Senior Finance Assistant, (GS-7), Bissau, Guinea Bissau

Under the general supervision of the Administration & Finance officer, serves as a principal assistant with responsibility for accounts maintenance and budget control functions of the office.

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Purpose of the Position

Under the general supervision of the Head of the Office or other professional officer, serves as a principal assistant with responsibility for accounts maintenance and budget control functions of the office.

Key Accountabilities and Duties & Tasks

1. Main responsibilities as Finance Local Focal Point (FLFP)of CO in liaison with GSSC:

• Quality submission of payments requests (Direct invoices, POs, DCT Reimbursements and Direct Payments)in My case;
• Quality submission of down payments and prepayments to GSSC and following their clearing;
• Creation of request for the transfer or disposal of assets;
• Monitoring of status of submitted requests, follow up and respond to queries from GSSC.

      2. HACT quality assurance of accounts

• Reports any suspicion of misuse of funds or fraud to supervisor and Operations Chief/Manager immediately after spot check visit
• Carries out spot checks in accordance with Micro-assessment & Assurance Plan;
• Following the spot check recommendations.

       3. Quality processing of transactions other than GSSC related (travels, DCT payments, cash receipts, etc.)

• Participates in and supervises the following tasks:- Maintenance of cash books, including control of       disbursements and balancing of books and ledgers;- Maintaining liaisons with officials of local banks and financial institutions to obtain day-to-day information on exchange and interest rates, changes in procedures and regulations, and matters pertaining to maintenance of office bank accounts.
• Preparation of financial data for budget estimates and financial planning;
• Maintenance of ledgers and accounting records for classification and recording of financial transactions and for the reconciliation of accounts and preparation of recurring or special reports;

      4. Assists higher level officers in all aspects of accounts maintenance and budget control by providing reports on financial status, procedures, exchange rates, costs and    expenditures, and potential funding problems.

       5. Trains staff members, providing accounting clerical assistance and evaluate supervisees' work when needed.

      6. Performs other duties, as required.

Qualifications of Successful Candidate

• Completion of secondary education (i.e high school diploma) is a minimum requirement. University degree or equivalent in accounting or finance is desirable. IT skills and working knowledge of the Microsoft Suite of Products (MS Word, MS Excel and MS PowerPoint) is required.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• At least seven years of practical experience, including progressively responsible work in finance and accounting activities.

LANGUAGES 

•  Fluency in English (verbal and written) is required.
• Knowledge of an additional UN language is considered as asset.
• Knowledge of the local language is an asset.

Competencies of Successful Candidate

Core Values

• Commitment
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Integrity

Core Competencies (Required)

• Communication [II]
• Working with People [II]
• Drive for Results [II]

Functional Competencies

• Applying Technical Expertise [II]
• Following instructions and Procedures [II]
• Planning and Organizing [II]

Technical Knowledge  

MORE SPECIFICALLY

• Good judgment, initiative, high sense of responsibility, organization, and analytical skills.
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• Ability to conduct training.
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• Computer skills, including internet navigation
• Knowledge of the latest developments and technology in related fields.
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• Proven analytical and written presentation skills and ability to communicate to a number of internal and external stakeholders.
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• Excellent mathematical skills and attention to detail.
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• Ability to identify potential problems before they occur. Proactive in preparation and uses initiative in response.
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• Ability to manage day to day interactions with contracted external service providers and analyses their performance.
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• Demonstrated capacity for commitment, results based management and self-organization.
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• Good level of Computer literacy systems and applications, Microsoft package (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc, Internet navigation, and various office applications.
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• Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment, and establish harmonious and effective working relationships both within and outside the organization.

To view our competency framework, please click here. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.