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.

Background and Organizational Context

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to tackle the injustices of poverty, inequality, and climate change on a global scale. Working with our broad network of experts, host governments and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. UNDP has been working in Afghanistan for more than 50 years on climate change and resilience, gender, governance, health, livelihoods, and rule of law.

Following the power shift in August 2021, the situation for the country remains largely uncertain and fragile, with approximately seventy percent of the population facing multifaceted vulnerabilities affecting their well-being, human security and long-term development while nearly a third of the population are estimated to be acutely food insecure.  Over the recent years, international assistance has played a vital role in averting a socioeconomic collapse by providing lifesaving, resilience-building and livelihoods-sustaining assistance to millions of people, hundreds of critical healthcare and educational centres, and tens of thousands of small and medium enterprises, often owned and managed by women. Nevertheless, the humanitarian challenge in Afghanistan is one of the biggest in the world, and basic human needs and priorities remain extremely high. In 2024, 95 percent of households experienced at least one shock of an economic or natural disaster nature such as floods, droughts and others.

To help tackle the pressing challenges for enduring livelihoods and climate resilience, UNDP is designing fit-for-purpose portfolios of programs to create new livelihoods, income opportunities, basic services and to build resilience against climate-induced natural calamities that continue to haunt millions of households in the country.

Afghanistan remains one of the most gender-unequal countries in the world, with women facing systemic challenges hindering their access to education and employment opportunities in the public sector and restricting their participation in public life. UNDP remains committed to women’s empowerment through capacity-building initiatives, livelihoods and self-employment/employment support, enhancing gender-responsive decision-making at community level, and supporting local communities to include women, in line with UNSCR 1325 (Women, Peace, and Security).

Programme implementation is overseen with support from the Programme Management Support Unit (PMSU) which serves as the independent internal quality assurance mechanism separated from project design and implementation. The main priorities of this unit are to ensure quality programme design, effective Results Based Management, Programme coherence, appropriate application of social and environment safeguards, compliance with corporate policies and procedures throughout the programme cycle, proper programme financial management, effective and accurate financial resources management and oversight, ensures effective budgeting and management of development projects’ resources, including financial sustainability planning for the office, and HACT planning and implementation. PMSU works in close collaboration with the country office Operations on efficiency and compliance related to delivery, finance and audits.

Under the overall guidance of Programme Management Support Specialist and direct supervision of Programme Finance Specialist, the Finance Analyst is responsible for the effective and transparent utilization of financial resources and integrity of financial services. The Finance Analyst promotes a client- oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations. He/she analyzes and interprets the financial rules and regulations and provides solutions to a wide spectrum of complex financial issues. The Finance Analyst promotes a collaborative, client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

The incumbent is part of the Programme Management Support Unit of the Country Office and works in close collaboration with the operations, program, and partnership section of the Country Office as required for optimal project implementation. S/he is also responsible for maintaining a revenue management system, contribute to the accuracy in donor reporting and pipeline management from contributions point of view and timely quarter and annual financially reporting.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. This is a recognition of the interconnected nature of development risks and crises that the world is facing and that calls for assembling of multidisciplinary teams for an integrated and systemic response. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration

The incumbent will approach work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude and display a strong client orientation. As such s/he will display flexibility in performing other emerging tasks and additional duties as required.
Duties and Responsibilities

Ensures implementation of operational and financial management strategies, and adapts processes and procedures

• Full compliance of financial activities, financial recording/reporting system and audit follow up with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, policies, and strategies; implementation of the effective internal control, proper design and functioning of the financial resources management system.
• Prepare CO Finance business processes mapping and elaboration/establishment of internal Standard Operating Procedures in Finance, control of the workflows in the Finance Unit.
• Elaborate the framework and conditions of contributions within the CO resources mobilization efforts.
• Elaborate and implement cost saving and reduction strategies.
• Routinely monitor financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, and investigate anomalies or unusual transactions. Inform supervisors and other UNDP staff at Headquarters of the results of the investigation when satisfactory answers are not obtained.

