Project Finance Analyst

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)


JOB DESCRIPTION

Background
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UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

UNDP has been working with national and international partners in the Philippines on the issue of the green and circular economy. UNDP is working with the European Union in implementing the EU Philippines Green Economy Programme (The Programme). The Programme aims to support the Philippines’ transition towards a green economy, including circular economy, reducing waste and plastic, as well as increasing energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment to support climate change mitigation. The Programme acknowledges that the transition to circular economy will have other added benefits such as reduction of the use of energy and greenhouse gas emissions, improve biodiversity and natural capital, decreased pollution levels, and climate change adaptation.

The Programme addresses three main levels:

  • Establishing a Policy Dialogue Platform at the central government level to mobilize EU expertise to facilitate policy formulation, improve city-to-city collaboration through supporting the development of a National Circular Economy Strategy and Roadmap, extend the dialogue to promote renewable energy/energy efficiency, and to apply the dialogue’s outcomes.
  • Working with local government units (LGUs) where EU expertise will support to define and implement circular economy, climate change, and energy policies with a human rights and gender-responsive perspective, outreach and support of local business and civil society, and support less advanced LGUs.
  • Enhancing engagement of the private and financial sectors into the circular waste economy creating better conditions for private sector investment by supporting business-driven waste reduction strategies and circular solutions in the production process.

The Programme has 4 specific objectives:

  • SO1: Improved circular economy and climate change policies and reduced GHG emissions
  • SO2: Enhanced practices of the circular economy by the LGUs in collaboration with the private sector and civil society sector, with a focus on youth and gender equality
  • SO3: Enhanced engagement of the private and financial sectors in circular, waste-reduction economy
  • SO4: Increased energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment

UNDP is responsible for the implementation and execution of SO2 “Enhanced practices of the circular economy by the LGUs in collaboration with the private sector” with about EUR 23 million funding.

The project will be implemented in at least 20 local government units across the country that will receive the core project interventions.

UNDP Philippines has expertise and experience working with LGUs, and cities to support project development, programme formulation, and policy actions. There are currently ongoing related programmes in the sphere of circular economy which are being implemented and executed by UNDP Philippines.

A key element of the work of UNDP in the field of circular economy is the development of a portfolio of projects, identifying the sources of financing, potential sources of investments – (grants, loans, blended finance, etc.), developing partnerships and designing investment vehicles to match appropriate partners and project proponents in the circular economy sphere in the Philippines.

UNDP Philippines takes overall responsibility and accountability for the delivery of the project outputs.  It will be accountable for managing the project, including the monitoring and evaluation of project interventions, achieving project results, and for the effective use of resources, in compliance with UNDP rules and regulations, policies and procedures. These include relevant requirements on fiduciary, procurement, environmental and social safeguards, and other performance standards.

The day-to-day implementation of the project will be led by a Project Manager within a Project Management Unit (PMU) responsible for ensuring that the project achieves the expected targets to the required quality standards and within the specified time and budget allocations. The Project Manager will be supported by a national Deputy Project Manager, project support team, technical staff and a pool of contractors to carry out the deliverables of the project. Technical and programmatic backstopping will also be provided by UNDP Country Office teams and in the Bangkok Regional Hub.

The Project Finance Analyst will support the entire project and will be tasked to manage all financial activities and transactions, while ensuring high quality, accuracy, and consistency of work. The Project Finance Analyst is expected to report daily to the Project Manager. The position holder is also expected to demonstrate a client-oriented approach, tact, and ability to work with people of different backgrounds. Moreover, the Project Finance Analyst shall work in close collaboration with PMU, technical specialists, consultants, government agencies, civil society, and other stakeholders to successfully implement the activities.

