Head of General Ledger Accounts Unit

Hardship Level

H (no hardship)

Family Type

Family

Residential location (if applicable)

Grade

PR4

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

Professional

• Staff members will not normally serve in International Professional positions in the country of their nationality. In addition, in case of a first appointment upon recruitment, the assignment must be outside the staff member’s country of nationality.

In practical terms this means that you are not eligible to apply for International Professional vacancies advertised in the country where you are national of.

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

Remote work accepted

No

Target Start Date

2023-11-30

Job Posting End Date

December 21, 2023

Standard Job Description

Head of General Ledger Accounts Unit

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Accounts and Financial Section (AFS) is part of the Global Financial Service (GFS) within the Division of Financial and Administrative Management (DFAM) of UNHCR. AFS is responsible for maintaining, monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on the statutory and management financial information used in a variety of UNHCR’s reports, including key financial statements, like the annual financial statements of UNHCR. It plays an essential role in ensuring that the Organization’s financial statements comply with UN Financial Regulations, the UNHCR Financial Rules and International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and strives to strengthen the quality of financial management and control in UNHCR.

General Ledger Accounts Unit (GLU) is one of the three Units of AFS and is responsible for the monitoring of accounting and financial activities carried out by the UNHCR’s Headquarters and Field Offices.

Under the general direction of the Chief of the Accounts and Financial Section, the incumbent manages the work of GLU and supervises his/her staff to achieve the overall deliverables of the Unit. The incumbent frequently interacts with managers of functional related partner units outside of AFS, e.g., in Treasury Service of DFAM, Personnel Administration Section and Global Payroll Section of the Division of Human Resource (DHR) and other Headquarters Divisions in order to ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of financial accounting and reporting at UNHCR. The incumbent maintains frequent contact with finance staff and managers in field locations to advise them on accounting and financial reporting issues.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties

• Provide advice, guidance and support to Field Offices and HQ, mainly in the following areas: bank reconciliation, cash and petty-cash accounts, General Ledger open item maintenance, UNDP/UNV transactions and MSRP procedural issues.
• Contribute to training plans and contents development and undertake ad-hoc Field missions for training and capacity building.
• Monitor accounts data to ensure compliance with UNHCR’s Financial Rules and accounting policies, follow through on identified issues, and inform management of any matters that affect the accuracy of the accounts.
• Ensure accounting transactions of the Unit are recorded accurately, completely and in a timely fashion.
• Carry out analysis of processes, systems and internal controls and make recommendations for streamlining and improving them, including enhancements to the ERP system.
• Implement changes in financial policy, processes and procedures within area of responsibility and ensure integration of systems and processes between other functional areas where processes overlap.
• Prepare assigned notes to the Financial Statements.
• Prepare variance analysis on monthly financial reports for management.
• Contribute to the preparation of closing instructions and manage the Unit’s work plan for the month-end and year-end closure of accounts.
• Prepare the data for the Board of Auditors; respond verbally and in writing to audit queries from both Internal and External Auditors.
• Review Monetary Asset Write-off Requests, organize the AFS Review Meetings and coordinate the recording of the approved write-offs.
• Manage, plan and monitor the work of the 1 National Officer and 11 General Service Staff, providing direction and focus, motivating and coaching to maximize overall effectiveness of the Unit.
• Approve recording of financial transactions in the general ledger.
• Approve bank reconciliation statements.
• Draft standard operating procedures (SOPs) and guidance notes.
• Propose changes to UNHCR’s financial rules, policies and procedures.
• Advise on correct accounting treatment in relation to the issues raised by field offices and HQ units.
• Obtain from HQ and field offices any information necessary to carry out the responsibilities.
• Clear the submission of accounting data to Board of Auditors for the items assigned to the Unit as per the audit liaison schedule and respond to audit queries of technical nature.
• Lead risk assessments and discussions with team(s) to proactively manage risks and seize opportunities impacting objectives. Ensure that risk management principles are integrated in decision-making both at strategic and operational levels. Allocate resources for planned treatments with resource requirements in Strategic Plans. Ensure that risks are managed to acceptable levels and escalate, as needed. If a Risk Owner, designate the Risk Focal Point and certify that the annual risk review is completed and ensure that the risk register is updated during the year, as needed.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience

