Finance Specialist - Treasury & Banking

Job Description

Background Information - IPAS

Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, the UNOPS Integrated Practice Advice and Support (IPAS) serves all the regions and headquarters, primarily with advice and solutions to everyday implementation challenges. IPAS consists of a diverse team of subject matter experts in the six practice areas of HR, Administration, Legal, Finance, Procurement, Project Management and Infrastructure. IPAS has three main roles:

Support to operations in the field offices: IPAS provides timely advice and supports actively finding of solutions to everyday implementation challenges, based on policy and best practices. It also provides operational support in specific areas.

Business efficiency: IPAS recommends changes to policies, processes and operating standards based on the feedback and experience of the field offices. IPAS also ensures transparent and efficient project implementation, in line with policy and business needs.

Body of knowledge: IPAS contributes to research and coordination within the policy groups and project practitioners. It provides structured knowledge and subject matter expertise which is used across practice areas to provide coherent and tailored advice to the requesting offices.

As the Team Lead of the Middle Office within IPAS Finance, and under the supervision of the Senior Finance Manager, the incumbent will contribute to the above three roles in the area of Finance and Treasury. He/she will work closely with the Finance Group Treasury team (Front Office) and the Bangkok Shared Service Center (Back Office), providing operational support, risk management, and compliance on treasury management.

Functional Responsibilities

The Finance Specialist will manage and lead the team of five Finance Analyst and Associates of the Middle Office, for the delivery of results in the four following areas:

1. Banking

• In collaboration with the Front Office, support the establishment, management and maintenance of arrangements with commercial banks and multilateral institutions to process cost-effective and secure payments;

• Ensure adequate control and oversight measures are in place for all banking operations (e.g., payments, reconciliations, deposits, etc.)

• Oversee the monthly reconciliations of UNOPS bank accounts to ensure compliance with UNOPS rules and procedures;

• Effect payment instructions by signing and approving transfer orders, bank instructions and cheques for investments, treasury activities, replenishments and payments in general;

• Coordinate the onboarding of new bank accounts (SWIFT connectivity), scenario testing, penny testing, and go-live in collaboration with ICT.

• Update and maintain the Payment Matrix to route and dispatch all UNOPS payments successfully and cost-effectively;

• Support the establishment, management and maintenance of arrangements with commercial banks and multilateral institutions to ensure cost-effective and secure payments;

• Oversee the review and clearance of requests for the establishment of operational management instruments (e.g., credit and prepaid cards, prepayments, mobile payments and cash delivery);

• Oversee the maintenance and closure of operational cash management instruments;

• Respond to queries from field offices related to operational cash management.

• Contribute to the year-end closure process and in the preparation of the year end financial statements for assigned areas;

• Provide training to personnel on banking processes, rules/policies, and systems;

• Recommend payment solutions and process efficiency initiatives.

• Lead and coordinate daily and timely settlement of financial transactions (Deposit, money market fund, periodic investment, FX transaction, etc)

• Review, confirm and approve financial transactions in compliance with UNOPS investment policy;

• Monitor and oversee daily the reconciliation of deals made by the front office;

• Contribute to the maintenance the treasury management system core data, counterparts, user access,etc.

• Support the Front Office Treasury with processing and managing bank guarantees, Letters of Credit, and other Trade Finance Products.

• Maintain and update SoPs on cash accounting, financial transactions and accounting, cash management and forecasting, and GL reconciliation.

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of corporate systems and tools;

• Contribute to product design and implementation.

• Set up and maintain a dashboard that collates data from the Treasury Management System (TMS) to facilitate financial transactions analysis, reporting, compliance and control;

• Provide quarterly Middle Office KPI and variance analysis report;

• Provide weekly reports on critical master data including changes to users, counterparties, payment information, etc;

• Contribute to the reduction of error and fraud due to properly set up user rights and segregation of duties in the TM;

• Oversee the updating and maintaining of counterparty data in the treasury management system;

• Monitor and oversee bank charges postings of HQ and all field offices, establish internal control procedures to identify their nature and ensure proper recording;

• Support the preparation of year-end audit letters to ensure bank balances and transactions are properly audited

• As the Team Lead of five people, establish team priorities, and supervise the implementation of the middle office work plan ;

• Set team objectives, performance measurements, standards and results expected to ensure timely and client focused services. Monitor implementation and oversee progress;

• Promote teamwork and collaboration by providing the team with clear direction, objectives and guidance to enable them to perform their duties responsibly, effectively and efficiently;

• Foster a positive work environment, respectful of both men and women, and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed.

Requirements

Education:

• Advanced university degree required preferably in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or similar field.

• Bachelor’s degree with an additional two years of relevant work experience will be accepted in lieu of a Masters/advanced university degree.

• Treasury certification, such as CFA, ACT or AFP would be an asset.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in Finance is required (if in possession of advanced university degree)

• Banking or Treasury experience is a mandatory requirement; experience in middle office/back office operations is a big plus (incl. but not limited to payments workflows, swift knowledge, confirmations, reconciliations and investigations of financial markets transactions)

• Experience using a TMS would be an asset (implementing or using Kyriba as a TMS is a big plus)

• Experience using single and multi bank platforms is a benefit

• Experience using Finastra/CMS is a benefit

• Some experience in dealing with UN organizations is desirable.

Language Requirements:

• Full working knowledge of English
• Knowledge of French and Spanish would be an asset.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: International Individual Contract Agreement (IICA)
Contract level: I-ICA 2
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

About the Organization

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.