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 Opportunity

How can you make a difference?

The Senior Finance Associate works under the direct supervision of the Operations Manager, and acts as GSSC local focal point providing a variety of specialized tasks in finance functions, ensuring accurate and timely delivery that is in compliance with UNICEF financial rules and regulations, whilst demonstrating the capacity to research, adapt and evaluate irregular cases, and also to recommend improvements to process delivery and design. He/She manages the area of accounting control, recording, reporting of assets, liabilities and income. He/She monitors the appropriate disbursements of programme funds and payments of accounts in accordance with the rules, regulations and established budgetary limits. This is skilled work, which is being carried out with a high level of independence, and may include the provision of procedural leadership to more junior staff or serve as a focal point for a finance project.

The Senior Finance Associate will be responsible for providing a variety of specialized tasks in finance functions, ensuring accurate and timely delivery that is in compliance with UNICEF financial rules and regulations, whilst demonstrating the capacity to research, adapt and evaluate irregular cases, and also to recommend improvements to process delivery and design.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

Vendor Payments and GSSC Liaison
Responsible for initiating payment of vendors. Ensures accuracy and completeness of information required by GSSC, submit and follow up Finance requests to the GSSC. Communicates with the GSSC, if required, to provide additional or clarifying information.
Monitors status of submitted Finance requests through completion. Follows up with the GSSC when requests are in progress and when they have gone beyond the processing period in the Service Level Agreement.
2. Banking Services, Cash Transfers, and HACT Compliance
Focal Point for local banks for matters related to banking services such as exchange rates, interest rates, changes in procedures and regulations, and matters pertaining to maintenance of office bank accounts. Review of Direct Cash Transfers (OCT) liquidations and monitors OCT advances or reimbursement to implementing partners within the Harmonized Approach of Cash Transfers (HACT) framework, in accordance with established rules, regulations and systems, and within budgetary limits. Participates in spot checks, training activities, and capacity building exercises for DCT partners as identified by micro and other assessments. Ensure that the documentation is created relevant to these activities and that the information is held in the central filing system for NGO partners. Ensures the correct use and completeness
of Funding Authorization and Certification of Expenditures Form (FACE).
3. Financial Accounting and Reconciliation Maintain financial records and monitor systems to record and reconcile expenditures, balances, payments, statements and other data for day-to-day transactions and reports, vouchers, bank transfers, petty cash, etc. Ensures accuracy of cash books and monitors movements in bank accounts daily to ensure adequate balance is maintained. Maintains general ledger and accounting records for classification and recording of financial transactions and for the reconciliation of accounts and preparation of recurring or special reports.
4. Open Items Monitoring and Financial Close Support
Monitor open items (accounts receivable, accounts payable, prepayment, deposits, etc) on regular basis. Assist in the preparation of month and year-end closure schedules and submits reports to SharePoint.
5. Staff Financial Support and Travel Claims Advise and assist staff/consultants on all aspects of payroll deductions, allowances, salary advances, travel claims and other financial matters. Calculates and authorizes payments due for travel expenses and other services including submissions on MyCase.
6. Cash Receipt and Recovery Management
Follow up and records all cash receipts (OCT refund and reimbursement from staff in VISION and ensures filing of cash receipt vouchers with supporting documentation in accordance with organizational standards.

7. Budgeting, Forecasting, and Cash Management

Prepare detailed cost estimates, Coordinate the cash flow forecasting in liaison with Programme Sections, performs budget analysis and prepare replenishment requests, as
required.
8. VAT Administration and Financial Compliance
Prepare VAT submissions to Revenue Services of Lesotho (RSL) on a quarterly basis and reconcile VAT ledger account follows up VAT receivables with RSL. Performs other duties, as required by Supervisor

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Download File Senior Finance Associate G7 Lesotho (2).pdf

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

Minimum requirements

Education: Completion of secondary education is required. Professional and/or university courses related to the field of work, a professional accounting designation equivalent to university degree (General Accounting level, ACA, ACCA, CPA, CIMA, CPFA, Expert Compatible) from an internationally recognized institute/body of accountancy will be an asset.
Work Experience: Minimum seven years of Administrative, Clerical work, Accounting and Auditing, Banking and Finance experience is required. Cash Transfers, Budgeting, Cash Management experience is required. Three (3) years and an additional two (2) years of experience may be substituted for candidates holding a bachelor’s and master’s degree.
Skills: Financial Management, VISION, HACT
Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables

Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

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

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
(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people

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 are conditional on the selected candidates willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel. Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.

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 [Insert candidates from targeted underrepresented groups] 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 (i.e., 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.

Visa residence requirements: i.e. UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.

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.

Senior Finance Associate, G-7, Fixed Term Position, Maseru, Lesotho, #00003120