Associate Accountant

This position is located in the Finance Section, Financial Resources Management Service, Division of Administration, UNOG. The Associate Accountant reports to the Chief of Unit.

**Responsibilities**:
Within delegated authority Associate Accountants will be responsible for the following duties:

- Reviews, approves, reconciles and processes a range of accounting transactions on a regular and recurring basis.
- Approves/Confirms that proposed obligations or expenditures for services, facilities supplies and equipment expenses, as well as those pertaining to personnel, are in accordance with the Financial Regulations and Rules of the UN, relevant appropriations and staffing tables and corresponding approved allotments.
- Reviews reconciliation's and suspense accounts analyses during the year and prepares adjusting entries as required before preparation of financial statements.
- Reviews and evaluates accounts with a view to identifying anomalies and unusual trends. Initiates corrective action.
- Reviews the accounts for recovery documents and any outgoing payables eligible for netting across the UN global system on a daily basis before payments are disbursed by the Treasury process.
- Assists in the preparation of United Nations financial statements.
- Assists in ensuring that accurate and complete accounting, reporting and internal control systems are functioning and that all relevant records are maintained.
- Assists in preparing or consolidating responses for audits (internal and external) relevant to the Division and monitoring of progress of implementation on audit recommendations.
- Researches and analyses information needed to respond to audit findings.
- Supervises staff as required.
- Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies
- TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
- CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education
An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, finance, accounting or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in similar fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Job - Specific Qualification
Certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA) or holding an accounting diploma is desirable.

Work Experience
A minimum of two years of progressively responsible experience in accounting, finance, budget, administration is required.

Experience with financial audits is desirable.

Experience with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, such as SAP, is desirable.

Experience in preparing Financial Statements in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles is desirable.

Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable.

Assessment

Special Notice
- While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.
- Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.

United Nations Considerations

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity an