The Office of Financial Management (OFM), Bureau for Management Services (BMS), supports the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the promotion of its sustainable human development agenda. It achieves this by developing and making fully operational a dynamic and harmonized integrated resource management framework based on comprehensive analysis that enhances UNDP’s financial and administrative performance, as well as facilitates UN reform and coherence. To these ends, the framework addresses strategically critical financial resource planning and management issues, including results based budgeting; the integration of the Programming Arrangements and the Institutional Budget within the context of UNDP’s integrated budget; enhanced cost classification and cost recovery; capital budgeting; adherence to IPSAS; foreign exchange and investment activities; corporate reporting of organizational assets; performance management tools and initiatives; and support to UN harmonization.
Effective and efficient integrated resources management is enabled through a continuous and robust process comprising:
- Formulation and implementation of corporate financial and administrative strategies, policies and procedures;
- Formulation, alignment, documentation and implementation of UNDP’s funding frameworks, assuring their integrity, viability and alignment with the Strategic Plan;
- Provision of policy guidance, advisory services and operational support to strengthen client capacities and help them achieve results, seeking to build consensus within UNDP and with key stakeholders on critical budgetary related matters requiring Executive Board legislation;
- Administration of the organization’s internal control framework, overseeing and monitoring financial management of all global UNDP offices, including through formulation/implementation of resource planning, management and oversight tools and reports;
- Promoting clear accountability for financial transactions and producing financial statements, including financial reporting to donors and the UNDP Executive Board.
- Providing corporate reporting guidance to ensure that fixed assets are adequately recorded in all locations.
The Finance Associate reports directly to Chief, Payroll Finance Oversight (PFO). PFO is part of the Financial Performance Management and Reporting (FPMR) unit within OFRM. The Finance Associate conducts various activities related to the billing for UNDP’s Medical Insurance Plan (MIP) premiums to retirees as well various accounting tasks and analysis related to MIP accounts. The incumbent will work closely with the Country offices, Policy Unit/OHR, GSSU and Cigna to ensure efficient service.
- Conducts various activities related to ongoing MIP after service health insurance authorization and monthly billing of MIP premium via the Pension Fund (UNJSPF). Also, undertakes annual billing exercise for agency and locally collected.
- Ensures adjustments to premiums related to changes in coverage, annual cost of living adjustments (COLA) and exchange rates
- Consolidates census data from ERP system needed by external actuary for preparing annual estimate of UNDP’s MIP liabilities. Conducts various quality checks and cross-validations to ensure data accuracy.
- Engages with GSSU to reconcile payments made to the 3rd party plan administrator (Cigna).
- Engages with Offices/Country Offices to troubleshoot and resolve reimbursement issues to beneficiaries, including via UNDP’s voucher payment procedure.
- Communicates with Retirees, Country Offices UNJSPF and other UN agencies to respond to various inquiries and resolve issues related to authorizations, billing, premium amounts, etc.
- Liaises with the Policy Unit in OHR/BMS to resolve requests for eligibility, retroactive enrollment, and requests for MIP financial data, etc.
- Participates with the Policy Unit in discussion with the Third Party administrator (TPA) concerning financial issues, when required;
- Reviews transactions in the MIP related accounts and prepares general ledger entries to clear errors, transfer funds or adjusts balance as per actuarial valuation. Requests budget for special expenses as needed.
- Prepares data and graphs for MIP Board as requested.
Core:
Education:
- Secondary Education with specialized certification in Accounting and/or Finance.
- Bachelor Degree in Finance or Accounting desirable
- Part-qualified accountants from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage.
- Long-listed candidates will be required to undergo the UNDP Accountancy & Finance Test
Experience:
- Minimum 7 years with Secondary Education or 4 years with a Bachelor Degree, of progressively responsible finance and accounting experience is required, preferably in an international setting.
- Hands-on experience of ERP systems, preferably Peoplesoft or Oracle Cloud is highly preferred
- Experience in the usage of computers and MS Office packages. Advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
- Knowledge of IPSAS and/or IFRS is required for external candidate
Language:
- Proficiency in English.
- Working knowledge of other UN language is desirable
Important applicant information
All posts in the GS categories are subject to local recruitment.
Internal mobility at GSSU is strongly encouraged and we reserve the right to reassign the newly appointed staff members with similar skillset and educational qualifications for similar functions and job categories at the same level in GSSU. The internal lateral movements will be determined based on the needs of the organization while allowing the newly recruits to broaden their skills, build networks and gain fresh experience and to better align their profiles with the jobs.
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.
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Contract Duration: 2 Year with possibility for extension