Years Of Experience / Degree Level

For P4 – 9 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 8 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 7 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Accounting, Business Administration, Finance

or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses

Chartered Accountant, Certified Public Accountant

(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Essential

Relevant Job Experience

Minimum 9 years of previous job experience in the field of accounting, finance or external audit which includes international setting and supervisory experience. Good understanding of international financial accounting and reporting standards (such as IPSAS or IFRS) and experience in providing guidance on the practical application of these standards. Working experience with ERP Systems, such as PeopleSoft, Oracle or SAP, with good knowledge of financial modules. Excellent computer skills, in particular in MS Office applications. Excellent communication skills. Strong drafting skills.

Desirable

Good knowledge of United Nations financial rules and procedures. Exposure to UNHCR field operations. Exposure to humanitarian field operations and specific training/learning activities of UNHCR. Knowledge of any other UN languages.

Functional Skills

FI-Financial Accounting – Modified cash-based accounting as per international standards

FI-Financial Accrual Accounting under internationally accepted standards (IFRS,IPSAS,etc)

FI-Financial auditing

IT-Computer Literacy

CO-Drafting and Documentation

IT-ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Functional Knowledge

UN-UN/UNHCR Inter-agency Policies, Standards, Programmes, and Partnerships

IT-Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements

For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.

For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

Competency Requirements

All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies

Accountability

Communication

Organizational Awareness

Teamwork & Collaboration

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies

Leadership

Managing Performance

Managing Resources

Strategic Planning and Vision

Cross-Functional Competencies

Analytical Thinking

Technological Awareness

Planning and Organizing

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

Desired Candidate Profile

• Internationally recognized post-graduate professional accounting qualification.
• Extensive experience in the preparation of financial statements for large commercial or public entities under IFRS, IPSAS, or similar accounting frameworks.
• Proven capability to assimilate, interpret, and implement new technical accounting requirements specific to the organization.
• Demonstrated experience in drafting technical accounting documents in English.
• Relevant experience within United Nations organizations and demonstrating familiarity with UN specific operational, financial, and administrative frameworks is considered a distinct advantage.

Experience in managing both internal and external audits, and in cross-organizational coordination and communication.

• The candidate should have a proven track record of fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment while driving organizational objectives.

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

,

,

Desired languages

,

,

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

Nature of Position:

The successful candidate will assume a pivotal managerial role, coordinating a team of staff members holding key responsibilities in overseeing the organization’s accounts and producing its periodic financial statements.

A key responsibility of this role includes the coordination and completion of UNHCR’s monthly and annual financial closures. This task demands vigilant monitoring of field inputs throughout the year. The incumbent will coordinate the annual closure of accounts and will prepare UNHCR’s annual financial statements, under the guidance and supervision of the Section head.

The General Ledger Unit, which the candidate will lead, is a key component within the Accounts and Financial Service Section (AFS) of the Global Finance Service (GFS) in the Division of Financial and Administrative Management. This unit frequently interacts with other Divisions and sections within UNHCR Headquarters, field offices, and bureaux, highlighting the importance of cross-organizational coordination and communication in this role.

Living and Working Conditions:

Skills

Additional Qualifications

Education

Bachelor of Arts (BA): Accounting, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Finance

Certifications

Certified Public Accountant – Other, Chartered Accountant (CA) – Other

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Leadership, Managing performance, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Strategic planning & visions, Teamwork & collaboration, Technological awareness

UNHCR Salary Calculator

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Add. 2 to Bi-annual Compendium 2023 – Part B

Additional Information

Functional clearance

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance