Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Crisis Response Division (CRD) in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). OCHA is part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response efforts. OCHA's mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention and facilitate sustainable solutions. This job opening is being advertised for the position of Finance Officer/Pooled Fund in Kabul, OCHA Afghanistan. Under the overall supervision of the Head of Office, OCHA Afghanistan, the incumbent will report to the Head of Humanitarian Financing Unit (HFU).

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Finance Officer/Pooled Fund will be responsible for the following duties: • Verify Implementing Partners (IP) financial documentation as required. • Liaise with companies carrying out financial audit of partners and financial spot-checks ensuring compliance with the United Nations Financial Regulations and Rules (UNFRR); • Review grant agreements and supporting documents to ensure accuracy, consistency, reasonableness, compliance with the UNFRR and Country-based Pooled Funds (CBPF) Guidelines; • Review and advise on the clearance of the project budget and grant agreements; • Review and advise on budget amendments and no-cost extension requests; • Review audit financial report make sure that it is in line with the signed agreement and project budget. • Maintain complete, accurate and updated detailed list of disbursements to IPs; • Regular follow-up with IPs to obtain financial reports; • Review of interim and final financial reports and confirm the amount for additional disbursements; • Initiate the process to ensure disbursements as required and follow-up on any reimbursements; • Conduct financial spot-checks in line with operational modalities; • Oversee the audit process including facilitation of the contracting of external auditing companies, supporting the planning, advice on the clearance of audit reports and ensuring follow-up of critical audit findings; • Support IP regarding compliance with the UNFRR and the Guidelines for CBPF; • Ensure compliance with any other requirements stemming from the UINFRR, grant agreements and guidelines • Maintain complete and update cash flows for the Fund, and inform the HoO on a regular basis and upon request on the availability of cash balance; • Support Fund analysis for informing future allocations; • Prepare financial analysis for standard and ad-hoc reporting requirements; • Provide input for the preparation of CBPF Annual Reports; • Ensure timely financial reporting in compliance with donors requirements; • Support capacity training for Fund recipient organisations and partners as needed • Liaise with relevant OCHA sections in HQ; • Perform other related duties, as assigned • Stay up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have bearing on matters related to programme and/or OCHA budgets, ensuing compliance with United Nations policies and procedures.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge and understanding of humanitarian, emergency relief assistance and related humanitarian issues. Ability to identify issues, analyse and participate in the resolution of issues/problems. Ability to develop sources for data collection. Conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis, including familiarity with and experience in the use of various research sources, including electronic sources on the internet, intranet, and other databases. Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, work under pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment (e.g. civil strife, natural disasters and human misery). Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. • Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable. • 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, or 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.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in finance, administration, budget, business administration or related area is required. Experience working with a humanitarian country-based pooled fund is required. Experience in humanitarian financing, e.g., grant management and performing capacity assessment and financial monitoring is required. Humanitarian experience in the field (actual setting where a mission and/or project is being implemented) in emergency situations (complex emergency or natural disaster) is desirable. Experience in a humanitarian context in the UN Common System or other comparable international organization is desirable.

Languages

Assessment

The evaluation of qualified candidates may include a desk review of the applications, an assessment exercise and/or a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This "Recruit from Roster" job opening is only open to roster applicants who are already placed on pre-approved rosters, following a review by a United Nations Central Review Body. Only roster applicants who were placed on rosters with similar functions at the same level are considered to be eligible candidates. Eligible applicants receive an email inviting them to apply. Rostered applicants are encouraged to apply only if they are interested and available to take up the position at the duty station/s specified in the Job Opening. Applying to this job opening carries an expectation to accept the offer, if selected. This position is funded for a finite period of one year. Extension of the appointment is subject to extension of the mandate and the availability of the funds. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-general and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers by established rules and procedures. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Please note that pursuant to the Staff selection system policy (ST/AI/2025/2): (1) Applicants for positions in the Field Service category cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located, and (2) Applicants for positions in the Professional and higher categories in a mission, field operation, or resident coordinator’s office cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located. For currently serving staff of a United Nations Common System organization, only the UN-recognized nationality will be considered for the purposes of these restrictions.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. 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 and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.