Project Finance Analyst will work under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, in close coordination with the UNDP CO Operations Team, and Finance Team; and will line manage the Project Finance Associate.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Project Finance Analyst will be responsible for the following tasks:

Ensures the implementation of financial management strategies and adapts processes and procedures focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Full compliance with UNDP rules, regulations, policies and strategies, financial recording/ reporting system and implementation of effective internal controls, proper functioning of a customer-oriented financial resources management system.
  • Continuously review the financial situation and support the project in the preparation of forecasts and periodic disbursement requests to be submitted to the donor.
  • Supports the development of funding requests, grant negotiations and amendments to the grant confirmations.
  • Review and approve the funding authorization and expenditure certificate (FACE) from partners as and when required.
  • Facilitate annual audits; and
  • Regularly monitor financial exception reports for unusual activities and transactions and review anomalies or unusual transactions and inform the supervisor of the results of the review and the corrective actions being proposed.

Ensure the management of Project budgets of the optimal cost recovery system focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Finalization of the financial sections of the update of the progress report and the disbursement request and preparation of quarterly and biannual forecasts of cash flows and annual cash flows.
  • Timely review and finalization of the improved financial report and other ad hoc financial reports as required by the project.
  • Timely preparation of program budget reviews and provision of justifications for budget reallocation / reprogramming requests.
  • Preparation and monitoring of budgets; regular analysis and reporting on budget approvals and delivery status.
  • Monitor and ensure that donor contributions are properly transferred to UNDP in a timely manner.
  • Ensure that advance payments and direct payments are properly reviewed and made in a timely manner and ensure that payment information is correctly recorded in the Atlas system in a timely manner.
  • Ensures proper management of cash receipts and petty cash; and
  • Maintenance of the proper filing system for finance records and documents.

Ensures proper control of project accounts focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Ensure analysis and development of proposals for the internal expenditure control system ensuring that the supporting documents processed are matched and completed, that the transactions are correctly recorded and displayed in Atlas.
  • Monthly payment orders (MPOs), claims for reimbursement of travel expenses and other entitlements are properly processed and receipt of goods and services and provisioning are properly carried out in accordance with IPSAS and UNDP policies and procedures.
  • Timely corrective actions on unrecorded vouchers, including vouchers with budget verification errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers.
  • Timely response to requests from headquarters to resolve financial data issues.
  • Support in the development and implementation of asset and inventory management for the programme.

Ensures proper project cash management functioning focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Timely review of SR cash accounts to ensure availability of sufficient funds for implementation and appropriate disbursements.
  • Timely identification and registration of receipts for the income request.
  • Timely preparation of monthly cash flow forecasts for use by supervisor

Ensures capacity building and knowledge sharing on financial matters focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Capacity building of implementing partners on overall financial management.
  • Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
  • Any other duty assigned by the Project Manager.
Competencies:

Core competencies:

  • Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work
  • Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.
  • Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.
  • Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.
  • Act with Determination:  LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.
  • Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships.
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion:   LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.

People Management competencies:

  • UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Finance

  • Financial planning and budgeting: Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP’s long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing and reporting
  • Financial communication and impact: Understands how to clearly communicate sometimes complex financial information to others using easy-to-understand media and language

Digital & Innovation

  • Digital & Innovation: Ability to extract, analyze and visualize data (including Real-Time Data) to form meaningful insights and aid effective decision making

Procurement

  • Contract management: Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.
Required Skills and Experience:
Education:
  • A professional accounting qualification from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy, and/or Advanced (Master’s) University Degree in Finance and/or Accounting is required. Candidates with professional accounting qualifications from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage.
  • A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree
  • Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications, but with degrees that major in accountancy and/or finance must complete the Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited.
  • Candidates satisfying the two above criteria are exempted from undertaking the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT).
  • Candidates with MBA or master’s in finance with no accountancy qualification but with relevant experience must successfully undertake the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT) to be eligible for shortlisting
Experience:
  • Minimum of 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in providing financial  management services, and/or managing staff and operational systems.
  • Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, regulations, and policies and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations
  • Strong knowledge of UN or UNDP financial rules, policies and procedures, is an asset.
  • Work experience with an international organization is an asset.
  • Experience in handling of web-based management systems and ERP financials, preferably Quantum
  • Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages
  • Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.
  • Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.
  • Ability to get things done.
  • Ability to identify and prioritize risks, and organize action around mitigating them.
  • Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.
  • Those with a professional accounting qualification certificate from an internationally recognized institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage and those without will require the UNDP Accounting and Finance Test.

Required Languages:

  • English and Filipino
Disclaimer
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
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