Finance Specialist

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Description

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The Finance Specialist plays a pivotal role in financial management and controllership of SCMU’s financial activities. This role encompasses oversight of Accounts Payable and Receivable functions, internal financial controls, financial reporting, oversight of finance transactions processing, facilitating budget planning, coordinating annual account closures, and implementing audit recommendations in line with UNFPA regulations. The position will provide strategic oversight and management of a dedicated team.

Responsibilities:

• Support the Head of Pillar 4 – Support Services in overseeing SCMU’s financial operations, ensuring strategic resource management, compliance, and operational efficiency.
• Provide expert financial guidance to SCMU senior leadership on resource planning, budgeting, and financial optimization to ensure strategic use of available resources.
• Ensure full compliance with UNFPA financial regulations, IPSAS standards, and internal control frameworks by establishing sound financial controls and safeguarding the integrity of SCMU’s financial operations.
• Lead the planning, execution, and monitoring of SCMU’s budget, including performance tracking, variance analysis, forecasting, and implementation of corrective actions.
• Oversee ERP-based financial functions, including approval workflows, reconciliations, ledger integrity, and transaction processing to ensure timely, accurate, and auditable records.
• Supervise accounts payable and receivable processes, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with applicable financial policies and donor requirements.
• Lead the annual financial closure process, including year-end reconciliations, preparation of financial reports, coordination with auditors, and implementation of audit recommendations.
• Support the design and implementation of innovative financing approaches to diversify funding sources, enhance financial sustainability, and strengthen SCMU’s value proposition.
• Support and implement activities related to UNFPA’s Governance, Risk, Compliance and Reporting function.

Capacity Strengthening:

• Developing and implementing UNFPA’s capacity-strengthening initiatives.
• Advocate for the training of supply chain professionals.
• Coach and mentor UNFPA personnel to strengthen their capacity to provide informed technical guidance in the supply chain management function.

Thought Leadership, Knowledge Sharing and Advisory:

• Champion UNFPA’s supply chain thought leadership through actively engaging with industry experts, participating in relevant forums, contributing to research and publications, and representing UNFPA’s expertise in various supply chain management discussions and initiatives.
• Foster an environment for knowledge retention and sharing and the creation of a community of practice for supply chain.
• Provide counsel and support on the full range of supply chain management issues, incorporating best practices and continuous improvement across UNFPA.

Partnerships and Resource Mobilization:

• Prominently contribute to the development of UNFPA’s value proposition and relationships with donors and partners.
• Support SCMU’s collaboration with the Division for Communication and Strategic Partnerships to diversify funding opportunities.
• Support SCMU’s oversight of resource mobilization proposals for quality assurance purposes

Collaboration and Representation:

• Establish effective collaboration with relevant stakeholders within UNFPA to ensure coordinated and effective tailored solutions for each area of intervention.
• Lead the fostering of relationships with key supply chain partners with the purpose of increasing the efficiency of UNFPA’s supply chain function.
• Represent SCMU and UNFPA in meetings related to financial management functions.

Team Management:

• Create a conducive working environment aligned with UNFPA’s 2030 People Strategy.
• Lead and supervise the team.
• G. Carry out any other duties as may be required by the Chief, SCMU.

Qualifications and Experience

Education:  

An advanced university degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, International Commerce, or equivalent field is an asset. Additional professional certification such as Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) would be an additional asset.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant, progressively responsible experience in financial management, accounting, or related areas. 
• Experience in managing a team, particularly within a remote and/or matrix organizational structure is required.
• Professional written and spoken presentation skills, including for the development of reports, presentations, and the ability to synthesize complex supply chain documents for both technical and non-technical audiences is required.
• Strong interpersonal skills and capability to develop and maintain broad diversified partnerships is required.
• Experience using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is required.
• Basic proficiency in project management skills is an asset.
• Experience in managing a team, particularly within a matrix organizational structure is an asset.
• Knowledge of UNFPA Strategic Plan, UNFPA Humanitarian Thematic Fund, UNFPA Strategy and Operational Plan to Scale-up and Strengthen Interventions on Gender-based Violence in Emergencies, 2023-2025 is an asset.

Languages: 

• Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.

Source: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_2003/job/25986

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