Background
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges to help empower lives and build resilient nations.
As a trusted, long-term partner of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria (Global Fund, GF), UNDP’s value proposition lies in providing an integrated package of development solutions to strengthen institutions to deliver health services. Through its contributions as interim Principal Recipient and provider of technical assistance in over 53 countries since 2003, UNDP’s provision of integrated policy, implementation and capacity development support to countries has yielded significant health and development results in challenging operating environments. Proactive risk management and investing in sustainability are the cornerstones of UNDP’s portfolio management approach and providing technical assistance to national counterparts during all phases of implementation, strengthening legislation, policies and regulatory frameworks, and building capacities across key functional areas, including financial management, health information systems, procurement and supply chain management. The Global Fund – Health Implementation Support Team (GF/HIST) is a dedicated team providing support to UNDP Country Offices implementing health and development programmes.
In Nepal, UNDP is the co-Principal Recipient (PR) of the Global Fund Grant Cycle 7 (GC7) grant for three diseases. For effective implementation of the GF resources, UNDP Nepal has established a Programme Management Unit (PMU), which is responsible for the day-to-day overall programme management, risk management, policy guidance, financial accountability, procurement of goods, including health products and services, strengthening of the national pharmaceutical and laboratory supply chain systems. The GF resources are implemented in accordance with UNDP rules, policies and procedures, the grant confirmation, corporate agreements with the GF and in close coordination with the national partners, including Ministry of Health and Population, disease entities, other relevant line ministries/departments, Non-Government Organizations (NGO)s, Civil Society Organizations (CSO)s, communities, technical partners and UN entities and the GF (Local Fund Agent) and Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM).
The Finance Specialist works in close collaboration with the Sub-recipients (SRs) of the Global Fund project, Programme Management Unit, the Country Office Operations and other relevant team members in the Country Office in ensuring successful implementation and oversight of GF programme resources and PMU performance in finance.
Position PurposeUnder the direct supervision of the Programme Manager, the Finance Specialist shall be responsible for ensuring the highest efficiency in financial resources management and the provision of accurate, thoroughly researched and documented financial information, effective delivery of financial services, and transparent utilization of financial resources and management of the finances for the Grants. The Finance Specialist supervises and leads finance team of PMU and ensures strong coordination with programme and procurement staff of the PMU for effective management of the Grant.
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
Duties and Responsibilities Ensures effective and accurate financial resources management and oversight, focusing on achievement of the following results. Leads on financial analysis and oversight for all resources managed by the Global Fund programmes and provision of high-quality technical financial advice to the programme manager, PMU and other PMU staff members and Country Office senior management. Ensures proper financial planning, expenditure tracking of financial resources through tracking in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations, policies and procedures, in line with the grant agreements, value for money and corporate agreements between the UNDP and the Global Fund on financial management rules. Maintains robust internal financial management controls over all financial processes of the grant Maintains adequate financial management arrangements including reviews and reconciliations, to support the deployment of grant resources in an economic, efficient and effective manner to achieve the desired objectives, ensuring expenditures incurred are reasonable and allowable against budgetary allocations and that inappropriate payments and non-compliant expenditures are verified and prevented; Ensures an efficient financial flow process is developed and implemented and amended to reflect the programme financial management requirements which are guided by risk assessments; Establishes and maintains a reporting system for UNDP and the Global Fund in line with the requirements articulated in the Grant agreement Reviews and provides technical support on financial reporting procedures and reporting templates of Sub- recipients, contractors, service providers, and technical assistance providers; Ensures an effective information flow between finance and non-finance actors (Country Co-ordinating Mechanism (CCM), Global Fund, Local Fund Agent and Sub-recipients) in order to effectively link the programmatic results to expenditures, as required by Global Fund. Develops and maintains an organizational structure for the Finance team, and leads on the recruitment of finance team staff, fostering diversity, equity and inclusion and builds the technical, management and leadership capacity of staff for promotion of organizational excellence; Monitors the financial performance of supply management systems/ procurement in coordination with the procurement and supply management specialist Reviews and finalizes cost estimates for different activities according to the needs of programme management. Develops, tracks and reports to management key financial performance indicators; and Maintains a document management system for UNDP, including Sub-recipients, contractors, service providers, and technical assistance providers records.Ensures implementation of operational strategies and procedures, focusing on achievement of the following results:
