required. Unless already serving as an international staff member in the UN Common System, a candidate for an international post must have at least two continuous years of relevant international experience outside UNRWA, and outside the country(s) of which the candidate is a national or holds citizenship, a passport, or a national identity number is required. An Advanced university degree from an accredited educational institution in finance, accountancy, business administration or related field is required. Working experience with an organization in the United Nations Common System is desirable. Membership in a professional body of accountants (e.g., Institute of Chartered Accountants, Institute of Certified Public Accountants) is desirable.

Languages

Excellent command of written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of a second UN Language (preferably Arabic) is desirable.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Type of Contract and duration: 2 years, with the possibility of further extension. The incumbent will be required to reside in the field of assignment and to travel occasionally in the Agency's area of operations in the Middle East. Applicants have to complete the Personal History Profile (PHP) in inspira in order to be considered. The PHP should be completed with full relevant work experience as per the requirements in the Job Opening, in order to be considered. A roster may be created from the selection exercise, and successful candidates may become eligible for an appointment to the same post or a similar post. UNRWA welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities. Join our eco-friendly organization dedicated to environment sustainability and targeting to be plastic free by 2025. Equivalency: A first level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. NB: work experience alone or formal qualifications with no relevant work experience are not considered an acceptable combination. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states, regional bodies, business foundations and individual contributions. The mission of UNRWA is to help Palestine refugees achieve their full potential in human development under the difficult circumstances in which they live. For more details on UNRWA, please visit: https://www.unrwa.org/United Nations

United Nations Considerations

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA and to assignment by him or her. UNRWA is committed to achieving gender parity at all levels of staffing under the current UN-wide gender agenda and strongly encourages applications from qualified applicants from under-represented groups. At UNRWA, 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. UNRWA is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. UNRWA Considerations UNRWA staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of efficiency, competence, neutrality, impartiality and integrity. This includes respect for and commitment to human rights, diversity and non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. Candidates will not be considered for employment with UNRWA 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. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. The Agency may disqualify applicants who have separated for reason of misconduct, who left a UN Agency while misconduct processes were pending, or who appear on the UN Sanctions List. UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment. Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side 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 Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST (UNRWA) DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE OR REQUEST MONEY FROM CANDIDATES AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDING PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING, ONBOARDING). UNRWA DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.