Finance Assistant, GS-5, UNICEF Pacific Multi-Country Office, Suva, Fiji, Post Number 103139

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to Learning. 

All 14 Pacific Island countries and territories have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but only a third are on track with reporting obligations. Explore the different areas of our work here: UNICEF Pacific Islands.

How can you make a difference ?  

Under the supervision of the Finance Specialist, the Finance Assistant is responsible for executing a broad variety of standardized financial tasks for the Operations section requiring thorough knowledge of UNICEF administrative and financial procedures, processes, and policies. This position focuses on the functions of cash disbursement, it involves coordinating payments across all areas, ensuring that the data entered in VISION (SAP) is accurate and validated by the Budget Owner. Additionally, bank liquidity is monitored to guarantee sufficient cash flow in the paying accounts, in line with the Headquarters' guidelines.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

Cash Management

Bank

• Maintain financial records and monitoring systems to record and reconcile expenditures, balances, payments, statements and other data for day-to-day transactions and reports.

• Code and record receipts and payments, assures accuracy of computation and completeness of documents, and maintain continuing status of allotments against obligations.

• Update database system on files management.

• Retain and dispose of financial records in accordance with UNICEF’s retention policy on financial documents.

• Liaise with officials of local banks to obtain day-to-day information on exchange and interest rates, changes in procedures and regulations, and matters pertaining to maintenance of office house bank accounts.

Petty Cash Custodian

• Act as Petty Cash Custodian.

• Ensure the proper custody and administration of the Petty Cash account, comply with policy and established procedures, using funds only for authorized purposes.

Prepaid Card Alternate Cardholder

• Act as alternate prepaid cardholder.

• Support the proper custody and administration of the prepaid cards, comply with policy and established procedures, using funds only for authorized purposes.

Invoice Processing

• Receive requests for payments and their support documentation according to local SOP.

• Review all the documentation received and ensure compliance, requests changes/corrections if needed.

• Submit payment cases to the GSSC through Service Gateway, according to policy and 

procedures.

• Daily monitoring of house bank GL for manual payments.

• Responsible for managing invoice requests for Operations, in close coordination with relevant areas to ensure the availability of supporting information/documents.

• Validate payment transactions in VISION against supporting documents and follows up on any inconsistencies or discrepancies.

• Respond to GSSC queries on payment transactions that have been returned or rejected as Finance Local Focal Point.

• Respond to client and vendors inquiries regarding the status of payment transactions.

3. HACT: FACE Request & DCT Liquidation refund

• Ensure that payments to Implementing Partners have been processed by the bank without any issues.

• Monitor all HACT transactions related to Refund Requests, ensuring that the amount to be refunded aligns with the FACE, and validate the receipt of funds from the IP into UNICEF’s bank account.

• Record the Refund Receipt in zHACT , matching it with the appropriate unapplied receipt, by attaching the supporting documents and submitting it for approval.

• Ensure that all Refund Receipt transactions are verified in zHACT

4. General Finance Duties

• Maintain hard and electronic files and update database systems ensuring timely and appropriate recording, safekeeping, and disposal of confidential information.

• Provide support in the monthly and year-end account closure and assist in preparation of year-end reports related to accounts receivable, accounts payable, prepayment, advances, and deposits.

• Support the preparation of all documentation required for VAT claims, acting also as alternate to the other Finance Associate in the section.

• Support improvement of financial processes, develop Standard Operating Procedures(SOP), and provide training to all involved parties.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

Education: 

Completion of secondary education is required with professional/university level courses in Accounting and Finance/Business administration considered as an asset.

Work Experience: 

A minimum of five years of clerical experience in the area of finance and accounting is required or three (3) years and an additional two (2) years of experience may be substituted for candidates holding a bachelor's and master's degree respectively.

Language Requirements: 

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (, application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

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