Senior Finance Assistant

Job Advertisement

Position Title: Senior Finance Assistant
Location: Ukraine
Country: Ukraine
Deadline Date: 17/02/2025

Job Details

Job Posting Organization:
UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, was established in 1945 with the mission to contribute to peace and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security by promoting international collaboration through educational, scientific, and cultural reforms. The organization operates in over 190 countries and has a workforce of approximately 2,000 employees. UNESCO aims to build peace in the minds of men and women by fostering dialogue among civilizations, cultures, and peoples, based on respect for commonly shared values.

Job Overview:
The Senior Finance Assistant position is crucial within the UNESCO Antenna in Kyiv, where the incumbent will work under the overall authority of the Liaison Officer and the direct supervision of the Finance and Administrative Project Officer. This role involves a variety of administrative and financial tasks that ensure compliance with UNESCO's financial rules, policies, and controls. The Senior Finance Assistant will collaborate closely with team members to deliver effective and efficient services. The position requires a proactive approach to financial management, including processing financial transactions, reviewing payment requests, and conducting audits to ensure accuracy and compliance. The role also encompasses budgeting responsibilities, assisting in budget preparations, monitoring expenditures, and ensuring procurement requisitions align with authorized budgets. The incumbent will be expected to extract financial data, respond to queries, and support the Administrative Officer in enforcing quality assurance standards, thereby contributing to the overall financial health of the organization.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Senior Finance Assistant will be responsible for a comprehensive set of duties, including: processing financial transactions in accordance with established rules and regulations; reviewing incoming payment requests for accuracy and completeness; conducting pre-qualification reviews of payment requests; verifying the accuracy of payment postings; auditing transactional activities; analyzing accounting data and identifying anomalies; assisting in budget preparations and execution; ensuring procurement requisitions comply with financial rules; certifying financial commitments and payments; assisting in cash flow computations; liaising with other units on outstanding payment items; extracting financial data from SAP; drafting correspondence related to financial matters; maintaining supporting records for audit trails; assisting with data collection and analysis; supporting travel and procurement requests; and performing other related duties as required by the Unit Chief.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Bachelor's degree in Finance or Accounting, or a Business Administration degree with coursework in finance and/or accounting. Additionally, candidates should have 5 to 8 years of progressive experience in finance, budget, or accounting, demonstrating knowledge of accounting principles and experience with ERP financial systems. The ability to interpret financial policies, extract and analyze data, and manage multiple tasks is essential. Strong negotiating skills, the ability to work independently, and effective communication skills are also required.

Educational Background:
A Bachelor's degree in Finance or Accounting is mandatory. A Business Administration degree may be considered if it includes relevant coursework in finance or accounting. An MBA or professional accounting certification (such as ACCA or CPA) is desirable but not required.

Experience:
The position requires 5 to 8 years of progressive experience in finance, budget, or accounting. Candidates should have demonstrated experience in payment and payroll posting, accounts reconciliations, and financial reporting. Knowledge of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and experience with integrated business intelligence systems for data analytics and reporting are considered advantageous.

Languages:
Excellent knowledge of English and Ukrainian, both written and spoken, is mandatory for this position. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset but is not required.

Additional Notes:
The contract for this position is non-staff and is set for a duration of 6 months, subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds. The estimated monthly salary is 1,848 USD, along with reimbursement for medical insurance and a pension contribution of up to 15%. Additionally, danger pay of 623 USD may be applicable, subject to decisions by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC). The recruitment process is open to both internal and external candidates, and UNESCO emphasizes a commitment to diversity and inclusion in its hiring practices.