Finance Associate (Local Post for Nationals of Turkiye) – UNDP jobs in Turkey

• Location: Istanbul, Turkey
• Vacancy No: N/A 
• Salary: N/A
• Organization: UNDP
• Gender: Both
• Deadline: 2024-04-09
  

Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

The Finance Associate will support a UN Women and UNFPA jointly led EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotype and gender-based violence programme, phase II (50%) and other related gender projects. UN Women and UNFPA are globally recognized as leading agencies in gender equality and the prevention of harmful practices against women and girls. Both agencies have long experience of challenging gender stereotypes and practices, effecting social change and advancing women’s and girls’ empowerment. The efforts of both agencies are complementary and further enhanced by their work with other United Nations agencies, civil society, and member states. Both agencies draw on considerable knowledge globally, regionally, and from the local level, and play a facilitating and convening role to involve all actors in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 and other SDGs, as gender equality is a precondition for sustainable development.

The second phase of the “EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender-stereotypes and gender-based violence” project[1], funded by the European Union started on 1 January 2024 and will continue until 30 June 2026.  The project works in countries of Eastern Partnership (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine) and has a regional component. The overall objective of the programme’s phase II remains – to ensure equal rights and opportunities for women and men of the Eastern Partnership Countries in family and public life. The programme will aim to reduce gender discriminatory attitudes and practices between women and men in institutional and community spheres, including unpaid domestic and care work, by continuing and upscaling successful initiatives and interventions from the phase I, including but not limited to building evidence and knowledge on social norms change, implementing innovative communication and advocacy campaigns and continuing with subgrants to successful interventions by civil society organizations (CSOs). Furthermore, by creating new and upscaling previously created Fathers’ Schools, building capacity of facilitators and gender advocates, advocating for equal sharing of care work and domestic responsibilities by promoting family-friendly policies in the national legislation and among the non-state actors, etc. The prevention of gender-based violence is an integral component under the objective.

The Finance Associate will also provide support to UN Women’s Humanitarian Programme (25%) and UNFPA’s regional programme Expanding Choices phase II (25%). The Expanding Choices phase II aims to promote gender-responsive family policies (GRFP) in the private sector through legislative and normative frameworks and creating inclusive labour conditions and opportunities in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia.

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, P3, UN Women[2], and matrix supervision on the Regional Operations Manager, the Finance Associate works with and provides support in development and implementation of project activities by UNFPA and UN Women in line with UN Women rules and regulations.  S/he contributes to financial management, reporting and other finance-related issues for successful implementation of the Joint Programme. The Finance Associate works in close collaboration with the projects’ staff in the UNFPA and UN Women ROs as required for resolving complex finance-related issues and exchange of information. The Finance Associate promotes a client-oriented approach consistent with UN Women rules and regulations, standard practices and guidelines.

The Finance Associate works in close collaboration with the Operations Teams in the Regional Offices of UN Women and UNFPA as well as with the Operations and Programme teams in UN Women and UNFPA HQ for solving complex finance-related issues and information delivery.

[1] https://eca.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/eu-4-gender-equality

[2] The Project Manager (P3) is hired by UN Women and is responsible for managing the development, implementation, monitoring and reporting of UN Women and UNFPA’s regional components of the joint programme.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Implement financial strategies, and adapt processes and procedures in full compliance with UN Women rules, regulations, policies, and recording and reporting systems

• Perform duties in full compliance with UN Women financial regulations and rules, policies and standard operating procedures, including internal controls;
• Keep abreast of and ensure full compliance with amendments to International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS);
• Review and verify financial transactions, activities, and documentation; taking corrective actions as needed and reporting any unusual activities;
• Monitor financial exceptions reports for unusual activities or transaction, investigate anomalies and report to the supervisor conclusions and/or present recommendations for actions/decisions;
• Collect, verify and present information and data for use in the planning of financial resources and the formulation of the UNFPA and UN Women Joint Project work plans, budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements and execution modalities;
• Provide assistance in Annual Work Plan entry in Results Management System (RMS) as required;
• Provide advice and recommend solutions to a wide range of financial issues;
• Monitor the proper functioning of the financial resources management system for office and programmatic budgets and resources;
• Implement and monitor cost saving and reduction strategies;
• Review with Budget owners and Project Managers, in line with Month-end Closure Checklist, the Project Delivery Status Reports and investigate any overspend;
• Respond to instructions from the Deputy Director of Financial Management or Finance Section in relation to financial transactions.  Undertake timely corrective actions as requested by Finance Section to resolve financial data issues or provide information;
• Participate as a member of the Regional office team in the internal and external audits of the Regional Office or Country Offices in the project’s participating countries;
• Follow-up on audit recommendations to monitor implementation of corrective actions;
• Actively promote a client-oriented finance service to Regional office and Country offices.

