Finance Officer

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments. By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

The New York Portfolios Office (NYPO) manages UNOPS' New York-based portfolios, delivering project and programme management, procurement, HR, and financial services to global partners, from the UN Secretariat to Member States. NYPO strategically positions UNOPS with these partners, fostering collaboration to achieve growth and leveraging expertise in global portfolio design and implementation. We support the broader SDGs and 2030 Agenda, primarily assisting the UN Secretariat and other New York-based UN entities with a global reach. NYPO encompasses the Peace and Security Cluster (PSC), focusing on explosive threat management, and the Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC), providing diverse operational support to the UN system in New York.

Background: UNMAS Syria Response 

Operating under the mandate of Security Council resolution 2165 (renewed in 2017 with SCR 2393), UNMAS deployed the Syria Response Programme (SRP) at the request of the Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator in August 2015 and subsequently activated the Mine Action Sub Cluster under the Protection Cluster to address the impact of explosive hazards within Syria. UNMAS is the lead agency for the Mine Action Sub Cluster for the Syria Response. Established in Damascus since 2018, following the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Syrian Arab Republic, UNMAS strives to expand humanitarian mine action in Syria, with the aim of responding to high humanitarian needs. This includes humanitarian mine action activities prioritized in the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Syria: risk education, victim assistance, survey and clearance.

The conflict in Syria has been characterized by the extensive use of explosive weapons, which resulted in large-scale explosive hazard contamination, with the presence of diversified types of ordnances. According to the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) 2021 for Syria, 10.3 million people live in communities reporting explosive ordnance contamination; men, women, and children are exposed to the threat of grave injuries and death on a daily basis. Millions of people live with a permanent disability, and new conflict-related trauma cases lead to thousands of permanent disabilities requiring long-term and multi-dimensional support.

Background Information – UNMAS

The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) is the coordinator for Mine Action within the United Nations system, located within the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI) at the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). It chairs the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action (IACG-MA) and is the lead of the Global Protection Cluster (GPC) Mine Action Area of Responsibility (MA AoR). Mine action comprises five areas of work: clearance, risk education, victim assistance, advocacy and stockpile destruction. The United Nations applies mine action expertise to an increasingly wide range of explosive hazards, from unexploded missiles, artillery shells, rockets, grenades and mortars, to unsafe and unsecured weapons and ammunition, improvised explosive devices and cluster bombs. UNMAS leads, coordinates and carries out efforts to mitigate these threats when mandated by the United Nations Security Council or, when requested by the Secretary-General or an affected country, often in response to a humanitarian emergency.

The Finance Officer ensures the effective delivery of financial management, reporting and compliance services in accordance with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations (FRRs), policies and procedures. The incumbent leads on budget formulation and monitoring, treasury and cash management, accounting oversight, and financial reporting. The Finance Officer also provides analytical and advisory support to management, ensuring financial integrity, cost efficiency and timely decision-making across the portfolio.

1. Implementation of Operational Strategies

• Ensure full compliance with UNOPS financial rules, regulations, policies and procedures, as well as donor and audit requirements.

• Implement and maintain effective internal control systems and risk management frameworks to safeguard financial resources.

• Advise management on cost-saving measures, financial efficiencies and expenditure optimization in collaboration with operations teams.

• Provide financial oversight and monitoring for grantees, including; Analyzing financial reports and providing variance analysis, confirming compliance with agreements, conducting spot checks as needed.

1. Budget Preparation, Monitoring and Control

• Lead the preparation, consolidation and monitoring of budgets for donor proposals and financial agreements, ensuring alignment with UNOPS,donor and funding source requirements.

• Review and analyze budget proposals for accuracy, consistency and alignment with strategic and financial objectives.

• Manage a programmatic budget and provide financial input into the yearly work plan.

• Conduct variance analyses and monitor expenditure levels against approved budgets, providing early warnings on deviations and advising corrective measures.

• Provide financial planning support to project managers, including forecasting, scenario analysis, and financial risk assessment.

• Prepare cash flow forecasts for operational and project needs and ensure alignment with budget projections.

• Develop and maintain financial dashboards and reporting tools for portfolio oversight and performance analysis.

1. Commitments, Payments and Cash Management

• Review and verify payment requests and supporting documents for completeness, accuracy and compliance with approved budgets and UNOPS FRRs.

• Ensure that transactions are properly recorded, reconciled and reported in the ERP system.

• Maintain control of accounts receivable and payable, ensuring timely recording and follow-up with clients, partners and donors.

• Support the establishment and implementation of an effective expenditure control framework, ensuring that vouchers are matched, verified, and cleared in accordance with financial rules.

• Manage financial data quality through ongoing review, reconciliation, and corrective action for unposted or exception items.

• Supervise timely accounts closure, including accruals, provisions and adjusting journal entries.

• Coordinate with HQ and the GPO Office on complex payment or compliance issues and resolve financial data discrepancies.

• Manage petty cash and operational advances, ensuring compliance with policy and timely settlement.

1. Financial Reporting

• Review and analyze monthly, quarterly and annual financial reports for management and donors, ensuring accuracy and adherence to reporting timelines.

• Support the implementation of audit recommendations and contribute to internal and external financial reviews.

• Support UNOPS PSC with financial project reporting if required.

1. Knowledge Building and Sharing

• Support the organization, facilitation and delivery of training and learning sessions on finance topics.

• Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or other disciplines with 4  years of relevant experience 

Desired

• Professional certification (e.g. CPA, ACCA, CA, CIMA) is an asset.

• Knowledge of IPSAS or other international accounting standards is an asset

Required

• Relevant experience is work in project financial management, budgeting, cash management and financial reporting, or related areas.

• Demonstrable proficiency in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g. MS Office, G-Suite, etc) and web-based management systems.

Desired

• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is desired.

• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here [link removed]. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here. [link removed]
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.