Establishes and/or ensures robust financial procedures: e.g. receipts, payments, disbursements and bookkeeping, filing procedures for the GF projects of Sub-recipients. Ensures that financial procedures in place comply with the financial/accounting and procurement requirements of UNDP in line with the procedures on financial management in the Grant Agreement between the UNDP and the GF; Performs a continuous analysis and monitoring of the financial situation, presentation of forecasts for the financial delivery of the GF project at all levels. Ensures the timely closure of programmes and compliance with Global Fund and UNDP rules, policies and procedures, including the transfer of assets; Ensures oversight for the transparency of the financial processes and use of funds and compliance with UNDP financial guidelines; Leads on the preparation of the donor reports, monthly Cash Flow and annual Cash Flow Forecasts, statement of sources and uses of funds in compliance with the Global Fund reporting requirements. Leads on the preparation of other financial reports to be submitted to the LFA/Global Fund, acting as the Focal Point for financial management information for the LFA/Global Fund; Elaborates and implements the savings and cost reduction strategies in close coordination with Finance Analyst, SR Financial Management Analyst and in collaboration and Procurement and Supply Management Specialists. Under the guidance of the Programme Manager, and in coordination with Operation Manager, facilitates audits and investigations by the Office of Audit and Investigations. Provides technical support to Sub Recipients to prepare for audit and audits of Sub-recipient(s)) and by the Office of Inspector General in line with corporate agreements with the Global Fund and UNDP rules and regulations and policies and procedures and ensures timely implementation of audit recommendations and findings as they relate to financial, asset and Sub-recipient management. Routinely monitors financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, and investigates anomalies or unusual transaction and informs supervisors of the results of the investigation when satisfactory answers are not obtained; and Leads on preparing timely and quality monthly cash flow forecasts for use by the Programme ManagerManages the programme budgets and ensures proper control of programme accounts focusing on achievement of the following results:
Leads on managing financial resources through planning, guiding, monitoring, and controlling of the resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations. Prepares and monitors programme budgets in QUANTUM and ensures that the Planning and Budgeting Cloud system is in line with the approved detailed budget. Elaborates proper mechanisms to eliminate deficiencies in budget management. Ensures that funds transfer from the Global Fund are timely implemented in line with the GF funds disbursement schedule. Leads on ensuring compliance with the internal expenditures control system, which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in QUANTUM. Leads on arranging quarterly financial management review meetings with Sub-recipients in coordination with other PMU staff across functional areas (programme, PSM, M&E ) Performs Manager authorized functions for transactions approval in Quantum (as per ICF); and Ensures timely corrective actions on unposted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers and ensures timely responses to HQ requests to resolve financial data issues.Ensures close monitoring of the Sub-recipients and other implementing partners focusing on achievement of the following results:
Assesses financial management capacities of Sub-recipients and develops an action plan to address identified gaps; Provides guidance and capacity building of Ministry of Health and Population, partners, and Sub-recipients on issues of financial and asset management – from contracting and banking issues to budgeting, accounting and reporting; Ensures advance payments and direct payments for Sub-recipients and vendors are properly; reviewed, processed, and retired, as well as ensuring that payment information is properly recorded into the QUANTUM system on timely basis; Harmonizes reporting and accounting practices of Sub-recipients, including budgeting and key financial performance indicators; Plans and ensures the Finance team undertakes verifications of Sub-recipients’ expenditures, and promptly follows up on non-compliant expenditures; Ensures coordination with the Sub-recipients’ auditors to finalize the reports to ensure the final audit reports comply with the approved Sub-recipients Terms of Reference, and follows up in a timely manner to ensure finance related audit recommendations are properly addressed; and Ensure continuous support for the financial managers of SR organizations.Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and sharing including contribution towards Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) focusing on achievement of the following results:
