Finance Assistant (Fixed-Term)

About the role

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is hiring a Finance Assistant for its Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSAF), Division for Operations, based in Pretoria, South Africa. The post is fixed-term for one year, limited to UNODC, and reports to the Head of the UNODC Office in Mozambique and the Crime Prevention Officer (GBV), in close cooperation with the ROSAF Finance Assistant.

Key responsibilities

• Provide financial and programme administration support for the GBV programme and grants implemented in Mozambique and the region, and support ROSAF financial management.
• Coordinate financial workflows in the regional office, including through Umoja and other UN Secretariat systems, and maintain internal controls.
• Advise senior management on accounts maintenance, budget planning and control, incomes, obligations and cost savings.
• Act as Approving Officer for core funds, review and process payments to third parties, and monitor project budgets and open commitments.
• Create grants and WBSEs in Umoja, create, revise and close projects in IPMR, and help prepare the medium-term plan and budget performance reports.
• Monitor expenditures against the approved budget, review requisitions, reconcile monthly payment transactions from UNDP and recover funds owed by staff or recipients.
• Prepare project budgets, develop project staff accounts, and assist with annual financial statements and data analysis and reporting.

Required profile

• High school diploma or equivalent; specialized certification in accounting or finance is desirable.
• Minimum of seven years of work experience in finance, accounting or a related field (reduced to five years with a first-level university degree or higher).
• Experience with advanced computer applications (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet, email) and with an ERP system; experience with SAP/Umoja is desirable.
• Experience in finance, accounting and/or budgeting within the UN system or a similar international organization is desirable.
• English at UN Level II reading, writing, listening and speaking; French is the other working language of the Secretariat.

Required skills

• Knowledge of internal policies, processes and procedures, including programme/project administration, budgeting and technical cooperation.
• Ability to work with figures and budgets, analyse and interpret data, and use good judgment.
• Clear communication and teamwork.