Advisor, Financial Systems

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the general supervision of the Director of Administration (AM) and the direct supervision of the Director, Financial Resources Management (FRM), the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:

a)Strategic Leadership:

•Lead the strategic planning and implementation of technology solutions for modernizing PAHO's financial operations, aligning with organizational IT strategies and financial principles;

•Provide technical expertise, leadership, and technical advice to Workday Financials business processes, reports, and integrations;

•Leverage business knowledge and technical expertise to recommend process improvements and digital solutions;

•Promote digital transformation initiatives, focusing on automating processes and eliminating manual workflows to enhance efficiency across financial areas;

•Oversee and coordinate the work of cross-functional teams to implement digital transformation projects for the Organization'sFinancial Areas. This includes PAHO stakeholders and external partners and vendors;

•Set clear objectives for team members, evaluate performance, and encourage development, particularly in areas related to digital transformation and process automation; manage cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of new technologies;

b) Operational Oversight and Process Integration:

• Oversee the operational aspects of integrations with Workday including Staff Health Insurance (SHI), Treasury, WHO Awards, and other relevant areas;

• Lead the identification and resolution of system issues, actively guiding enhancements in financial systems and the Project Management Information System (PMIS);

• Oversee the operations of various financial systems, focusing on integrating digital solutions and process improvements to streamline operations;

• Conduct assessments to identify opportunities for process improvement, particularly through automation and system upgrades, to increase operational efficiency in FRM;

• Standardize financial data management practices across different offices, ensuring efficient, automated, and consistent data flow and analytics;

• Focus on improving and streamlining these processes through effective integration strategies. Ensure that these integrations are not only efficient but also align with the overall financial and administrative objectives of the Organization;

c) Additional Responsibilities

• Respond to audit inquiries and implement changes in SOPs and information systems, with a focus on enhancing automated controls and reducing manual interventions;

• Develop and conduct training programs, emphasizing the use of modern IT tools and automated systems for financial data management and analysis;

• Provide advisory support for financial system process enhancements, focusing on automation and integration in corporate system initiatives and special projects;

• Perform other related duties, as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education :

Essential: A bachelor's degree in information systems, accounting, finance, computer science, engineering, business administration or any other discipline related to the functions of the post and a master's degree in business administration, finance, accounting, or financial information systems management from a recognized university.

Desirable: Professional certification such as Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Accountant or Project Management would be an asset.

In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position.PAHO, only considers official degrees obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: . PAHO will also use the databases of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, to support the validation process.

Experience :

Essential: Nine years of combined national and international professional experience in business or financial management, including at least seven years' direct managerial responsibility for the successful development, implementation, and evaluation of large complex automated financial systems.

SKILLS :

PAHO Competencies:

· Overall attitude at work: Maintains integrity and takes a clear ethical approach and stance; demonstrates commitment to the Organization's mandate and promotes the values of the Organization in daily work and behavior; is accountable for work carried out in line with own role and responsibilities; is respectful towards, and trusted by, colleagues and counterparts.

· Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences: Relate well to diversity in others and capitalize on such diversity - Relates well to diversity in others and capitalizes on such diversity. Treats all people with dignity and respect. Relates well to people with different cultures, gender, orientations, backgrounds and/or positions; examines own behavior to avoid stereotypical responses; considers issues from the perspective of others and values their diversity.

· Teamwork: Collaborate and cooperate with others - Works collaboratively with team members and counterparts to achieve and build rapport; helps others when asked; accepts joint responsibility for the team's successes and shortcomings.

· Communication: Write effectively / Share knowledge - Writes down ideas in a clear, structured, logical and credible way; drafts and supports the development of guidelines, policies and procedures. Shares relevant information openly and ensures that the shared information is understood; considers knowledge sharing as a constructive working method and demonstrates awareness of the Organization.

· Producing Results: Work efficiently and independently / Deliver quality results - Monitors own and others' work in a systematic and effective way, ensuring required resources and outputs. Aligns projects with Organization's mission and objectives. Consistently solves own and team's problems effectively as needed. Proactively engages in projects and initiatives, accepting demanding goals, in line with Organizational Strategies and Program of Work. Demonstrates accountability for work of team and sets an example, while explicitly articulating lessons learnt for own and team's benefit.

· Ensuring effective use of resources: Strategize and set clear objectives / Monitor progress and use resources well - Sets specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely objectives for own team and/or the Organization; systematically analyses and anticipates priority projects for own team and allocates necessary resources to achieve them; identifies the cross-Organizational resources needed for large- scale projects in line with key Organizational objectives. Anticipates foreseeable changes and adapts own and team's projects in the face of unforeseen circumstances and/ or challenges; creates measures and criteria to monitor progress of overall projects against key Organizational objectives; creates cost-effective solutions for the Organization.

· Building and promoting partnerships across the Organization and beyond: Develop networks and partnerships and encourage collaboration - Builds and negotiates strategic partnerships and alliances with a wide range of key stakeholders to ensure Organizational results and success. Creates innovative opportunities for promoting synergies inside and outside the Organization to improve Organizational success.

Technical Expertise:

·Theoretical and proven technical and analytical skills in systems analysis and design, application development and configuration, and systems documentation.

·In-depth expertise in implementation and management of Financial Systems including internal controls, oversight practices, and the development of policies and procedures.

·Ability to review and accurately evaluate new technology and systems options available to the Organization to be used in advancing the objectives defined for financial systems and be able to translate system requirements into functional systems.

·Significant expertise in IT project management and Agile methodology including initiatives with multiple platforms, processes, and cross–functional teams including external team members.

·Thorough understanding of administrative business processes such as Budget, Accounting, Payroll, Finance, Human Resources, and Procurement. Skills in specific products should include Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) such as Workday, SAP, Oracle or similar.

·Strong professional oral and writing skills, including the development of reports, oral presentations, and technical/persuasive documents for consideration at the highest levels of the Organization.

Languages:

Very good knowledge of English or Spanish with a working knowledge of the other language. Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese would be an asset.

IT Skills:

Demonstrated IT skills in MS 365 platform and MS products, as well as other cloud technologies like SaaS, PaaS, IaaS. Experience with complex ERP systems particularly with regard to financial, accounting, and/or administrative operations. Hands on skills in systems integration, application security, report writing and data visualization platforms are essential. Hands-on expertise in Data Management, Report Writing and Business Intelligence technologies like MS SQL, Datawarehouse, Power BI.