Leads on the development of training plan/curriculums for the Sub-recipients financial and accounting staff and conducts regular trainings on GF performance-based funding and financial reporting requirements management system. Organizes training for the PMU on financial management and oversight. Actively participates in UNDP and other relevant external networks to promote the programmes and represents Global Fund project in relevant technical meetings and working groups at country, regional and global level and gathers lessons learnt to apply to the Global Fund programme. Identifies and supports development of communications (print, video) highlighting key financial management achievements, best practices, and lessons learnt and contributes to information sharing with the Ministry of Health and Population, Sub-recipients, UN entities, financial and technical partners, the GF and the CCM; and Ability to represent UNDP and the project when required. Ensure GESI is mainstreamed in the budget, AWP, procurement and HR plans, and all other administrative work to be undertaken by the project in coordination with GESI focal person of UNDP CO Fully comply with UNDP’s GESI policy and zero tolerance for sexual and g and ensure contribute to the zero tolerance for discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, and abuse. Promote GESI throughout programme implementation. Create a safe working environment by developing respectful and safe organizational culture and supporting practices. Collaborates with team members, programme partners, and sub-recipients to ensure safe implementation of projects at the community level applying Do No Harm approach.The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: The Finance Specialist will supervise the finance team of PMU and national and international consultants deployed during the Global Fund project implementation.
Achieve Results-LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
Think Innovatively-LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
Learn Continuously-LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
Adapt with Agility-LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
Act with Determination-LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
Engage and Partner-LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion-LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity
People Management
UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
Business Direction and Strategy - System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
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 governanceperformance
Finance Financial - Planning and Budgeting: Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP's long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing and reporting.
Finance - Financial Risk Management: Ensures financial resilience through proactive assessment of risk, implementation of controls and taking mitigating action. Understands risk and reward in relation to collaborative and commercial projects. Ensures a culture of positive risk management.
Business Management - Risk Management: Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.
Business Management - Resource Management: Ability to allocate and use resources in a strategic or tactical way in line with principles of accountability and integrity
2030 Agenda: People - Gender: Innovation for gender equality
2030 Agenda: Prosperity - Inclusive Growth: Social Inclusion
Education: A professional accounting qualification from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy, and/or Advanced (master’s) University Degree in Finance and/or Accounting is required. OR A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in Finance and/or Accounting in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree. Candidates with professional accounting qualifications from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage. Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications, but with degrees that major in accountancy and/or finance must complete the Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited. Candidates satisfying the two above criteria are exempted from undertaking the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT). Candidates with MBA or master's in finance with no accountancy qualification but with relevant experience must successfully undertake the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT) to be eligible for shortlisting. Experience: Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant and progressive professional experience in providing financial management advisory services is required. Proven track record of strong knowledge of international development organizations, UN or UNDP Financial Management, rules, regulations, policies and procedures are highly desirable. Strong knowledge and experience in working with Global Fund grants in financial management is an asset. Experience working in a developing country is highly desirable. Familiarity with Global Fund financial guidelines, reporting requirements, and grant management is highly desirable. Proficiency in budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis is highly desirable. Demonstrated commitment to ethical financial practices and transparency is highly desirable. Experience in preparing for and managing internal and external audits is highly desirable. Knowledge of fraud detection and prevention mechanisms is desirable. Experience in managing large budgets (e.g., multi-million-dollar programmes) is highly desirable. Knowledge of donor financial regulations, audits, and reporting requirements is highly desirable. Experience in managing sub-recipients or implementing partners is desirable. Ability to identify and mitigate financial risks in programme implementation is desirable. Experience in the use of the financial ERP packages system is required. Experience in training national entities in strengthening financial management systems is desirable
Language:
Fluency in English is required. Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period. Note: Please upload copies of your academic qualifications and 3 latest Performance Evaluations (if applicable).Disclaimer
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UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
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