Overview
The Accounting Assistant will scrutinize source documents, investigate erroneous charges, and communicate with field offices regarding accounting discrepancies. The role involves reconciling suspense accounts, assisting with tax data transmission, and recording complex accounting transactions.
Key Responsibilities
- Scrutinizes source documents for completeness, accuracy and validity of charges.
- Investigates erroneous charges and takes appropriate corrective accounting actions.
- Communicates with field offices and funds and programmes regarding missing documentation or any other issues related to discrepancies between their accounts and those maintained at Headquarters.
- Reconciles and reviews suspense accounts and ensure proper clearance procedures have been followed.
- Assists with the compliance data transmission to and from the US tax authorities.
- Records and reconciles more complex accounting transactions.
- Extracts details of income, expenditure, assets and liability from accounting system in order to analyze and verify accuracy and validity.
- Audits various accounting transactions, e.g., payroll, education grants, final payments, income tax returns, travel claims, etc., to ensure correctness of disbursements and adherence to relevant staff rules, financial regulations and rules, ST/AI issuances or practices.
- Serves as Approving Officer for disbursements up to an authorized level.
- Provides guidance and training to colleagues as required.
- Supervises other General Service staff as required and in relation to a) the client service activities of the Income Tax Unit; b) the filing requirements of income tax files.
- Drafts/prepares memoranda to various offices, departments and overseas offices.
- Coordinates between business areas as necessary.
- Responds to queries from staff members and third parties.
- Performs other duties as may be required.
Required Experience
A minimum of six years of experience in accounting, finance, budget, administrative services or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. A minimum of four years of experience focused on transactional-based accounting activities such as payroll, US income tax, vendor/travel claims processing is required. Experience in the use of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, such as Umoja, SAP or equivalent is required. Experience working with the United Nations or a large global organization’s systems and procedures is desirable. Experience with disbursements and adherence to relevant Staff Rules and Regulations including entitlements and Financial Regulations, Rules, and procedures of the United Nations or similar international organization is desirable.
Qualifications
High school diploma or equivalent is required.
