The Finance Group (FG) serves as a strategic partner and fiduciary advisor, ensuring transparent, accountable, and effective resource management across UNOPS. The Group defines financial strategy in alignment with organizational goals, establishes finance policies, systems, and processes, and leads corporate budgeting to enable full cost recovery and ensure long-term financial sustainability. Throughout the project lifecycle, the Finance Group provides expert guidance, oversight, and tailored financial solutions. Responsibilities include delivering comprehensive financial and corporate performance reporting, strengthening financial capacity across the organization, and continuously enhancing resource planning and allocation. In addition, the Finance Group prepares and oversees the implementation of finance-related policies, upholding the highest standards of financial stewardship and supporting UNOPS in achieving operational excellence and fiscal responsibility.
The Project Finance Senior Analyst reports to a senior member of the Project Finance Team, which provides broad supervision and guidance. As a senior team member, the incumbent could be requested to take on the Officer in Charge (OIC) role for a Project Finance Specialist in their absence. The role contributes to FG’s vision of being a true business partner to UNOPS projects, by providing advice on all financial matters for partner relationship questions and project delivery to internal and external senior stakeholders. This includes establishing aspects of the financial framework within which client projects can operate, i.e. the policies and systems that govern cost recovery, financial aspects of global agreements with partners, implementation support and oversight, financial reporting, closure of records and support to audits and verifications. The role is part of a centre of excellence, providing seamless, appropriate, relevant and proactive project-specific tools, guidance and support. The role includes collaboration on project setup, implementation and closure with UNOPS delivery functions and UNOPS Partnerships Group, and supports outreach and training on all things related to project finance.
Summary of Key Functions:
Partner Negotiations
Project Finance
Implementation/ Transactional Services Delivery Support
Cost Recovery
Knowledge Management
People Management
Partner Negotiations
Draft partner-specific process guidance and supporting documents to ensure quality and process compliance with UNOPS policies as well as documentation of the partner’s needs.
Project Finance
Provide inputs to audit queries from both internal (Internal Audit & Investigations Group) and external bodies (UN Board of Auditors, Joint Inspection Unit). Provide support for project audits and verifications as needed.
Act as an approver in accordance with the assigned Delegation of Authority.
Provide both regular and ad hoc internal and external reporting on client projects and the cost recovery model as requested. Ensure accurate reconciliation of general ledger accounts/ under the responsibility of project finance.
Configure reporting templates and dashboards on UNOPS financial reporting platforms to support oversight on UNOPS project status.
Gather requirements and coordinate with IT to ensure IT systems are configured to support project requirements
Implementation/Transactional Services Delivery Support
Provide finance support to UNOPS delivery functions throughout the entire agreement life cycle
Review of implementation and transactional service agreements and their amendments
Validate the system setup of finance-related records (such as project/service accounts, budgets, cost recovery setup, etc.)
Review and approval of accounting entries related to expenditure/recovery as per delegation
Prepare financial reports for partners
Ensure compliance and closure of financial records at the end of an agreement
Cost Recovery
Support the continuous development and implementation of UNOPS’ cost recovery model. Analyse and recommend cost recovery-related budgets, rates, processes, tools and performance.
Review and report on the consistent application of UNOPS cost recovery principles and support the refunds of any excess recoveries to UNOPS partners.
Provide analysis and support as required during the annual budgeting and target-setting process.
Provide analysis and prepare reports as required, including the project finance quarterly report to senior management
Knowledge Management and Innovation
Contribute to the development and introduction of innovation in UNOPS project finance practices.
Promote knowledge sharing and dissemination of lessons learned across the organization.
Plan and lead capacity-building initiatives for personnel, clients and stakeholders.
Maintain comprehensive knowledge of project finance activities to support UNOPS teams and other corporate functions as needed.
People Management
Contribute to the annual work plan for the project finance team.
Monitor implementation of the assigned tasks, report progress and ensure delivery of results as planned and according to expectation.
Foster a positive work environment, respectful of all, and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed.
