Organization: UNICEF – United Nations Children’s Fund
Location: Istanbul
Grade: Mid level – P-3, International Professional – Internationally recruited position
Occupational Groups:
Operations and Administrations
Legal – Broad
Banking and Finance
Ombudsman and Ethics
Closing Date: 2024-04-30

This is an Istanbul 12-month temporary position in the Treasury and Structured Finance (TSF) Section under the Division of Finance and Administrative Management (DFAM), reporting to the Senior Finance Manager – Global Cash-Based Transfers, P5 Level.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, hope…

Under the guidance of the Senior Finance Manager Global Cash-Based Transfers, and in collaboration with other TSF Section Unit chiefs:

The Counterparty Risk and Compliance Analyst will play a crucial role in safeguarding UNICEF’s financial interests. Their responsibilities will include managing risks associated with financial counterparties, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and internal policies, and actively assisting UNICEF Regional and Country Offices in implementing risk-informed FSP related aspects of cash-based transfers to beneficiaries, fundraising, and FSPs used for UNICEF operations. The deliverables will include risk identification, analysis, and mitigation, compliance oversight, control testing, and documentation of potential financial risks that could impact UNICEF. Additionally, the incumbent will provide technical assistance in selecting Financial Service Providers (FSPs), ensuring adherence to rules and regulations, policy modifications, procedural enhancements, and protection of financial resources. The Counterparty Risk and Compliance Analyst will collaborate closely with other units within DFAM, including the Banking and Payment Solutions Unit and the Financial Reporting Unit, as well as other teams across the organization.

How can you make a difference?

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

A. FSP Risk Mitigation Strategies and Compliance:

1. Develop a practical system to periodically and systematically monitor the FSP risk mitigation action plans approved by DFAM Treasury to ensure compliance with UNICEF policies and procedures and with FSP approval conditions.
2. Update the FSP approval conditions monitoring calendar, share monitoring tools and set compliance review appointments with Regional and Country Offices.
3. Review Country Office submissions of approval conditions compliance and propose changes to the required evidence to be submitted to DFAM Treasury and conditions to strengthen compliance.
4. Conduct comprehensive risk assessments to identify potential risks related to working with all types of counterparties impacting the programmes’ financial, operational, and regulatory aspects.
5. Evaluate existing processes and systems to identify vulnerabilities and areas of improvement.
6. Recommend risk mitigation strategies, policy changes, and procedures to minimise exposure to identified risks.
7. Utilize data analysis tools to assess historical data and trends, enabling informed decision-making in risk management strategies.

B. Financial Service Provider Selection:

1. FSP approvals: Review the business case from Regional and Country Offices for new requests and extensions of FSP approvals.
2. Support the colleagues in the TSF Section conducting assessments of FSP’s financial health and credit risk to determine the likelihood that the FSP will continue as a viable business and safeguard UNICEF funds entrusted to them.
3. Review FSPs’ terms of reference / contractual agreements and risk assessments.
4. Support the drafting of recommendations for the approval/not approval of FSPs by the Treasurer
5. Help maintain UNICEF pertinent legal documentation for the unit, such as service agreements between UNICEF and the financial service providers and liaise with UNICEF legal and procurement on contractual documents.

C. Knowledge Management:

1. Build dashboards for easy reporting and monitoring of trends.
2. Keep the DFAM Treasury SharePoint current and upload files to the respective libraries and maintain dashboards and trackers.
3. Help capture new knowledge using a knowledge management system, including PowerBI, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Visio, etc.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Finance, Business, or Economics.
• A minimum of five (5) years of professional work experience in cash-based transfers, risk management, Audit, Finance, or banking, is required.
• Experience with payment methods for humanitarian programmes, such as cash-based transfers, is considered an asset.
• Experience working with Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, SharePoint and PowerPoint at an advanced level is required, and with PowerBI is highly desirable.
• Experience in working in a multi-cultural environment.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is considered an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be cancelled.

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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.

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

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