Assistant, UPU*Clearing (50%)

Org. Setting and ReportingThis is a vacancy in the General Service category for which local recruitment procedures shall apply, in accordance with the Staff Regulations of the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union. Candidates shall be solely responsible for any travel or other expenses incurred in order to participate in the recruitment process or, upon selection, take up the appointment. Staff members subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances and benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. Moreover, this General Service vacancy is being advertised as a part-time (50%) position; therefore, it shall in principle be restricted to Swiss nationals and individuals legally domiciled and entitled to work in Switzerland. The recruitment of non-Swiss nationals from abroad for such a vacancy may only take place on an exceptional basis, subject to prior assessment and authorization as well as a written undertaking whereby such individuals shall: i) not engage in any other gainful activity in Switzerland; and ii) certify that they have sufficient financial resources to meet their needs. In this regard, family members of non-Swiss nationals recruited from abroad on a part-time basis shall not be allowed to enter Switzerland on the grounds of family reunification. With its 192 member countries, the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a specialized agency of the United Nations, is the primary forum for cooperation between postal sector players. It helps to ensure a truly universal network of up-to-date products and services. ResponsibilitiesEnsure that the member designated operators of the UPU*Clearing User Group have a means of payment for their commercial transactions, by managing a centralized system for issuing and settling electronic invoices. Manage the revenues of the user group and provide secretariat services. 1 Operational management of the UPU*Clearing system i Monitoring and support – Monitor the entries made by the designated operators of the system’s member countries; – Ensure compliance with the rules and the clearing calendar published each year; – Help settle any accounting disputes between countries. ii Operational management – Prepare and send out monthly invoices to the designated operators of member countries; – Monitor the operations of debtor countries to ensure accounts are settled; – Prepare payment to creditor countries; – Manage the accounts held by member countries in EUR and USD (available assets) and make entries according to the instructions of the designated operator; – Send statements of available assets to member countries. iii Treasury activities Manage bank settlements, make inter-company payments and propose short-term investments. iv Accounting activities – Prepare and post accounting entries with accounting documents related to UPU*Clearing; – Prepare and post accounting entries with accounting documents related to PPS*Clearing to support the clearing house; – Produce, analyze and distribute financial reports (monthly closures) presenting the monthly balance sheet and the statement of expenditures and revenues; – Assist the Clearing (Operations and Treasury) and Business Development Expert with the annual closure of accounts; – Support the Clearing (Operations and Treasury) and Business Development Expert with the preparation of documents for external auditors. v Promotion activities Support the Clearing (Operations and Treasury) and Business Development Expert in the execution of the promotion plan. 2 Secretariat services i For UPU*Clearing – Monitor the operating budget; – Support the Clearing (Operations and Treasury) and Business Development Expert with certain financial analyses; – Update the databases of the clearing software; – Update and analyze the statistics; – Prepare and publish the clearing calendar; – Update and/or create communication tools and tools for promoting UPU*Clearing among designated operators of potential member countries; – Train new users and participate in training for existing users; – Prepare and follow up on correspondence in English and in French. ii For the UPU*Clearing User Group and the steering committee For the user group’s general assemblies, support the Clearing (Operations and Treasury) and Business Development Expert in the preparation of the various documents, and for the steering committee, prepare the meeting reports when necessary. Competencies- Professionalism: Takes responsibility for own actions and decisions, and for the consequences of these. Produces and delivers high-quality results. Drives change and improvement, continually searching for new ways to position the organization for success. Ensures that knowledge and learning is shared across the organization and encourages staff to learn from each other. - Ethics: Ensures that personal views and convictions do not compromise ethical principles. Understands and behaves in accordance with the UPU’s professional, ethical and legal framework. Does not abuse power or authority vested by functions. Respects commitments and promises made to internal and external partners. Promptly confronts unprofessional or unethical behaviours and takes immediate appropriate action. Maintains confidentiality and treats sensitive information with discretion. - Teamwork: Works collaboratively with team members to achieve results. Shows respect to other members of the team, regardless of gender or of cultural, educational or religious background. Seeks help when needed in order to achieve set goals. Shares information on issues that may affect the team and respects confidentiality. Accepts joint responsibility for the team’s successes and shortcomings. Focus on results: Seeks to achieve expected outputs within the agreed timeframe. Ensures competent delivery with minimal supervision, even under pressure and with constantly changing priorities. Keeps supervisors informed of challenges encountered and solutions found. Job related competences: 1 Organizational skills and ability to manage priorities – autonomy 2 A head for figures 3 Flexibility and adaptability 4 Attention to detail 5 Good written and oral communication skills EducationSecondary school education or professional training in business administration or general accounting. Job - Specific QualificationThorough knowledge of the Microsoft Office tools is required Knowledge of some accounting software is required Knowledge of audit practices is required Knowledge of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) is required Work ExperiencePractical knowledge and six years of experience in accounting is required LanguagesEnglish and French are required. Good working knowledge of both languages. AssessmentApplicants will be contacted directly if selected for a written test. Additional testing/interviewing may be used as a form of screening. Special Notice- Annual salary:(Net of tax): 43,462 CHF - Type of contract: Fixed-term (Non-Core) Appointment - Duration: Three years - Scheduled date for taking up appointment: As soon as possible - This is a non-core post. This position will be in full compliance with the \"Rules governing non-core staff\". - The selected staff will participate in the UPU Provident Scheme and will be insured together with their recognized dependents against the risks of sickness and accidents. - This is a three years' contract which can be renewed if the services continue to be required in the future, the funds are available and/or the staff member's performance is satisfactory. However, this appointment does not automatically carry any expectancy of extension or renewal or of conversion to any other type of appointment. - French is the official language of the UPU. English and French are the working languages of the UPU International Bureau. - Priority shall be given for an internal promotion. - The UPU is committed to encouraging diversity within its workforce. Interested candidates from minority groups and/or with disabilities are encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated equally and in the strictest confidence. - Candidates might be considered for other similar posts (for a period not exceeding one year). - Candidates must ensure that they provide relevant contact details so that they can be contacted at any time, to prevent them from being excluded from the selection process. - The UPU is committed to securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity for its staff members. In this regard, candidates under serious consideration for selection may be subject to satisfactory background checks aimed at validating the educational and professional background records as indicated by candidates in their respective application forms. - At the discretion of the UPU, such background checks may also be extended to include criminal records, disciplinary measures, sexual exploitation and abuse, and professional license check validation. United Nations ConsiderationsAccording 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. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile 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 FeeTHE 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.