Background

UNCDF makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s  least developed countries. With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development. UNCDF’s financing models work through two channels: financial inclusion that expands the opportunities for individuals, households, and small businesses to participate in the local economy, providing them with the tools they need to climb out of poverty and manage their financial lives; and by showing how localized investments — through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance — can drive public and private funding that underpins local economic expansion and sustainable development. By strengthening how finance works for poor people at the household, small enterprise, and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to SDG 1 on eradicating poverty and SDG 17 on the means of implementation. By identifying those market segments where innovative financing models can have transformational impact in helping to reach the last mile and address exclusion and inequalities of access, UNCDF contributes to a number of different SDGs.

UNCDF Office of Financial Management Services  (OFMS) is based in UNCDF Headquarters, New York along with out-posted staff across regional offices and multiple country locations. OFMS team works to enhance the institutional effectiveness of UNCDF through operational solutions, development of management policies, prescriptive content, and overall management of all operational, resource management and financial aspects of the organization.  OFMS oversees policy adherence, safeguarding UNCDF and Executive Secretary’s accountability while providing advisory, transactional services and support to UNCDF in its core functional areas of accounts and finance; human resources; operations and procurement; and information technology.

The Regional Finance Associates are part of the OFMS regional capacity and to be based in Bangkok and Kampala.  The role will report to the Regional Operations Manager, NOC and under the overall guidance of Chief Office of Finance and Management Services (OFMS) and is expected to work closely with regional programme and HQ OFMS operations colleagues. The regional finance associate is expected to provide support in execution of the full range of programme support & transactional services in areas of finance, operations and HR support services for the Asia and Africa region, in full accordance and compliance with UNCDF/UNDP rules and regulations, ensuring their accuracy, transparency and integrity with a high degree of quality assurance. The Regional Finance Associate will play a critical role in supporting the workflow of the OFMS regional team.

Scope of Work

Under the supervision of the Regional Operations Manager, the Regional Finance Associate will provide a wide range of financial, programme and operational support services and ensure full compliance of UNCDF regional programme operations with the UNCDF operational framework in line with the UN/UNDP rules, regulations and policies. The detailed roles and responsibilities are outlined below:

1. Ensures implementation of operational strategies

2. Provision of financial transactional support and ensures effective financial control and oversight in the regional offices

3. Provision of logistical support to Asia and Pacific or Africa Portfolio Country Offices

4. Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing

5. Ensures implementation of operational strategies, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Full compliance of administrative activities with UNDP/UNCDF rules, regulations, policies and strategies;
• Provision of inputs to the business processes mapping and elaboration of internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in Administration and Logistics in consultation with the direct supervisor and office management
• Elaboration of proposals and implementation of cost saving and reduction strategies in consultations with office management.

6. Provision of financial transactional support and ensures effective financial control and oversight in the regional offices.

• Verify the supporting documents and; prepare in the Accounts Payable module (AP) of all types of payment invoices for management and development projects.
• Liaise with UNDP Finance Paycycle team, project and suppliers to ensure payments are completed on time.
• Follow up with UNDP Finance team on deposits received and other outstanding financial transactions
• Serve as the focal point of regional management projects and cost recovery for services provided; Regularly update and maintain contracts database, monitor and follow up on financial dashboard of pending transactions.
• Proper control and of the supporting documents for payments, ensuring the proper filing system in Country office Database and electronic/hard copies;
• Maintenance of the internal expenditures control system which ensures that invoices processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Quantum; payrolls are duly prepared; travel claims, POs and other entitlements are duly processed
• Review, research, verify and reconcile of a variety of data and reports ensuring accuracy and conformance with financial rules and regulations;
• Provides clear and systematic guidance to COs and projects on the processes and rules and regulations for financial management
• Prepare zero-dollar invoice (ZDI) and general ledger journal entries (GL JEs) for corrections to ensure transactions are accurate and liaise with Finance Section for review, verification and approval.
• Review Petty Cash and all other type of Advance and follow up to ensure reconciliation are completed timely.
• Support to the year-end closure exercise to ensure financial transactions are IPSAS compliant;
• Prepare and generate Project Combined Delivery Reports (CDRs) quarterly for all projects, and other ad-hoc financial reports;
• Serve as focal point of overall financial oversight and monitoring of financial activities for programmes in the region.
• Prepare regular update on required budget, expense, and other balance sheet accounts analysis; support the various internal and external audits and other tasks as required.

