UN Women: Finance Associate, Awards Management, Bonn, Germany, G7 FTA (2 positions)

Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

The Division of Finance and Administration (DFA) is responsible for the effective and efficient management of financial, budgetary and administrative functions, covering finance, budget, information systems and telecommunications, procurement, travel, security and safety, and facility and administrative services, in support to the triple mandate of UN-Women.

The Financial Management Services (FMS) section at UN Women, led by the Deputy Director of Financial Management, plays a pivotal role in ensuring the due accounting for resources and effective provision of financial management services. It is structured into five specialized teams: Awards Management, Accounts Payable, Financial Operations, System Support and Accounting, and Regional Office Finance Specialists. Collectively, these teams are responsible for a comprehensive range of functions, including issuance of International Public Sector Accounting Standards-compliant financial statements and donor reports; fund and grant accounting; efficient processing of payments; oversight of financial transactions and operational efficiency; maintenance and optimization of financial systems and accounting records; and provision of dedicated financial advisory and support services to headquarters, country, and regional offices. FMS is also responsible for the development of sound accounting and financial policies and procedures, exercising select first- and second-line of defense control activities, and optimizing financial and accounting systems. Through these integrated efforts, FMS ensures efficient financial operations, transparency, and strategic support for UN Women's global mission.

The Awards Management Unit within FMS is responsible for the preparation and issuance of financial donor reports, awards financial oversight, revenue recognition, project financial closure, fund monitoring, deposit application, support costs processing, select general ledger (GL) accounts reconciliation, and related financial processes to ensure compliance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), Internal Control framework, donor agreements, and UN-Women financial regulations, rules, policies and procedures. Under the overall guidance of the Finance Manager, Awards Management Unit and direct supervision of Finance Specialist, the Finance Associate, Awards Management, is responsible for carrying out a wide range of responsibilities to achieve the Units’ goals, objectives and results.

Note: Locally recruited General Service category positions with UN Women in Bonn are open to nationals of Germany and applicants with valid employment authorization to work in Germany.

Key Functions and Accountabilities:

Administer Financial Donor Reporting

• Prepare certified, interim, final and ad hoc financial donor reports in accordance with donor agreements and corporate requirements for review by Finance Specialists.
• Perform quality assurance reviews of financial information used for donor reporting, ensuring consistency between ERP records, supporting documentation, previously issued reports and other available information.
• Monitor donor reporting schedules and outstanding reporting obligations, following up with Headquarters units, Regional Offices and Country Offices to support the timely submission of donor reports.
• Prepare financial analyses, management reports and other information to enable management oversight and ensure the timely issuance of high-quality donor financial reports.
• Maintain complete supporting documentation and audit trails for donor financial reports.

Administer Project Financial Closure

• Clear projects for financial closure and confirm that all financial closure requirements have been met; provide guidance to requesting offices on actions required prior to financial closure.
• Monitor project financial closure status, including outstanding earmarked fund balances following contribution agreement expiry, and coordinate follow-up with the relevant offices to facilitate timely closure.
• Review unreconciled balances, aged items and suspense accounts related to project closure, and prepare or clear financial adjustments required to facilitate closure process, including donor refunds and reprogramming requests.
• Respond to enquiries from Headquarters units, Regional Offices and Country Offices on project financial closure and related financial matters.

Perform Fund Monitoring

• Perform periodic reviews of earmarked resources cash balances in General Ledger (GL) budgetary control for accuracy; process corrections, if required, or clarify to the offices on the reasons for the differences between these balances and other ERP sub-modules; escalate, as appropriate, any identified systemic issues.
• Monitor expenditures incurred in excess of contributions received, coordinating follow-up with budget-holding offices and the Integrated Resource Management Section (IRMS), and ensuring timely resolution of outstanding deficits.
• Process approved transfers between projects, funds, donors and cost centres, ensuring compliance with donor agreements and applicable financial policies and procedures.
• Review requests for financial adjustments initiated after donor reports have been issued to ensure the integrity and consistency of previously reported financial information.
• Draft management reports and performance indicators highlighting key fund management issues, including aged fund balances, expenditures exceeding contributions received, outstanding prefinancing and other recurring fund accounting issues.
• Monitor consistency in recording of corporate fund balances across various chart of account elements (e.g. projects, funds, donors and cost centers) coordinating and/or processing corrections, as required.

