Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

The Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) provides strategic direction, technical support, and operational oversight to Country Offices in the region. ESARO supports the implementation of UN Women’s strategic priorities and ensures effective programme delivery and operational compliance across the region.

Under the overall guidance of the Regional Operations Manager and the direct supervision of the Regional Finance Specialist, the Finance Associate will be responsible for the following duties:

Scope of Work

Provide financial transaction processing and accounting support

• Process financial transactions in Quantum, including vouchers, advances, reimbursements, and travel claims, in accordance with UN Women rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Ensure accuracy, completeness, and availability of supporting documentation prior to processing.
• Identify unposted vouchers, budget check errors, and matching exceptions and escalate issues for review and corrective action.
• Maintain accurate financial records and filing systems to support audit readiness.

Support budget monitoring and programme implementation

• Assist in tracking programme and project expenditures and commitments.
• Provide routine financial information and clarifications to programme teams to support implementation.
• Support financial reporting and closure processes
• Assist in the preparation of routine internal financial reports and summaries.
• Support month‑end and year‑end closure processes in line with corporate instructions and timelines.
• Ensure timely submission of required financial information to HQ Finance and the Virtual Global Service Centre (VGSC).

Support implementing partner financial management

• Support the tracking and processing of implementing partner advances and liquidations in line with UN Women policies and procedures.
• Assist in checking implementing partner financial reports for completeness and arithmetic accuracy.
• Follow up on outstanding advances and liquidations and escalate discrepancies for review.

Support audit and compliance requirements

• Support audit preparation by ensuring availability, completeness, and proper organization of financial documentation.
• Provide documentation and transaction support in response to internal and external audit queries related to financial transactions.
• Follow-up on the implementation of partner audit recommendations with priority focus on aged and outstanding audit findings and recommendations.
• Provide technical support to programme/project managers and partners on the implementation of audit recommendations

Support knowledge sharing and other duties

• Share information on financial procedures and Quantum processes.
• Perform other finance‑related duties within the functional profile as required.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Strong knowledge of results-based management
• Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision making.
• Strong analytical skills
• Good knowledge of UN program management systems
• Basic knowledge of accounting and financial procedures, preferably within the UN system
• Experience using ERP systems, preferably Quantum
• Attention to detail and ability to process financial transactions accurately
• Client‑oriented approach and ability to work effectively with multiple stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A project/programme management certification (such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, or MSP®) would be an added advantage.

Experience

• At least one (1) year of relevant experience in finance, accounting, or financial operations.
• Experience in financial transaction processing and basic reporting support.
• Experience using ERP systems and Excel is required.
• Experience in the UN system or an international organization is an asset
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems is required.
• Experience in the use of a modern web-based ERP System, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable.

Languages

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of another UN official language is an asset.

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (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.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.