Org. Setting and Reporting

The Department of Operational Support (DOS) was established to provide end-to-end operational support, advisory services and other solutions to operating entities across the Secretariat, including departments, offices away from headquarters, peace operations, and regional commissions.

Under the strategic guidance of the Department of Operational Support (DOS), the Kuwait Joint Support Office provides efficient and client-oriented services with the goal of moving transactional, non-location dependent administrative functions from its client entities. These include transactional elements of human resources, finance, travel and payroll.

This position is located in the United Nations Kuwait Joint Support Office (KJSO). The incumbent will report to the Deputy Chief KJSO.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority and under the direct supervision of the Deputy Chief KJSO, the Associate Finance Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

Internal Controls
• Manage the activities of the Internal Controls Unit and manage staff performance.
• Ensure completeness of internal controls monitoring procedures including documentation across all KJSO functions and business processes.
• Perform ongoing risk analysis and assign controls to mitigate or counter those risks.
• Perform regular ongoing monitoring activities to confirm controls are operating as prescribed and issue periodic reports to CFO with recommendations for remedial actions agreed with process owners for any control lapses.
• Follow up on recommendations to ensure complete remediation of controls concerns and
lapses by line managers and process owners.
• Help to formulate any contingency plan by conducting quarterly risk reviews. Provide support in drafting, under the guidance of the Deputy Chief KJSO and in coordination with KJSO management, the KJSO risk register and treatment plan.

• Submit monthly reports to the Deputy Chief KJSO for review and subsequent submission to Chief KJSO.
• Ensure process documentation is updated as and when procedures and practices are changed.
• Act as Internal Control / Enterprise Risk Management focal point for KJSO

Financial Reporting
•
• Analyze complex/unusual accounting transactions and difficult claims for travel, invoices
and entitlement matters, etc. and make recommendations to the Deputy Chief KJSO on appropriate follow-up procedures.
• • • Review prior and current budget period commitments for review, recommitment and cancellation of outstanding commitments.

Budget
• Prepare supporting documents (narrative and supporting tables) with respect to finalisation
of cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements.
• Ensure that expenditure reports are generated from Umoja; analyze extracted information and find solutions to any highlighted areas of concern.
• • Monitor expenditures generated in UMOJA/SAP and compare with approved budget;
prepare adjustments as necessary.
• Assist in preparation of budget performance submissions and finalization of budget
performance reports, highlighting variances between approved budgets and actual
expenditures.
• Review status of relevant expenditures and compare them with the approved budget;
monitor integrity of various financial databases.

Competencies

Professionalism: -Knowledge of accounting, finance and budget functions and treasury operations. Great ability to analyse and apply data across the full range of finance, accounting and budget functions.
-Demonstrated use of initiative and ability to make appropriate linkages in work processes and anticipate next steps showing skills and ability to analyse and interpret financial data demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Planning and Organisation: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education

An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business or public administration, finance, accounting, or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with an additional two years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

At least 2 years of progressively responsible experience within the United Nations system or in the private sector at the national or international level in accounting, budgeting or financial management is required.

Depth knowledge of IPSAS and experience in ERP are required.

Experience in Internal Control, Audit and/or enterprise risk management is required.

Experience and/or familiarity with the COSO Internal Control framework is desirable.

Experience in Accounting and Reporting is desirable.

Experience in a UN Peacekeeping Mission is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English is required.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

• This position is temporarily available for 364 days. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a assignment.

• While this assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.

• Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.

• Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.

• Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as “retirement.” Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations 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. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

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 DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.