Administer contribution revenue recognition and processing

• Serve as a Donor Agreements Management System Level II approver, reviewing submissions for completeness and accuracy, and assessing appropriateness of accounting for agreements classified as direct funding to Strategic Notes.
• Create revenue and billing events in the corporate ERP and generate associated accounting entries, validating their accuracy and completeness.
• Perform advanced reconciliations of treasury transactions to facilitate accuracy of bank account reconciliations.
• Perform periodic reconciliations between contributions received and funds made available in GL’s budgetary control, identifying inconsistencies, if any, and processing associated adjustments, as required.
• Oversee maintenance of unapplied deposits database coordinating follow-up actions with relevant Headquarter Units, Regional Offices and Country Offices.
• Process support costs for all contributions received and perform periodic reconciliation of results against contributions received and donor agreements, to ensure accuracy of corporate charges.
• Review the results of periodic pending milestone certification exercises and update corporate records to maintain accurate information on outstanding contribution instalments and expected payment dates.

Perform general accounting functions

• Monitor and reconcile assigned General Ledger accounts, process or coordinate corrective actions, and maintain complete supporting documentation and audit trails.
• Perform assigned month-end, year-end and annual financial closing activities.
• Prepare schedules, working papers and supporting documentation for internal and external audits.
• Implement assigned internal controls, monitor compliance with Financial Regulations and Rules, IPSAS, corporate policies and standard operating procedures, and identify issues requiring corrective action.
• Assist in resolving financial data issues and contribute to improvements in accounting processes and internal controls.

Support Business Process Improvement and Knowledge Management

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of standard operating procedures, guidance materials, templates, checklists and training resources related to awards management processes.
• Provide day-to-day technical support and guidance to Headquarters units, Regional Offices and Country Offices on donor reporting, contribution accounting, fund monitoring and project financial closure.
• Support the development of automated reports, system enhancements and business process improvements.
• Promote knowledge sharing, client service and continuous improvement across FMS.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework:

Functional Competencies:

• Strong analytical skills and attention to accuracy;
• Strong accounting skills;
• Strong IT skills and proficiency;
• Ability to provide input to development and improvement of business processes and financial systems;
• Ability to administer and execute financial and accounting processes and transactions;
• Results and client-oriented approach to work;
• Strong communication and relationship management skills;
• Demonstrated advanced use of AI tools.

Recruitment Qualifications:

Education and Certification:

• Completion of High School (Secondary Education) is required.
• A specialized certificate/diploma in Accounting / Finance, or Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Economics, Public Administration, or professional accounting qualification (e.g., ACCA, CPA, CA) is an asset.
• Successful completion of UN Women Accounting and Finance Test is required as part of the selection process.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of progressively relevant work experience in accounting, financial management, financial reporting, financial analysis, treasury operations, or financial controls is required.
• Experience working with web-based ERP financial systems, preferably Oracle Cloud, is required.
• Experience in at least 5 of the following areas is desirable:
  • Financial donor reporting;
  • Revenue accounting;
  • Financial reconciliation and analysis of GL accounts (e.g. accounts payable, receivable, PP&E, prepayments, inventory, etc.);
  • Treasury operations (e.g. bank reconciliations, vendor bank account maintenance, payment processing, etc.);
  • Preparation of financial statements;
  • Payroll / employee benefits accounting;
  • Audit or internal controls;
  • Lease accounting;
  • Financial instrument accounting;
  • Financial reporting automation (development of business or system requirements, testing, financial data migration, etc.);
  • Cost accounting.
• Experience applying IPSAS and/or IFRS is desirable.
• Experience working within the UN System in an equivalent position and/or fulfilling similar functions is desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.