Join UNOCHA as a Finance Officer in Drive Financial Integrity in Humanitarian Efforts. 2024

June 8, 2024

6 minutes read

Job Posting: Finance Officer at UNOCHA (Nationals Only)

Location: Sana’a, Yemen
Agency: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)
Grade: NOA
Contract Duration: 364 days
Application Deadline: June 19, 2024
Job ID: 18501

Background

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Yemen plays a crucial role in facilitating humanitarian action across the country. UNOCHA mobilizes and coordinates principled humanitarian response in partnership with national and international actors to alleviate human suffering during disasters and emergencies. The organization advocates for the rights of people in need, supports emergency preparedness and response, and facilitates sustainable solutions for vulnerable people adversely affected by conflict and natural disasters. UNOCHA supports the work of the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), the Inter-Cluster Coordination Mechanism (ICCM), national authorities, and other humanitarian partners, including NGOs in Yemen.

The Finance Officer will be based in Sana’a with frequent visits to OCHA hubs. As a member of the Humanitarian Financing team, the Finance Officer will support humanitarian partners (UN agencies, international and national NGOs, and other stakeholders) working with the Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF). Under the overall supervision of the Fund Manager/Head of the Humanitarian Financing Unit, the Finance Officer will report directly to the Finance Officer (P3) and indirectly to the OCHA YHF P3 Programme Officer in Sana’a.

Position Purpose

The Finance Officer is responsible for reviewing budgets, budget amendments, grant agreements, and relevant documents submitted by YHF partners. The role involves monitoring project implementation through spot checks, periodic financial reporting, and audits. The Finance Officer will also obtain outstanding reports, assess them in line with grant agreements, and provide guidance and training on budget preparation, financial reporting, and budget changes for implementing partners.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Ensure Effective Financial Review and Advise on Project and Budget Agreements:

Verify Implementing Partners’ (IP) financial documentation as required.
Review grant agreements and supporting documents to ensure accuracy, consistency, reasonableness, and compliance with the UNFRR and Country-based Pooled Funds (CBPF) Guidelines.
Review and advise on project budgets and grant agreements.
Review and advise on budget amendments and no-cost extension requests.
Review audit financial reports ensuring compliance with the signed agreement and project budget.
Maintain a complete, accurate, and updated list of disbursements to IPs.
Follow up regularly with IPs to obtain financial reports.
Review interim and final financial reports and confirm the amount for additional disbursements.
Initiate the process to ensure disbursements as required and follow up on any reimbursements.
Conduct financial spot-checks in line with operational modalities.
Prepare financial analysis for standard and ad-hoc reporting requirements.
Ensure timely financial reporting in compliance with donor requirements.
Conduct capacity assessments of partners who passed the first step of the Eligibility process (Due Diligence) to gauge their capacity and assign an appropriate risk profile.
Perform other related duties as assigned by the Head of the Humanitarian Finance Unit and the Finance Officer.
Maintain complete and current cash flow records for the Fund.

Ensure Implementation of Financial Management Strategies and Adapt Processes and Procedures:

Liaise with the Administration Unit on tracking expenses processed by the Administration Unit and regularly produce and monitor expenditure reports.
Prepare financial analysis of the fund allocations for donor reporting, YHF annual report, and fund dashboards.
Conduct partner sensitization on YHF procedures and guidelines for accessing grants, working with the Grant Management System (GMS), and complying with the United Nations Financial Regulations and Rules (UNFRR) and the Guidelines for Country-Based Pooled Funds (CBPF).
Maintain the HFU petty cash, record all expenses in UMOJA, and ensure reconciliation of the cashbook with the physical cash in the safe.
Work closely with the Funding Coordination Section (FCS) Finance in New York on financial reports, budget reviews, payments, and refunds.
Assist HFU staff and YHF stakeholders regarding queries on budget, financial reports, payments, refund, and deposit-related issues.
Provide guidance and advice on finance-related CBPF guidelines, internally and externally.
Liaise with relevant OCHA sections at HQ.

Provide Effective Administrative Services:

Support the Pooled Fund Manager and Head of the Unit in liaising with companies carrying out contractual services on behalf of the HFU.
Keep up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines related to program budgets and the YHF.
Document and file all financial documents such as spot-check reports, audit reports, refund payments, and financial authorization for recording purposes and future reference.
Perform other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

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

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:

Business Management – Results-based Management: Ability to manage programs and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results.
Business Management – Risk Management: Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.
Digital & Innovation – Data Analysis: Ability to extract, analyze, and visualize data to form meaningful insights and aid effective decision-making.
Finance – Accounting: Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, frameworks, standards, regulations, policies, and trends, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.
Finance – Budget Management: Ability to support budgetary aspects of the work planning process, drawing, and management of team budgets.
Finance – Financial Risk Management: Ensures financial resilience through proactive assessment of risk, implementation of controls, and taking mitigating action. Understands risk and reward in relation to collaborative and commercial projects.
Audit & Investigation – General – Financial and Managerial Accounting and Finance Key Concepts: Key concepts and principles of financial accounting, interpret financial analysis, managerial accounting.

Qualifications

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.
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.

Experience:

Up to two (2) years (with a master’s degree) or two (2) years (with a bachelor’s degree) of experience in finance and accounting/administration, crisis/emergency program management, Humanitarian Affairs, grant management or another related area is required.
At least two years of experience with a UN organization or an NGO is preferred.
Experience in project budgeting and proposal writing is desired.
Experience with auditing and/or financial spot-checking of partners is an advantage.
Experience and knowledge of accounting systems, procurement, and grants management is desirable.
Excellent command of Office suite applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint) is required.
Proven abilities in data collection, compilation, analysis, and reporting with the ability to write in a clear and concise manner and effective oral communication is desired.
Experience and knowledge of project cycle management is desirable.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English and Arabic (Oral and Written) is required.

Disclaimer

Applicant Information About Rosters:

UNOCHA 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 UNOCHA at the same grade level and with similar job descriptions, experience, and educational requirements.

Non-Discrimination:

UNOCHA has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. UNOCHA 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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