Vacancy - Finance and Grants Senior Officer (internal candidates only)

Application period: 19-Jan-2022 to 2-Feb-2022

"Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply." 

Finance and Grants Senior Officer (internal candidates only)

Under the direct supervision of the Finance Manager, the Finance and Grants Senior Officer will perform the following functions: 


Financial support to programme management activities
 

  • Participate in the planning of financial resources, continuous analysis and monitoring of financial progress and presentation of forecasts for the planning and management of the programme;

  • Support financial oversight on the programme  activities in line with internal control procedures, financial and fiduciary guidelines and standards for all financial and related transactions.

  • Contribute to the preparation of programme workplan’s and engagement processes focusing on budgets,  entering data to systems ensuring compliance to project agreements and ERP protocols;. 

  • Coordinate with operations and the programme teams the preparation and consolidation of cash-flow forecasts ensuring inputs are extracted from the budgets, cash-flow plans and, annual activity plans;

  • Participate  in the identification of programme risks, preparation of assurance activities and programme  audit activities including implementation of the recommendations;

  • Monitor financial status and guide programme teams on funding, budgets and expenditures status;

  • Review transactions and implement applicable UNOPS policies and financial rules and regulations; 

  • Keep contact with operations, programme and Geneva finance teams  to verify, correct, and improve quality of financial related activities of the programme  including financial reports and audits. 

  • Support the Finance Manager during Audit and Finance Committee meetings including recording of minutes and ensuring all necessary records are stored correctly 


Budgeting, accounting, financial reporting and monitoring and control
 

  • Provide guidance to operations and programme teams to ensure budgets are prepared in accordance with established procedures, ERP protocols and clients guidelines that facilitate the  reporting requirements;

  • Prepare interim financial statements and reports for the Finance Manager’s clearance, certification by UNOPS Finance and for submission to donors in compliance with established reporting requirements;

  • Monitor budgets, commitments, funding, exception reports for unusual activities and transactions, investigate and take corrective actions including on unposted vouchers and budget check errors;

  • Prepare drawdowns and request for payments for donors to transfer of funds,  record in the ERP accounts receivables, track receipt and inform UNOPS finance to apply to the programme accounts;

  • Reconcile expenditures ensuring timely corrective actions are taken on budget, financial reports management and  budget performance reports  through budget revisions, journal entries etc; 

  • Review and approve payments ensuring complete supporting documentation, certification from programme managers, correct  accounts, obligation and receipts, sufficient budget and funding;

  • Coordinate Participate in project closure activities of the programme focusing on financial aspects including supporting UNOPS finance to clear balance sheet accounts and issue final financial statements;

  • Review  requests for operational advances, petty cash and prepayments ensuring complete documentation, review expenditures reports for settlement, clearance and replenishment; 

  • Ensure timely submission of compliance reports such as advances, petty cash to UNOPS finance. Ensure maintenance of files including electronic filing system for all financial records and documentation; 

  • Support operations and programme teams in planning and processing of payments for workshops and conference activities including travelling with the team to manage field level payments.  

  • Timely response to UNOPS finance requests to resolve financial data issues;


Financial support to grants management activities
 

  • Support the operations and programme teams to conduct Due Diligence Assessments (DDAs) of the implementing partners and manage follow-up actions related to financial recommendations;

  • Support the operations and programme teams to perform periodic grants monitoring and oversight activities focusing on financial aspects, providing recommendations and mitigating solutions;

  • Review grant budgets and financial reports against approved budgets, to provide feedback on financial aspects to the implementing partners, operations and programme teams; 

  • Provide day-to-day guidance to programme teams and implementing partners to enhance understanding and compliance with grants guidelines, grant agreement, and UNOPS requirements;

  • Liaise directly with the implementing partners and support RBM programme teams to resolve bottlenecks related to the financial management aspects and reporting requirements as agreed in the grant agreements; 

  • Review payment requests and ensure payments are processed based upon the grant agreement, agreed payment schedules, and fund availability certification and complete supporting documentation;

  • Support operations and programme teams in grants budgeting, forecasting and  expenditures; ensure variances are communicated timely;

  • Highlight grants risks and delays to the operations and programme teams as appropriate;

  • Coordinate with the operations and programme teams to maintain a database and archives of all financial grant related information and documentation for all the implementing partners;

  • Coordinate the process of operational and financial closure of grants and projects;

  • Contribute to the coordination and follow up on the audits and assurance activities of implementing partners;

  • Support programme  teams to update and maintain grants and contracts tools that will ensure timely review and deadlines of reports submission assigned by project and internal requirements.


Capacity building and Knowledge management
 

  • Contribute to capacity development and training activities for implementing partners covering financial management, reporting and audit aspects  in coordination with operations and programme  teams;

  • Compile grants financial management lessons learned and share across all implementing partners; 

  • Participation in the organization and conduct of training for operations and programme teams covering financial management aspects, policies and guidelines, processes and the use of systems and tools;

  • Contribute to knowledge networks and communities of practice on finance and grants management;

  • Collaborative synthesis of lessons learnt and dissemination of best practices on financial management;

  • Collection of feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices;.

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