Accounting Assistant

Org. Setting and Reporting

These positions are located in the Income Tax Unit of the Payroll and Accounts Payable Section, Division of Administration, Department of Operational Support (DOS). The Department of Operational Support was established to provide operational advisory services to operating entities across the Secretariat, including other departments, offices away from headquarters, field missions, and regional commissions. The Payroll and Accounts Payable Section processes global payroll and payments, income tax claims and provides policy advice and operational guidance, testing and implementation of enhancements to the payroll module and income tax portal of the ERP/UN Tax system. The Accounting Assistants will report to the Chief of the Unit.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Accounting Assistants will be responsible for the following duties:

• Scrutinizes source documents for completeness, accuracy and validity of charges.
• Investigates erroneous charges and takes appropriate corrective accounting actions.
• Communicates with field offices and funds and programmes regarding missing documentation or any other issues related to discrepancies between their accounts and those maintained at Headquarters.
• Reconciles and reviews suspense accounts and ensure proper clearance procedures have been followed.
• Assists with the compliance data transmission to and from the US tax authorities.
• Records and reconciles more complex accounting transactions.
• Extracts details of income, expenditure, assets and liability from accounting system in order to analyze and verify accuracy and validity.
• Audits various accounting transactions, e.g., payroll, education grants, final payments, income tax returns, travel claims, etc., to ensure correctness of disbursements and adherence to relevant staff rules, financial regulations and rules, ST/AI issuances or practices.
• Serves as Approving Officer for disbursements up to an authorized level.
• Provides guidance and training to colleagues as required.
• Supervises other General Service staff as required and in relation to a) the client service activities of the Income Tax Unit; b) the filing requirements of income tax files.
• Drafts/prepares memoranda to various offices, departments and overseas offices.
• Coordinates between business areas as necessary.
• Responds to queries from staff members and third parties.
• Performs other duties as may be required.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge in the use and application of the Organization’s financial regulations and rules as well as accounting policies and practices. Ability to extract, interpret, and analyse a wide variety of data and to resolve data discrepancies and other problems. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of s...