2. Prepare and administer joint programme’s budget in full compliance of UN Women rules, regulations, policies, and recording and reporting systems

• Formulate the budget, control allotments, monitor expenditures, and prepare revisions according to the needs of the RO;
• Track the appropriate and timely use of financial resources;
• Prepare cost recovery documents or bills for the services provided by UNFPA and UN Women to other programmes or organizations;
• Create projects in Quantum, prepare budget revisions, revise project awards and status; and determine unutilized funds
• Ensure the maintenance of the control mechanism for development projects through monitoring budgets preparation and modifications and budgetary status;
• Maintain internal expenditure control system;
• Undertake corrective actions on un-posted vouchers, including vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions and unapproved vouchers. Frequently review and investigate payment vouchers which are in error; and respond to RO requests to resolve financial data issues;
• Prepare VAT reimbursements with adequate documentation support, as necessary;
• Input data in Quantum and monitor status. Keep stakeholders and clients informed for timely action and/or decisions;
• Manage petty cash fund;
• Assist Project Manager with budget re-phrasal as required.

3. Provide finance support to the team of the joint programme:

• Review accounts receivables for the joint programme and follow-up with project manager and finance section at UNFPA and UN Women regional office and/or headquarters on contributions, deposits creation in Quantum and their application to AR pending items;
• Prepare PO and non-PO vouchers for development projects;
• Prepare General Ledger journal entries (GLJEs) from proper supporting documents authorized by the budget owners and project managers;
• Review transactions in Quantum, ensure payroll, travel claims, MPOs, and other entitlements are processed;
• Monitor the setup of budgets in Quantum to ensure they are in accordance with budgets agreed with donors and are input into Quantum at the detailed Activity ID level;
• Monitor each month over-expenditure of budgets and follow up with Budget Owner;
• Monitor regularly transactions posted to projects ensuring actual expenditure has been recorded against correct budget category and activity, take timely corrective actions as required;
• Maintain proper follow up of advances to implementing partners, review their financial reports together with project managers;
• Monitor the financial status and under the guidance of the Project Manager implement control mechanisms for management/development projects;
• Monitor and proper follow up of all the financial items in Month-end and Year-end closure instructions status and under the guidance of the Project Manager, take correction actions as required;
• Keep stakeholders and clients informed for timely actions/decisions and review status reports for quality control;
• Provide information inputs to financial reports for UNFPA and UN Women Regional Office, HQ Finance and stakeholders;
• Finalize mandated financial reports to donors and other clients and stakeholders;
• Associate revenue and expenditure in commitment control for non-core projects.
• Provide inputs and take necessary actions to facilitate timely financial project closure;
• Support financial donor reporting by providing timely information and taking necessary actions as required by UN Women Virtual Global Service Centre for financial donor reporting.
• Assist with preparation for Audit of Projects and Partners by third party audit firm.  Follow-up and/or take action on audit recommendations to ensure implementation of corrective actions. Assist in reviewing the audit reports on NGO executed projects.

4. Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• Conduct training and/or helping organize training events and activities;
• Collect and compile lessons learned and best practices in financial management and services. Disseminate to clients and stakeholders as appropriate to build capacity and knowledge;
• Contribute to financial business operational practices and management innovations.
• Supervise and guide staff and personnel under responsibility, as applicable, provide technical guidance and monitor performance to ensure delivery of results according to plans and standards of accountability and performance;
• Undertake all trainings in relation to financial management provided, including webinars from headquarters.

5. The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Functional Competencies

• Excellent knowledge of financial rules and regulations and accounting principles;
• Excellent knowledge and application skills of IT tools and understanding of management systems;
• Excellent knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages;
• Ability to provide input to business processes re-engineering, implementation of new systems;
• Ability to administer and execute financial and accounting processes and transactions.

Required Skills and Experience

Application:

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc. Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

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