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 5 millionPalestinerefugees living in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank,Jordan,Lebanonand theSyrianArabRepublic. UNRWA 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 the largest UN operation in theMiddle Eastwith more than 30,000 staff. Most of these staff are refugees themselves, working directly to benefit their communities – as teachers, doctors, nurses or social workers. For its international team, UNRWA is seeking to employ a qualified:
Grants, Contributions and Project Accounting Functional Specialist – Enterprise Resources Planning SAP
The Grants, Contributions and Project Accounting Functional Specialist, SAP ERP will lead the Public Sector Stream throughout all phases on the ERP implementation: Final scope definition, detailed design for blueprinting, realization and go-live phases. S/he will review and analyse UNRWA’s processes, functions, rules and regulations and operations, covering the grants and contributions management and project accounting.
In accordance with the established Agency policy and procedures, the incumbent will:
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
- Lead the implementation activities of the public sector components, in close collaboration with Finance Functional Stream, of the UNRWA SAP-ERP project, dealing with internal and external interlocutors including:
- Coordination in the implementation team tasks assigned to the stream;
- Preparation and execution of detailed implementation plan, in coordination with the selected vendors and UNRWA ERP Project Management Office;
- Comprehend current significant finance functional processes and practices, with a specific concentration of grant and contribution management and project accounting and reporting;
- In close collaboration with UNRWA Finance and External Relations and Communication Departments, prepare the transition from “As is” into “To be” for key processes through:
- Provision of expert advice and recommendations on the functionality within the scope and fill the identified requirements gaps;
- Analysis of current business processes, and offering solutions to modify them to fit into the new “To be” model;
- Development and validation of key “To be” design requirements;
- Contribution to revision of the current, and the preparation of new regulations and instructions in the area of financial and project management.
- Liaise with other business streams to review the impact on other functionalities and consolidate into final scope;
- Liaise with Programme Management Office (PMO) working group in regard to programme management matters.
Professional Knowledge and Experience
- Advanced university degree in business administration, finance, economics, accounting or a related field or a professional qualification in accounting and finance such as CPA, ACA, CMA, CFA;
- A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree or professional qualifications;
- A minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible experience in financial management in the public or private sector, experience in strategic planning, budget preparation, financial budget execution, accounting, cash management, project accounting and management. Demonstrated related team supervision is required;
- Extensive knowledge and experience in the following areas is critical:
- ERP pre-/post-implementation full cycle preparation;
- Implementation methodologies of major ERP vendors;
- Accounting operations, financial accounting and reporting, implementation of a major ERP software or comparable Financial Management System, business processes re-engineering in the field of finance, business administration and management;
- Business blueprinting, end user acceptance testing, performance testing, go live preparation, end user functional training and post go live activities;
- Participation in SAP implementation projects;
- Project/ programme management including global initiatives (PMP, Prince 2);
- Excellent command of written and spoken English.
Competencies
- Experience in facilitating work groups and achieving agreement;
- Mastery of subject matter in the Financial Management. Ability to identify and analyze strategic issues, opportunities and risks;
- Ability to motivate staff;
- Excellent communication skills and an ability to work effectively with people at all levels in the organization ;
- Demonstrated ability to apply good judgment; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; ability to cope with multiple tasks effectively;
- Ability to work under difficult conditions; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations;
- Demonstrated ability to provide innovative technical leadership by performing and/or overseeing the planning, development and management of operation.
Desirable Qualifications
- Knowledge of WFP WINGS II system;
- Detailed knowledge of UN and UNRWA Regulations, Rules and Directives and of the sources from which they are compiled;
Equivalency
When the minimum requirements are not fully met, the Human Resources Department may substitute part of the unmet requirements under UNRWA’s equivalency determination guidelines with a combination of relevant academic qualification, additional professional training and/or progressive relevant work experience. Note: Work experience alone or formal qualifications with no relevant work experience are not considered sufficient for an equivalency determination.
Additional Information
The incumbent will be required to travel in the Agency’s area of operations.
Conditions of Service
UNRWA offers an attractive compensation package including annual salary starting at $72,467 net tax free with dependants or $67,483 single, plus post adjustment of 43%. Other benefits, subject to eligibility, include education grant, dependency allowance, home leave, pension fund, health insurance and 6 weeks annual leave. All UNRWA duty stations (with the exception of Gaza and Syria) are family duty stations. Initial contract is for one year, with the possibility of further extensions subject to the availability of funds and the continuing need for the post.
How to Apply
To start the application process, applicants are required to register at http://jobs.unrwa.org by creating a personal profile and completing UNRWA Personal History Form. Please note that UNRWA only accepts degrees from accredited educational institutions. Only applications received through http://jobs.unrwa.org will be considered. Due to the large number of applications received for UNRWA vacancies, only applicants short-listed for interview will be contacted.
UNRWA does not charge a fee at any stage in the recruitment process.
General Information
UNRWA encourages applications from qualified and experienced women.
UNRWA welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities.
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 work environment.