Accounts Specialist, Statutory Reporting Unit, Finance Branch, Division Management Services

The Position

The Accounts Specialist, based at UNFPA Headquarters (HQ) in New York, is responsible for leading the Finance Branch (FB) Statutory Reporting Unit (SRU) team. The incumbent reports to the Chief of Accounts, Finance Branch.

The Finance Branch is responsible for global finance and accounting including providing guidance and oversight for financial management to country, regional and headquarters offices. The Branch advances and owns key financial policies and processes, statutory and donor reporting, treasury services, ensuring the ERP and related systems are configured to implement, manage, and report on key financial processes, and that the organisation reports based on the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).

The SRU is responsible for the establishing and maintaining the IPSAS environment within UNFPA, including strengthening policies and systems for IPSAS compliance. The unit coordinates annual accounts closure, prepares IPSAS-compliant financial statements and other UNFPA statutory reports and liaises with auditors on accounting related matters.

Under the overall supervision of the Chief Accounts, the Accounts Specialist supports continuous strengthening of UNFPA compliance with IPSAS, supports the transition to new IPSASs through policy, systems and operational processes and the preparation of UNFPA’s financial statements and other statutory and management reports.

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person  potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for  articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

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 who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact and sustained results and ensure effective external relations, communications, and partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results.

The Accounts Specialist (SRU) serves as the technical and operational lead for statutory financial reporting and IPSAS implementation  role is responsible for coordinating the preparation of IPSAS-compliant financial statements, leading the adoption of new accounting standards, and ensuring robust accounting policies, systems, and controls within the SRU’s remit, under the oversight and accountability of the Chief, Accounts and Financial Management.

The Accounts Specialist works closely with UNFPA field offices and headquarters units, to support the establishment and effective operation of processes within the purview of the SRU. The role works closely with other FB teams and HQ units to enable accurate and IPSAS-compliant corporate financial reporting.

The Accounts Specialist will lead the SRU, promoting a client-oriented service approach and providing the required expertise, guidance, coaching and supervision in the following areas under the purview of the SRU.

• Serve as UNFPA’s lead technical resource on IPSAS matters.
• Support the Chief, Accounts and Financial Management and represent UNFPA in inter-agency accounting forums, including preparation of technical inputs, analyses and briefing…