Finance Assistant

UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST – UNRWA   UNRWA is the United Nations agency responsible for the protection, care and human development of a population of some 4.6 millionPalestinerefugees living in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank,Jordan,Lebanon, and theSyrianArabRepublic. The Agency is committed to assistingPalestinerefugees 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 theMiddle Eastwith 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. Finance Assistant   Location North LebanonArea Type of Appointment Fixed Term – One Year (Project Funded) Deadline for Application 27 August 2012 Vacancy Announcement Number 49/2012 Grade 10 Department/Division Office of the Field Director/Nahr El-Bared Project Management Unit   MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES In accordance with Agency policy and procedures, the incumbent:   (A)     Certifies the availability of funds and raises the necessary Hard Commitments (HCs) and Soft Commitments (    SCs) in the Budget Module; (B)     Compiles and analyzes budget statistics and other related financial information as requires; (C)     Prepares and maintains records of VAT claims to local authorities and submit 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; (D)     Update the fixed Assets Module records of UNRWA’s assets and processes necessary actions in general ledger to account for newly required, transferred and surveyed equipment; (E)     Edits supply documentation including List of Requirements (LORs), List of Requirement Consolidated (LRC), and Purchase Orders (Pos) and raises necessary obligations in the PIMS; (F)      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; (G)     Prepares the monthly bank reconciliation report; performs cash counts in all locations and takes necessary corrective action as required; (H)     Enters, verifies and retrieves accounting data in the new finance system; (I)        Maintains the field accounting vouchers and acts as custodian and ensures that all vouchers are filed serially; (J)       Drafts correspondence related to his/her functions; (K)     Performs such other duties as may be assigned.   PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES (A)   Academic and Professional        Two years diploma in accountancy, finance or related discipline.   (B)   Experience Four to Five years’ experience in accounting, bookkeeping and financial matters.   (C)   Language        Good knowledge of spoken and written English and Arabic.   (C)   Competencies (i)        Ability to use computers and work on various Microsoft Applications such as Excel & Word; (ii)      Ability to take initiative and maintain cordial relationships with all concerned; (iii)     Ability to cope with multiple tasks effectively; (iv)     Excellent communications skills       DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS: (A)     A university degree in Accountancy or Business Administration; (B)     Association of Accounting Technician (AAT) proficiency at foundation level or any other professional qualification; (C)     Working experience with UNRWA Financial Management System (FMS) or other computerized finance system.   CONDITIONS OF SERVICE: Salary: Monthly basic salary L.L. 1,455,058- Contract Duration: Fixed term (Project Funded) – One Year Holidays: 30 days annual leave Dependency allowance: Dependent spouse: L.L 60,000 per month     Dependent child: L.L 33,000 per month Pension:  Provident Fund contribution   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.   RECRUITMENT PROCESS: The Recruitment process is based on the Agency’s strategy to obtain the best qualified and suitable employees through a competitive recruitment process. After the deadline for receiving applications, all applications will be reviewed by the Human Resources Office and the Hiring Department.  Short-listed candidates who fully meet the required criteria shall undergo technical/practical tests and the candidates with the highest passing scores will then be invited to interview (see “Technical and Practical Tests Required” below).  The final recommendation for selection is based on the test results, interview assessment, Agency priorities and needs and the candidates’ profiles.  For all posts, the weight allocated for the technical/practical tests (listed below) is 60% and for the interview is 40%.    GENERAL INFORMATION: UNRWA is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications equally from men and women. It is Agency Policy to give full consideration to qualified disabled candidates whose disability does not impact their ability to perform the duties and responsibilities of the post.   As a member of the United Nations system, UNRWA maintains a close relatives’ policy.  In this regard, if a candidate has a close relative (mother, father, brother, sister, son or daughter) who is already employed by the Agency, he/she can only be employed if the Agency is unable to find another suitable candidate.   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. UNRWA is a non-smoking working environment. الأونروا هي منظمة تابعة للأمم المتحدة، وهي منظمة تفترض من موظفيها الالتزام بأعلى معايير الاستقامة والحياد والنزاهة. ويشمل ذلك احترام مبادئ حقوق الإنسان واحترام التنوع وتبني الوسائل غير العنيفة في حل كافة أشكال النزاعات.  المتوقع من موظفي الأونروا أن يقوموا بدعم هذه القيم في كافة الأوقات، سواء في أماكن العمل أم خارجه. إن أولئك الأشخاص الذين يتمتعون بالالتزام الكامل وغير المشروط بهذه القيم هم فقط الذين ينبغي أن يتقدموا بطلباتهم للعمل لدى الأونروا. الأنروا هي بيئه عمل لا يسمح فيها بالتدخين.   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 not retain his/her current contractual status and entitlements in accordance with current letter of appointment and applicable Area Staff Rules. The Agency maintains the discretion to fill future vacancies for this position from the roster without re-advertising the vacancy.   TECHNICAL & PRACTICAL TESTS REQUIRED: Short-listed candidates will sit for one test: Computer Based technical test (100%).   The top 5 scoring candidates in the computer based technical test given that none have scored less than 50%, will be invited to interview.  HOW TO APPLY: If you have the skills and experience required above, and want to make an active and lasting contribution to improving the lives of Palestinerefugees, then register on http://jobs.unrwa.org 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. For any queries, please send an email to recruitmentquestions@unrwa.org