Maintains revenue management system; maintaining donor contribution agreements; development of donor profiles and updating of the pipeline table

• Review of cost sharing and trust fund agreements to ensure compliance with corporate policies and procedures.
• Regularly monitoring of contribution receivable account balances and milestone status for all contribution agreements. If needed, follow-up with partners on past due contributions. Timely submission of required supporting documents and service requests on Oracle CX/Quantum/Quantum+ for GSSU’s action on revenue management, such as, record contribution agreements, prepare AR pending items, and apply deposits.
• Assist in analyzing and researching on donors’ information, identification of opportunities for cost-sharing on donors, preparation of donor’s profile.
• Follow up on the resource mobilization activities, income and reporting schedules and assist on timely donor reporting.
• Provide advice to programme and project staff on different donor reporting requirements; monitoring of financial reports to be submitted to donors.
• Support to maintain and update the CO partners’ database and donor profiles and briefing notes on key partners, including government counterparts, donors, and the academia, in close coordination with partnership unit and programme unit.
• Ensure all the contribution agreements are archived and UNDP SharePoint is updated with finalized documents.
• Keeping track of all cost sharing (donor agreements) through a database to ensure sufficient and reliable data availability.

Supports with monitoring partner agreements, ensuring compliance with partner and corporate requirements and monitor pipeline management

• Support CO pipeline management, including ensuring monitoring the pipeline management in UNITY, in close coordination with partnership unit and other programme unit.
• Monitor management of partner agreements, including cost-sharing contributions.
• Support the HACT focal point in the planning and implementation of HACT.Provide guidance to projects and programmes on the use of the Standard template of contribution agreement / Letter of Agreement (LOA) / Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formats in line with prescriptive content and in consultation with the legal office for clearance if non-standard agreement is to be used.
• Facilitate negotiation of new partner agreements, including amendments.
• Provide support on government cost-sharing contributions, including new modalities for implementation in Afghanistan.

Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the CO and guidance to all stakeholders on financial matters

• Organize/conduct of training for the operations/ programme/projects staff on financial management.
• Synthetize lessons learned and best practices in financial management.
• Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Ensure Capacity building of project and program staff and counterparts:

• Provide training to new staff on Quantum and UNDP project implementation, including Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for contributions-management, pipeline management, and resources mobilization related matters.
• Advise project staff on programme finance matters, in particular, contributions-management related matters.
• Synthesize lessons learnt and best practices in contributions-management related matters.
• Recognized contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

The incumbent Perform other duties within your functional profile as assigned and deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the office.

Competencies

Core Competencies 

•  Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Business Direction & Strategy

• Business Direction & Strategy:  Develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight.

Finance

• Budget management: Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.
• Accounting (General): Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, frameworks, standards, regulations, policies and trends, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.
• Contributions management: Ability to receive, record, report and manage contributions received.
• 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 governance performance.
• Management and cost accounting: Ability to produce periodic qualitative and quantitative performance reports to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring. Ability to use a range of costing techniques and analyses cost related data to provide quantitative information to the users of reports.

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. Candidates with professional accounting qualifications from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage. OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree
• 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:

• Applicants with a master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience.
• Applicants with a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience in providing financial management services and operational systems at the national or international level.
• A sound and detailed understanding/experience of the UN environment, and the Finance and Accounting policies of UN and UNDP, is an asset.
• Experience in handling web-based performance management systems and ERP financials, including knowledge and experience of the application of IPSAS and/or IFRS is desirable.
• Proven track record of excellent interpersonal skills in a service provider environment is an advantage.
• Advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages is desired.
• Demonstrated experience building capacity of project and program staff and counterparts is an advantage.
• Experience in monitoring donor contribution agreements is an asset.
• Fluency in English is required.
• Fluency in the local language of duty station Dari and/or Pashto is required.

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

UNDP participates in the Scheme for the disclosure of safeguarding-related misconduct in recruitment processes within the humanitarian and development sector (Misconduct Disclosure Scheme). 

In line with this Scheme, UNDP will contact previous employers of job applicants to request information about any investigations or findings of misconduct concerning allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment (sexual misconduct) against the applicant, during or after their employment. 

By submitting a job application, the applicant confirms to have understood and consented to UNDP contacting the applicant’s prior employers, during UNDP’s recruitment process, to request any such information on sexual misconduct. 

Interested applicants can apply by clicking the link below or by copying and pasting the link into their browsers to access the application for the post.

Finance Analyst (Nationals Only) – UNDP Careers

Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

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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