Overview
The Finance Specialist position is responsible for the financial management and controllership of SCMU's financial activities, including oversight of Accounts Payable, internal financial controls, financial reporting, and transaction processing.
Key Responsibilities
- Support the Head of Pillar 4 - Support Services in overseeing SCMU’s financial operations, ensuring strategic resource management, compliance, and operational efficiency.
- Provide expert financial guidance to senior management on resource planning, budgeting, and optimization.
- Ensure full compliance with UNFPA financial policies, IPSAS standards, and internal control frameworks.
- Lead budget planning, execution, and performance monitoring, including variance analysis and forecasting.
- Oversee ERP financial functions, including transaction approvals, reconciliations, and ledger integrity.
- Manage audit preparedness and follow-up, risk management, and exception reporting mechanisms.
- Supervise accounts payable and receivable processes, ensuring timely, accurate, and compliant financial transactions.
- Lead annual financial closure, year-end reconciliations, and coordination with auditors.
- Supports innovative financing approaches to diversify funding and enhance financial sustainability.
- Develop and implement UNFPA's capacity-strengthening initiatives.
- Advocate for the training of supply chain professionals.
- Coach and mentor UNFPA personnel to strengthen their capacity to provide informed technical guidance in the supply chain management function.
- Champion UNFPA's supply chain thought leadership through actively engaging with industry experts, participating in relevant forums, contributing to research and publications, and representing UNFPA's expertise in various supply chain management discussions and initiatives.
- Foster an environment for knowledge retention and sharing and the creation of a community of practice for supply chain.
- Provide counsel and support on the full range of financial management issues, incorporating best practices and continuous improvement across UNFPA.
- Prominently contribute to the development of UNFPA’s value proposition and relationships with donors and partners.
- Support SCMU’s collaboration with the Division for Communication and Strategic Partnerships to diversify funding opportunities.
- Support SCMU’s oversight of resource mobilisation proposals for quality assurance purposes.
- Establish effective collaboration with relevant stakeholders within UNFPA to ensure coordinated and effective tailored solutions for each area of intervention.
- Lead the fostering of relationships with key supply chain partners with the purpose of increasing the efficiency of UNFPA’s supply chain function.
- Represent SCMU and UNFPA in meetings related to financial management functions.
- Create a conducive working environment aligned with UNFPA's 2030 People Strategy.
- Lead and supervise the team.
- Carry out any other duties as may be required by the Chief, SCMU
Required Experience
A minimum of five (5) years of relevant, progressively responsible experience in financial management, accounting, or related areas. Experience in managing a team, particularly within a remote and/or matrix organizational structure is required. Professional written and spoken presentation skills, including for the development of reports, presentations, and the ability to synthesize complex supply chain documents for both technical and non-technical audiences is required. Strong interpersonal skills and capability to develop and maintain broad diversified partnerships is required. Experience using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is required. Basic proficiency in project management skills is an asset.
Qualifications
An advanced university degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, International Commerce,or a related field is required. Professional Accounting certification such as Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) with demonstrated expertise in IPSAS is required.
