Unrwa | Finance Assistant

Do you have the dedication, skills, knowledge and experience to help us improve the life of Palestine refugees? The United Nations Relief and Works Agency offers challenging opportunities for professionals interested working in a results-driven and diverse environment. If you are then we
would like to hear from you.
UNRWA is the United Nations agency responsible for the protection, care and human development of a population of some 4.6 million Palestine refugees living in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and the Syrian Arab Republic. The Agency is committed to assisting Palestine refugees in maintaining a decent standard of living, acquiring appropriate knowledge and skills, enjoying the fullest possible extent of human rights, and leading a long and healthy life. UNRWA is by far the largest UN operation in the Middle East with over 29,000 staff. Most of the staff members are refugees themselves, working directly to benefit their communities – as teachers, doctors, nurses or social workers.

Location :Gaza Field

Type of Appointment:  Limited Duration Contract
Deadline for Application:  28 March 2011
Vacancy Announcement Number :04-03-2011
Grade Band: D
Department/Division: Finance Department

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

In accordance with established Agency policy and procedures, the incumbent will:
-Certifies the availability of funds and raises the necessary Hard Commitments (HCs) and Soft
Commitments (SCs) in the Budget module;

-Compiles and analyzes budget statistics and other related financial information as required;
-Prepares and maintains records of VAT claims to local authorities and submits monthly reports thereof using Financial Management System (FMS)/ Procurement Inventory Management System (PIMS) procedures; follows-up on VAT refund and raises necessary actions to clear pending claims against governments;
-Updates the fixed Assets Module records of UNRWA’s assets and processes necessary actions in general ledger to account for newly acquired, transferred and surveyed equipment;
-Edits supply documentation including List of Requirements (LORs), List of Requirement Consolidated
(LRC) and Purchase Orders (POs) and raises necessary obligations in the PIMS;
-Enters, verifies and retrieves budgetary data in the Budget module and supports Administrative Officers in how to add Budget Estimate Sheets (BESs) into Budget module and to provide them with necessary support;
-Prepares the monthly bank reconciliation report; performs cash counts in all locations and takes necessary corrective action as required;
-Enters, verifies and retrieves accounting data in the new finance system;
-Maintains the field accounting vouchers and acts as custodian and ensures that all vouchers are filed serially;
-Drafts correspondence related to his/her functions;
-Performs such other duties as may be assigned.

PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES

-Two years diploma in accountancy, finance or related discipline.
-Four to five years’ experience in accounting, bookkeeping and financial matters.
-Good knowledge of spoken and written English and Arabic.
-Ability to use computers and work on various Microsoft Applications such as Excel & Word;
-Ability to take initiative and maintain cordial relationships with all concerned;
-Ability to cope with multiple tasks effectively;
-Excellent communication skills.
-It is desirable to have a university degree in Accountancy or Business Administration; Association of Accounting Technician (AAT) proficiency at foundation level or any other professional qualification;
Working experience with UNRWA Financial Management System (FMS) or other computerized finance system.

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
-Basic Salary: Monthly basic salary $839.20.
-Contract Duration: One year
-Leave: 30 days annual leave
-Other conditions of service and benefits may apply.
-Staff members selected for this position will maintain their current contractual status and will be paid a project allowance.

EQUIVALENCY
When the minimum requirements are not fully met, the Director of Human Resources, in consultation with the Comptroller, may exceptionally substitute part of the unmet requirements with a combination of relevant academic qualifications, additional professional training and progressive relevant work experience.

NB: Work experience alone or formal qualifications with no relevant work experience are not considered an acceptable combination.

GENERAL INFORMATION
UNRWA is a United Nations organization whose staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, neutrality and impartiality. This includes respect for human rights, for diversity, and for non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. UNRWA staff are expected to uphold these values at all times, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs.

 
Where there are two or more equally qualified candidates, selection preference will normally be given to internal candidates, Palestine Refugees and candidates of the under-represented gender. An internal candidate with a temporary-indefinite or fixed-term appointment selected for this post will retain his/her current contractual status and entitlements in accordance with current letter of appointment and applicable Area Staff Rules. With their prior agreement, candidates who are approved as suitable for appointment but are not the selected candidate for this vacancy, will be placed on the Agency’s roster of pre-approved candidates for a period of up to one year, and may be considered for future vacancies in the same position.
The Agency maintains the discretion to fill future vacancies for this position from the roster without readvertising the vacancy.


HOW TO APPLY

If you have got the skills and experience required above, and want to make an active and lasting contribution to improving the lives of Palestine refugees, then register on http://jobs.unrwa.ps by creating a personal profile and completing the UNRWA Personal History Form. Only applications received through this website will be considered. Please note that UNRWA only accepts degrees from accredited educational institutions. Candidates may also be invited to take a technical exam in order further evaluate their qualifications for the post. Due to a high volume of applications received, only short-listed applicants will be contacted. The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. The United Nations does not concern itself with information on bank accounts.