Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is within the Financial Management Services Section (FMSS), Resource Management and Service Development Division (RMSDD) of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA – unescwa.org). The Accounting Assistant reports directly to the Budget Officer and will be under the overall supervision of the Chief, FMSS.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Accounting Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

1 – Under the supervision of the Budget Officer and in coordination with the Finance Unit the main task will be to assist in financial management, tracking, preparing payment letters, drafting financial statements to donors and recording in Umoja for XB projects.
2 – Responsible for financial accounting on services provided to other UN offices through the common services back office project.
3 – Scrutinizes source documents for completeness, accuracy and validity of charges.
4 – Investigates erroneous charges and takes appropriate corrective accounting actions.
5 – Communicates with other UN partnering offices regarding missing documentation or any other issues related to discrepancies between their accounts and those maintained by ESCWA.
6 – Reconciles and reviews suspense accounts and ensure proper clearance procedures have been followed.
7 – Extracts details of income, expenditure, assets and liability from accounting system in order to analyze and verify accuracy and validity.
8 – Consolidates data into financial statements.
9 – Assists with the monitoring of expenditures to ensures they remain within authorized levels. Examines the validity of requests for increases in imprest levels; prepares disbursement vouchers to replenish imprest accounts.
10 – Prepares worksheets and assists with the preparation of financial statements.
11 – Audits various accounting transactions, e.g., payroll, education grants, final payments, income tax returns, travel claims, etc., to ensure correctness of disbursements and adherence to relevant staff rules, financial regulations and rules, ST/AI issuance or practices.
12 – Serves as Approving Officer for disbursements up to an authorized level.
13 – Provides guidance and training to colleagues as required.
14 – Supervises other General Service staff as required.
15 – Drafts/prepares memorandum and/or cables to various offices, departments and overseas offices.
16 – Responds to queries from staff members and third parties.
17 – Performs other duties as may be required.

Competencies

Professionalism – Knowledge in the use and application of the Organization’s financial regulations and rules as well as accounting policies and practices. Ability to extract, interpret, and analyse a wide variety of data and to resolve data discrepancies and other problems. 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. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.

Planning and Organizing – Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

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.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in the field of accounting, finance, or other related fields.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. In addition, Arabic is a working language at ESCWA. For this position, fluency in English is required. Fluency in Arabic is desirable.

Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.

Assessment

Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Services and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat. Applicants who have not passed the GGST at the time of application may be invited for the test when they are short-listed for a job opening. Having passed the Administrative Support Assessment Test (ASAT) in English at the United Nations Headquarters, Economic Commission for Africa, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, United Nations Office at Geneva, United Nations Office at Vienna, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda or International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia may be accepted in lieu of the GGST per applicable eligibility guidelines.

Evaluation of qualified candidates will include assessment(s) and a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. If no suitable candidate is identified, overseas candidates will be considered subject to a passing grade on the relevant entry-level examinations at the duty station. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

The candidate is responsible for any expenses incurred in order to take attend assessments and interviews and, in the event of an employment offer, any costs related to travel and relocation to the duty station.

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any task or function in the organization. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions during their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

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.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side 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.

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.