Background
The Danish Egyptian Dialogue Initiative (DEDI) has been an important element in Danish-Egyptian cooperation for 20 years. DEDI is a platform for dialogue, innovation and exchange between Denmark and Egypt. A new four-year phase of support to DEDI, financed under the Danish Arab Partnership Programme (DAPP), will start in 2025. The new phase is designed to address the challenges and opportunities of climate change, circular economy, green transition and youth innovation. DEDI’s focus will be on the following three components: i) Innovation in sustainable design by youth; ii) Green environmental literacy for youth; and iii) Youth dialogue on climate and security. DEDI will be hosted by UNDP Cairo, and Cairo International Centre for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA) will be a key implementing partner. A range of Danish and Egyptian organizations and experts will be engaged as the backbone of DEDI’s dialogue and exchange activities in Egypt and Denmark. According to the agreed governance set-up for DEDI, the Coordinator refers to the DEDI Co-chairs and Advisory Board on achievements and strategic decisions. On a day-to-day basis, the Coordinator has the overall technical responsibility for managing the implementation of DEDI’s activities in close coordination with UNDP Cairo, and for Component 3 with CCCPA within the framework of the agreed project document and annual implementation plans.
As the host institution and implementing partners for DEDI, UNDP Egypt plays a central role in facilitating the implementation of the initiative, ensuring alignment with broader development priorities and providing technical, operational and administrative support. Under the new phase of DEDI (2024-2028), UNDP is responsible for grant management, financial oversight, and technical guidance across all three components, with a specific implementation role in Components 1 and 2 in partnership with DEDI. UNDP’s involvement ensures that DEDI benefits from its extensive expertise in sustainable development, youth engagement, and climate action, as well as its established networks with governmental and non-governmental stakeholders. Furthermore, UNDP will support capacity-building efforts, monitoring, and reporting in line with its Results-Based Management (RBM) standards, ensuring that DEDI's activities contribute effectively to the Danish Arab Partnership Programme (DAPP) and Egypt’s green transition agenda.
Duties and Responsibilities
The DEDI Project is seeking to recruit a Finance Specialist who will be responsible for:
Financial management and project budget management:
Management of DEDI Programme financial resources Review the DEDI budget and ensure that those are in line with DEDI TOR/DEDI Strategy/Allocation strategy Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports Perform financial analysis and oversight for all resources of the project Analyze and monitor financial situation and present forecast to the project management Plan proper expenditure, tracking and audit of financial resources Organize and oversee project cashflow and revenue management process Ensure full compliance of financial activities, financial recording/reporting and audit follow up as per UNDP rules, regulations, policies and strategies. Prepare budget and monitor project expenses in Quantum on a regular basis, report on the project delivery. Ensure that advances and direct payments are properly raised and made on timely basis Ensure full compliance with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, and policies of financial activities, financial recording/reporting system. Maintain complete sets of books of accounts and financial records on a daily basis following standard accounting principles. Monitor the financial situation, presentation of forecasts for DEDI program, monitoring of financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions. Ensure financial transactions are authorized, recorded, filed with adequate supporting documentation. Preparation and monitoring of budgets; regular analysis and reporting on the budget approvals and the delivery situation. Provide coordination support in the audit and spot check process in accordance with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, policies and procedures including pre-audit preparations and ensure continuous follow ups on the implementation of audit findings.Effective financial analysis, monitoring and reporting focusing on the achievement of the following result:
Ensure implementation of operational and financial management strategies and procedures; Ensure proper control of DEDI accounts Full compliance of financial activities with UNDP/UN rules and regulation, policies, procedures and strategies; effective implementation of the internal control system Timely corrective actions on accounting entries Continuous analysis of corporate financial strategies and policies, assessing the impact of changes and making recommendation on their implementation in the project. Monitor the progress on the procurement processes Review and report the financial risk management issues, ensure timely accounting and reconciliation of all transactions Ensure timely financial reporting to the donor.Knowledge building and knowledge sharing
Maintain an effective stakeholder engagement approach. Based on need, support relevant DEDI financial focal points to identify new programme financial management, joint quality assurance and audit. Performs other related duties as required.Institutional Arrangement
Under the direct supervision of the Project Technical Expert, the Finance Specialist will work closely with DEDI staff, Participating UN Organizations, Donors and relevant DEDI stakeholders, and will provide overall support to the DEDI Project on financial issues.
Competencies Core :
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 Thematic Area Name Definition
Finance
Accounting (General) Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, regulations, policies and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.
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
Finance Business Partnering Able to support business units and add value by innovating and providing solutions to financial issues/queries, including through FAQs, financial tools, advisory, etc. Influences and appropriately challenges non-finance colleagues for whom the service is being provided. Understands the operations, opportunities and challenges of the organization. Holds a commercial outlook, demonstrating accountability towards organizational goals.
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
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 Direction & 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
Required Skills and Experience Min. Academic Education
Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in finance, accountancy, or related field is required, or A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree 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. 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. Min. years of relevant Work experience Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in providing financial management advisory services, and/or managing staff and operational systems. Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), and advanced knowledge of web-based management systems such as ERP financials and database packages. Experience of IPSAS and/or IFRS is required for external candidates.