National Post: Finance/Admin Associate, G7, Lilongwe - Malawi

The Position:

The Finance/Admin Associate position is located in the Country Office of UNFPA in Lilongwe, Malawi. Under the direct supervision of the Finance Analyst, the Finance/Admin Associate is responsible for delivering high-quality financial services and providing comprehensive support in the effective functioning of financial operations and systems. The role includes day-to-day assistance in finance-related tasks, ensuring alignment with programme and office management needs, while strictly adhering to applicable rules, guidelines, processes, and procedures. S/He takes a client-oriented, results-focused approach to interpreting the rules, procedures and guidelines, provides support and guidance to the sub-office, projects, implementing partners and activities of the country office as a whole. 

The Finance/Admin Associate is responsible for effective delivery of financial services, transparent utilization of financial resources and supports the management of the unit. S/He supervises the work of clerks, drivers and other related support roles in the CO while ensuring UNFPA contributions to local inter-agency coordination support functions, common systems and shared service issues are met. External partners include other UN agencies, vendors, and other non-UN partners that are essential to the work of the Finance unit.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

The Finance/Admin Associate is expected to support the objectives of the Country Office (CO) by ensuring effective and transparent management of financial resources. This includes accounting, financial operations, and administrative tasks, as well as supporting communication and knowledge management within the unit.

S/he actively participates in local inter-agency coordination to ensure UNFPA’s needs in common systems and service issues are met. Additionally, the Associate provides comprehensive support and guidance to the Country Office and UNFPA-supported projects, fostering a collaborative, client-oriented, and results-focused approach.

You would be responsible for:

The Finance/Admin Associate will be responsible for: 

A. Effective Financial Resources Management and Oversight

• Financial resources management through planning, guiding, controlling of the resources in accordance with UNFPA rules and regulations.
• Preparation and monitoring of budgets of management projects.
• Establishment of the development projects’ budgets preparation/modification monitoring system, control of budgetary status versus authorized spending limits (ASL) and budgets delivery levels.
• Elaboration of proper mechanisms to eliminate deficiencies in budget management.
• Processing of cost-recovery bills in Atlas for the services provided by UNDP.
• Carry out financial analysis and ensure oversight of all resources managed by the CO and provision of high-quality professional advice to the CO management.
• Supervise timely production of accurate donor reports.
• Undertake continuous analysis and monitoring of the CO’s financial situation, and preparation of regular updates on the status of financial resources.
• Ensure full compliance of financial activities, financial recording/reporting systems with UNFPA’s rules, regulations, policies and strategies; proper design and functioning of the financial resources management. 
• Serve as focal point or support for audits, both HACT and DAO, including coordination of HACT audit visits, training and support to staff and Implementing Partners, coordination of responses to audit observations, follow on implementation of audit recommendations, maintenance of HACT Database/CARDS, etc.

B. Adapt and implement Operational and Financial Management Strategies

• Adapt processes and procedures to maximize effectiveness and efficiency in financial operations and management 
• Ensure full compliance of financial activities, financial recording/reporting system and audit follow up with UN/UN rules, regulations, policies and strategies; implementation of the effective internal control, proper design and functioning of the financial resources management system.
• Continuous analysis and monitoring of the financial situation, presentation of forecasts for development and management projects.
• Elaboration and implementation of cost saving and reduction strategies.
• Routinely monitors financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, and investigates anomalies or unusual transactions. Informs supervisors and other UNFPA staff at Headquarters of the results of the investigation when satisfactory answers are not obtained.
• Supervise delivery of effective and efficient financial services to UNFPA’s staff and clients (payments, F10 settlements, reversals, petty cash, vendor initiation, etc.)
• Establish internal expenditures’ control system which ensures that all transactions are duly authorized; AP vouchers are matched and posted; payrolls are posted; travel claims and other entitlements are duly processed; receipting of goods and services and establishment of accruals are properly done in compliance with IPSAS and UNFPA rules, policies and procedures.
• Facilitate effective budget management of office resources; elaborate proper mechanisms to eliminate deficiencies in budget management. 

C. CO Cash Management 

• Timely review of cash position for local mobile banking account to ensure sufficient funds on hand for disbursements for workshop allowances. Timely identification and recording of receipts for income application.
• Monitoring of financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions and investigation of anomalies or unusual transactions. Provision of information to supervisors and other UNFPA staff at HQ on the results of the investigation when satisfactory answers are not obtained.
• Primary contact with mobile bank management on routine operational matters including negotiation of rate on transactions.
• Transaction and stop payment approval on mobile banking systems.
• Approval and submission of monthly mobile account reports to management.
• Timely and accurate approval of mobile account reconciliation, including documented review of exceptions.
• Timely preparation of monthly workshop allowances cash flow forecast for use by Operations Manager and Programme Specialists. Liaison with programme units to obtain estimate of their cash requirements.
• Role as cashier for cash disbursements made on site. 

D. General Support 

• Stand-in for other team members on selected functions as may be required. 
• Carry out any other duties as may be required by UNFPA leadership. 

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

• Completed Secondary Level Education required.
• First level university degree is desirable in accounting, business administration, finance, public administration, information technology, economics or related fields.
• Professional certification or membership of a professional association in accounting 
  
   

Knowledge and Experience: 

• Seven years of relevant experience in administration, finance or office management.
• Relevant experience in providing financial management services and operational system;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web based management systems and ERP financials, preferably PeopleSoft;
• Experience of IPSAS or IFRS is an added advantage
• A thorough understanding of the UN system in general, and especially UNFPA mandate, its policies and operations and current development topics and political issues in Uganda will be an added advantage
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team 

Languages: 

Fluency in English; knowledge of other official UN languages, preferably French is desirable.

Required Competencies: 

Values

• Exemplifying integrity, 
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, 
• Embracing cultural diversity, 
• Embracing change

Core Competencies:

•  Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen, 
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves, our relationships, and others
• Communicating for impact 

Functional Competencies:

• Advocacy/Advancing a policy-oriented agenda
• Implementing management systems.
• Business acumen and ability to multi-task and balance competing priorities.
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/ building strategic alliances and partnerships
• Finance and Accounts Management 
• Delivering results-based programmes
• Technical Understanding of the areas of work
• People Management and Leadership 
• Managing financial processes
• Proficiency in current office and multimedia software application.

Compensation and Benefits:

 This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.