UN Jobs in Afghanistan , Finance Officer

UN Jobs

All Jobs

UN Jobs in Afghanistan , Finance Officer

Employer Profile

Afghanistan

Opportunity Deadline

Share via:

Job Description

N/A

Fresh

Male, Female, Both

Organization: UNDP – United Nations Development Programme
Location: Kabul
Grade: Junior level – NPSA-9, National Personnel Services Agreement
Occupational Groups:
- Operations and Administrations
- Banking and Finance
Closing Date: 2023-01-31

Background

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

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.

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts 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. Under the broader framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in close coordination with other UN agencies, UNDP is supporting Afghan people’s aspiration for peace, prosperity, and sustainability. UNDP is currently implementing its flagship crisis response programme, ABADEI (Area Based Approach to Development Emergency Initiatives), as part of the ongoing UN-led response to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and the breakdown of Afghanistan’s economy following the August 2021 shift in power.

Agriculture is the main stay for most of Afghans. Approximately 80% of the population is engaged in agriculture directly or in secondary or tertiary activities. It is in this sector that the future of Afghanistan’s wealth and potential for capital accumulation resides. While some of Afghanistan’s former agricultural infrastructure has been restored, considerably more, remains to be done. Lack of agriculture technology, infrastructure, and difficulty in accessing markets by farmers still remain as challenges in the sector. This is, in spite of the enormous potential of agriculture as the sector that can drive economic growth.

These challenges and dependence of rural households on low-value crops on scarce arable land and their vulnerability to increasingly severe droughts and floods due to climate change adversely contribute to the viability of opium poppy cultivation as an easily marketable and drought-resistant option. Having said this, it also presents an opportunity as farmers, producers, and processors and traders are demanding increased support from the government, realizing the potential of agriculture as a viable economic option if provided with the requisite technologies and infrastructure.

CBARD is a community-based project which introduces and strengthens local production and marketing of traditional high-value crops in the twenty high opium producing districts of Nangarhar, Laghman, Badghis, Farah, Balkh and Kandahar. With a stated purpose to prove the viability of high-value agricultural-based interventions in improving local economies as a sustainable alternative to illicit crop cultivation, CBARD project aims at reducing opium cultivation and directly benefit over 350,000 target direct beneficiaries. In addition to supporting local farmers with Farmers’ Field Schools, CBARD project supports existing public and private agro-business infrastructures in the strategic areas of irrigation, transportation, and agricultural facilities. The later includes the introduction or strengthening of value-addition activities through community-owned producer groups, cooperatives, or established SMEs by building or repairing key infrastructure such as greenhouses, dry and cold storage warehouses, and packaging and processing plants. The project also recognizes the important role of off-farm employment created and supported by the project through innovative enterprise support and development. CBARD Project is implemented directly by UNDP through Responsible Party Agrement (RPA) with Roots of Peace. Furthermore, UNDP coordinates with UNODC as the Opium Production Monitoring Agent to carry out socio-economic evaluations in targeted communities.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the CBARD Project Manager and in close coordination with the Country Office Finance Unit, the Finance Officer will work closely with staff from the CBARD Project, Implementing Partner/Responsible Party, Donors and will provide overall support to the Project Manager on financial issues.

The duty station for this position is Kabul, Afghanistan, following the working hours and weekends as applicable to all UN staff in Afghanistan. Movement for meetings and consultations shall be coordinated by UNDP and the project. The Finance Officer will at all times observe UN security and rules and regulations as well as advisories in Afghanistan and comply with UN MOSS.

The CBARD Project is seeking to recruit a Finance Officer who will be responsible for:

Financial management and project budget management:

Management CBARD financial resources
Review the quarterly financial reports of the Implementing Partner/Responsible Party
Send payment requests to the Finance Office
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 Atlas on a regular basis, report on the project delivery.
Provide support relating to procurement activities
Raise e-requisition and perform PROMPT entries regarding procurement plan
Ensure that advances and direct payments are properly raised and made on timely basis

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 the project 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, Timely response to HQ/Donors/CO requests to resolve financial data issues;
Analysis of requirements and synthesis of proposals on proper mechanisms to build internal and external Programme management capacity
Regular 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 donors

Knowledge building and knowledge sharing:

Maintain an effective stakeholder engagement approach
Provide ad hoc support to the Implementing Partner/Responsible Party related to financial issues
Based on need, support relevant Implementing Partner/Responsible Party financial focal points to identify new programme financial management, joint quality assurance and audit
Organizing on job and capacity trainings on specialized financial matters
Organizing of training for finance team in the project
Performs other related duties as required

Other duties required by 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 and Strategy

Negotiation and Influence: Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiate mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and create ‘win-win’ situations

Business Development

Knowledge Facilitation: Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly external

Business Management

Project Management: Ability to plan, organise, prioritise and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goal
Risk Management: Ability to identify and organise action around mitigating and proactively managing risks

Digital and Innovation

Data Analysis: Ability to extract, analyse and visualize data (including Real-Time Data) to form meaningful insights and aid effective decision making

Health

HIV, Health and Development: Understanding and practical experience of social determinants of health and the ability to apply them to strategic and/or practical situations

Health

National Strategic Plan/Policy for Health: Ability to engage with national disease programmes in support of development and national strategies/plans

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master or bachelor’s degree in finance/accounting, business or public administration or equivalent professional accounting qualification from an international recognized institute of accountancy
UNDP Advance Accountancy & Finance Test may be required

Experience:

With Master’s degree 2 years and with bachelor’s degree 4 years of relevant experience
Financial management experience with the UN system a strong asset
Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel etc) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web based financial systems (i.e. ERP)
Experience in financial management system of UN/ NGO/ large enterprize
Promotes ethics and integrity and creates organizational precedents
Proficient in use of web based financial systems/ enterprize resource planning software
Proven experience in building staff competence and creating an environment of creativity and innovation.
Builds and promotes effective teams
Creates and promotes an environment for open communications
Shares knowledge across the organization and builds a culture of knowledge sharing and learning
Finance Planning, Budgeting & Finance Reporting and Analysis
Partnership (Ability to engage with other agencies, donors and other development stakholders and forge productive working relationship)
Experience working with diverse teams with different technical capacities in international development
Working with diverse and multi-cultural teams is desirable
Demonstrated expertise in using ERP based financial management

Language Requirements:

Excellent written and oral English, required
Knowledge of the local language Dari and/or Pashto is required

Travel:

Any travel associated with performing the functions of the position shall be payable by UNDP as per applicable Policy

Note: This position is open for Afghanistan nationals only

Disclaimer

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.

Scam warning

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.