Chief, Accounts and Financial Management, Finance Branch, Division for Management Services, New York, P-5

The Position:

The Chief, Accounts and Financial Management position is part of the Finance Branch of the Division for Management Services. The Finance Branch is responsible for leading global finance, including financial operations management, key financial and accounting policies and processes, accounting and treasury services; overseeing improvement efforts in areas of financial operations; ensuring the ERP and related financial systems are configured and functioning to manage, monitor and report on key financial processes and information, and that the Financial Statements are prepared based on the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). The Branch also plays a key role in the custody and distribution of financial resources, the monitoring of expenditures, and producing statutory, financial management and donor reporting. 

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

The Chief, Accounts and Financial Management will oversee the Accounting and Payments Unit (APU), the Data Management Unit (DMU), the Statutory Reporting Unit (SRU) and the Revenue and Donor Reporting Unit (RDRU) and work in partnership with other units of the Finance Branch (Global Monitoring and Advisory Team, Shared Service Unit (SSU) as well as the Information Technology Solutions Office (ITSO), the Resource Mobilization Branch (RMB), the Supply Chain Management Unit (SCMU), and colleagues in field offices.  You will report directly to the Chief, Finance Branch. This role ensures an efficient and effective financial operations framework is in place, including policies, systems and processes that are aligned with UNFPA’s mission and regulations and enable an agile operating environment.

You would be responsible for:

1.  Strategic management and HR management 

• Provide strategic and timely advice to the Chief, Finance Branch on high priority technical areas and staff engagement, and deputize as needed. 
• Actively participate in leadership of the broader DMS Management Team as part of the Branch Senior Management Team.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the Finance Branch and facilitate and report on an inclusive branch annual workplan in line with the UNFPA Strategic Plan.
• Oversee and manage the DMU, SRU, APU and RDRU teams, including performance management, career progression and professional growth of team members.
• Participate in the UNFPA Headquarters Risk Committee and other corporate and /or UN interagency initiatives as required.

2. Partnerships, Knowledge management, Communication and Training

• Maintain active and positive relationships with key partners for the Finance branch, including ITSO, RMB, SCMU, and the wider UNFPA operations community. 
• Provide quality guidance to field offices and HQ Units; and oversee the Branch responsiveness through the global service desk.
• Contribute to communication, training and knowledge transfer within the branch and more broadly within UNFPA on financial and accounting management, including IT systems under the purview of the Finance Branch.

3. Innovation, Policy, Process and systems efficiency 

Working with the Team Leads:

• Oversee branch business efficiency and effectiveness innovations with an emphasis on management by exception and technology solutions.
• Ensure the ERP and related systems are adapted for new IPSAS standards adopted