Finance Specialist (National Position) - Level (NOC) - Jerusalem/OCHA oPt

Closing Date
Reference Number
2022-012
Contract
Fixed Term Contract, NOC
Duty Station
Jerusalem
Sorry… This form is closed to new submissions.

 

The office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied Palestinian territory (OCHA oPt) has responsibility for inter-agency coordination in complex emergencies and natural disasters. In the context of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, the OCHA Office has specific responsibility for (a) disseminating information and policies to the humanitarian community, authorities and donors, as well as supporting resource mobilization efforts; (b) assisting in the identification of humanitarian priorities and needs and the coordination of resource mobilization efforts; and (c) disseminating information on the impact of natural disasters, response there too and the need for international assistance.

In order to meet the increasing requirements for the alignment of the oPt Humanitarian Fund with the overall coordination priorities, including the Humanitarian Programme Cycle and prioritization by clusters, OCHA is boosting its capacity in the OCHA oPt Humanitarian Finance Unit. Through its increased capacity unit will ensure adequate support to coordination structures, timely and accountable inter-agency humanitarian response and funding.

As per OCHA’s Country-based pooled funds guidelines and as per the budget preparation note for 2022 budget, the humanitarian financing units for medium size funds (over US$ 20 million) should have sufficient resources to manage a humanitarian fund including finance and oversight function. The oPt HF allocations increased from US$ 21 million in 2018 to approximately US$ 30 million in 2021.This increase requires boosting the Humanitarian Financing Unit capacity and has moved the fund from the small-scale fund category to the medium category.

The Finance Specialist will work under the guidance of the Head of OCHA office and direct supervision of the Head of Humanitarian Financing Unit/ Fund Manager.

The incumbent will be responsible, as requested, for the following duties:

  • Support the Management of the Country-based Pooled Fund (CPBF) operations
  • Implement the Country-based Pooled Fund’s Project Cycle Management
  • Implement the CBPF Accountability Framework
  • Perform Financial Tasks 
  • Perform Administrative Tasks
  1. Support the Management of Country-based Pooled Fund (CBPF) operations
    1. Contribute to the work of the Humanitarian Finance Unit in developing the CBPF scope and objectives and/or allocation paper.
    2. Implement Humanitarian Finance Unit work in providing oversight to the funding cycle. 
    3. Support the efforts of the CBPF to link the fund with the Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC) by promoting allocations in alignment with the HRPs.
    4. Promote partner compliance with CBPF procedures.
    5. Support the work of the Humanitarian Finance Unit to facilitate the development of the CBPF scope and objectives, together with allocation papers.
  2. Implement the Country-based Pooled Fund’s Project Cycle Management
    1. Review audit financial reports to make sure that it is in line with the signed agreement and project budget.
    2. Review grant agreements and supporting documents to ensure accuracy, consistency, reasonableness, compliance with the UNFRR and the Country-based Pooled Funds (CBPF) Guidelines.
    3. Review and advise on the clearance of the project budget and grant agreements;
    4. Review and advise on budget amendments or no-cost extension requests.
    5. Maintain complete, accurate and updated detailed list of disbursements to Implementing Partners (IP).
    6. Facilitate and train stakeholders on the use of the Grant Management System (GMS).
    7. Ensure compliance with processes, systems, templates, and tools for CBPF defined in the Handbook.
    8. Provide support to all CBPF recipients throughout the allocation process and promote a feedback system for continuous learning.
    9. Coordinate and facilitate all activities associated with the strategic review (project prioritization).
    10. Coordinate and facilitate all activities associated with the technical review.
    11. Ensure narrative and financial reporting compliance.
    12. Manage project revision requests (e.g., follow-up and support on budget revision, reprogramming, no-cost extensions, etc.).
  3. Implement the CBPF Accountability Framework
    1. Liaise with companies carrying out financial audit of partners ensuring compliance with the United Nations Financial Regulations and Rules (UNFRR).
    2. Oversee the audit process including facilitation of the contracting of external auditing companies, supporting the planning, advise on the clearance of audit reports and ensuring follow-up of critical audit findings.
    3. Participate in the design and roll out of the financial elements of the risk management strategy of the Fund. 
    4. Conduct financial spot-checks in line with the operational modalities and contribute to the quality assurance of the final reports.
    5. Oversee the audit process including facilitation of the contracting of external auditing companies, supporting the planning, advise on the clearance of audit reports and ensuring follow-up of critical audit findings.
    6. Verify Implementing Partners financial documentation as required.
    7. Support IP regarding compliance with the UNFRR and the Guidelines for CBPF and participate in training activities accordingly.
    8. Ensure compliance with any other requirements stemming from the UNFRR, grant agreements and guidelines.
    9. Ensure compliance with the minimum requirements described in the operational modalities.
    10. Ensure compliance with audit requirements and follow up recommendations stemming from audits.
    11. Ensure the implementation of financial spot checks of funded projects through regular field visits in West Bank and Gaza Strip.
    12. Writing Financial spot check reports and follow up on required actions from field visits.
  4. Perform Financial Tasks
    1. Regular follow-up with IP to obtain financial reports.
    2. Review of interim and final financial reports and confirm the amount for additional disbursements.
    3. Initiate the process to ensure disbursements as required and follow-up on any reimbursements.
    4. Prepare financial analysis for standard and ad-hoc reporting requirements.
    5. Provide input for the preparation of CBPF Annual Reports.
    6. Ensure timely financial reporting in compliance with donors’ requirements. 
    7. Ensure follow up on funds disbursement and refunding.
    8. Clear budget and send to Funding Coordination Section Finance for compliance check.
    9. Created Partner grant: drafting MoUs for the new partners to implement the HF projects
    10. Create purchase orders: Creating purchasing orders related mainly to the audit contracts
    11. Start payment process and follow up with OPPBA (Accounts) and Treasury.
  5. Perform Administrative Tasks
    1. Maintain complete and updated cash flows for the Fund and inform the Head of the Humanitarian Financing Unit (HFU) on a regular basis and upon request on the available cash balance.
    2. Support in the development and monitoring of the HFU annual budget.
    3. Support Fund analysis for informing future allocations.
    4. Liaise with relevant OCHA sections at HQ. 
    5. Stay up to date on documents/reports/guidelines that have bearing on matters related to Programme and/or OCHA budgets, ensuring compliance with United Nations policies and procedures.
    6. Lead the preparation of the regular Advisory Board Meetings, preparing Progress HF reports and analysis of using the fund.
    7. Assist in the monthly updates for HF and the drafting of annual reports.
    8. Perform other related duties, as assigned.