7. Provision of logistical support focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Provides logistical support to organization of conferences, workshops and retreats
• Process travel requests,  reservations
• Support with protocol matters, registration of staff, coordination with local authority on space and other administrative matters.
• Supports control of  Project Assets and inventory including keep record and maintenance of Office Assets and supplies and participation in periodic office physical inventory and asset verification exercises as needed
• Proper inventory control; supervision of proper issuance of inventory items and supplies;
• Receipt of shipments, customs clearance arrangements, preparation of documents for shipments (received/sent);
• Facilitation of logistical arrangement for delivery and arrival of goods
• Facilitation of VAT clearance process
• Proper record and tracking of common services expenditure
• Perform other work-related tasks assigned by the supervisors

8. Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Development and maintenance of the project filing system;
• Organization of trainings for the operations/ projects staff on programme.
• Synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices in programme.
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Institutional Arrangement

The Regional Finance Associates role is based in Bangkok, Thailand and Kampala, Uganda, reports to the Regional Operations Manager and works under the overall guidance of Chief Management Support Unit, P-5, UNCDF Headquarters.

The Regional Finance Associate will have matrix reporting line to the UNCDF Regional Coordinator and will be expected to work in close alignment with regional & headquarters based OFMS colleagues. He/She is responsible for providing regional programme support & operations/project staff with operational guidance on a day to day basis, as needed.

Competencies

Core

Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.

Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Business Management – Customer Satisfaction/Client Management: 

• Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs.
• Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy.
• Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests.
• Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.

Business Management – Working with Evidence and Data: 

• Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making.

Business Development – Knowledge Generation: 

• Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.

Finance – Accounting (General): 

• Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, regulations, policies and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.

Finance – Budget Management:

• Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.

Finance – Financial Reporting and Analysis: 

• Understands changes in regulatory, legal and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in the public sector. Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring.
• Understands the benefits of integrated reporting, including non-financial resources such as human, social and intellectual capital, and environmental and governance performance.

Finance – Audit: 

• Understands how regulations and professional standards in internal and external audit underpin audit work in the public services.
• Understands the key stages of audit work, including planning, documentation, testing and reporting.
• Ability to examine and verify accounts and records.
• Understands wider mechanisms for assurance and scrutiny.
• Understands the law and best practice relating to anti-bribery and corruption controls and the fraud risks faced by public bodies.

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA

Education requirements:

• Secondary Education with specialized certification in accounting and/or Finance. University degree in Finance or Accounting desirable. Part-qualified accountants from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage.  (The degree must state that the major is in accounting or finance. Degrees in Business Administration or Public Administration are not considered equivalent.)”
• Fully Qualified Accountant, from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy or Full Completion of the UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP). No UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (AFT) required.
• Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications, but with degrees that major in accountancy and/or finance must complete UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited. However, no UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (AFT) is required.
• Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications but with relevant experience must successfully undertake UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (AFT) before shortlisting, and must complete the UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited.

Minimum years of relevant work experience: 

• Minimum 6 years (with secondary education), or 3 years (with Bachelor’s Degree) of progressively responsible finance and accounting experience is required at the national or international level.
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheets and web-based management systems such as ERP financials and database packages.
• Knowledge of IPSAS and/or IFRS is required.

Required skills:

• Experience in financial analysis, including the ability to interpret financial data is an asset.
• Experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes is an asset.
• Knowledge of relevant financial regulations and compliance requirements.
• Ability to identify financial inefficiencies, propose solutions, and implement process improvements to enhance performance.
• Experience working in cross-functional teams and collaborating with colleagues from different units is desirable.
• Experience in managing multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and prioritize workload effectively.

Language requirement:

Fluency in Thai and English.