Corporate Competencies:

  • Achieve Results: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work.
  • Think Innovatively: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic /integrated thinking.
  • Learn Continuously: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others, and support their learning.
  • Adapt with Agility: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.
  • Act with Determination: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.
  • Engage and Partner: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships.
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.

People Management:

  • Motivate and Direct: Create and communicate a compelling vision and purpose.
  • Demonstrate Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: Genuinely care about people; demonstrate empathy with joys and pains of others. Enable the wellbeing of the team(s).
  • Manage Performance and ensure accountability: Ensure regular conversations with people about work.
  • Lead with Humility: Be authentic and transparent, act with integrity.

Functional Competencies:

  • Project Management Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.
  • Portfolio Management Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization's programs and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.
  • Risk Management Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.
  • Working with Evidence and Data Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making.
  • Monitoring Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and program       performance and results.
  • Communication 
    • Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
    • Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.
  • Customer Satisfaction/Client Management 
    • Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs.
    • Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy.
    • Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. 
    • Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.
  • Financial and Managerial Accounting and Finance key concepts
    • Key concepts and principles of financial accounting, interpret financial analysis, managerial accounting, etc
  • Audit (General)
    • Understands how regulations and professional standards in internal and external audit underpin audit work in the public services. Understands the key stages of audit work, including planning, documentation, testing and reporting. Ability to examine and verify accounts and records. Understands wider mechanisms for assurance and scrutiny. Understands the law and best practice relating to anti-bribery and corruption controls and the fraud risks faced by public bodies
  • Financial risk management
    • Ensures financial resilience through proactive assessment of risk, implementation of controls and taking mitigating action. Understands risk and reward in relation to collaborative and commercial projects. Ensures a culture of positive risk management"

Education:

Advanced Degree (Master’s Degree) preferably in Accounting and Finance, economics, Business Administration or other relevant field. OR

First level University (Bachelor’s degree) in the related fields with additional 2 years of relevant experience will be given due consideration in lieu of a Master’s degree

Experience

  • Minimum (5) five years with Master’s Degree or (7) seven years with first-level University of progressively responsible experience in finance, administration, budget, business administration or related area is required.
  • Knowledge and experience in finance and compliance is required. 
  • Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) is required.
  • Relevant field experience in emergency situations is desirable.
  • Experience working in humanitarian financing is desirable.
  • Experience in handling of web-based management systems is desirable.
  • Knowledge of grant management system (GMS) is desirable.
  • Experience with the UN common system or equivalent international organization is desirable.

Language requirements:

Fluency in English and Arabic language both spoken and written is required.

How to apply:

To start the application process, applicants are required to apply via OCHA oPt’s vacancies website by registering their profile and completing OCHA Personal History Form (P11). Only applications received through https://www.ochaopt.org/vacancies which should include an up to-date and complete P11 will be considered. Due to the large number of applications received for OCHA vacancies, only applicants short-listed for interview will be contacted. 

The United Nations does not charge fees at any stage of the recruitment process. 

The United Nations does not concern itself with information related to bank accounts.

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: 26 September 2022

Applications received after this date will not be considered. 

Women are encouraged to apply

SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE OCHA'S INFORMATION PRODUCTS