Ensure effective management of all of the Unit’s financial, administrative and operational systems.
- Assume responsibility for all aspects of the Unit’s financial, administrative and operational systems, under the overall supervision of the Head of Unit.
- Liaise with contracted parties (individual consultants and firms, other UN agencies) on the completion for tasks, payments and deliverables.
- Ensure financial and administrative systems run smoothly and efficiently, anticipate and problem solve issues, liaise closely with the administrative and financial management sections of the Country Office and escalate issues to the Head of Unit were necessary.
- Prepare and progress procurement cases under the project’s annual workplan. Monitor procurement progress, problem solve and escalate to the Head of Unit as appropriate.
- Oversee program and project budget management and ensure the compliance of financial activities, financial recording/reporting and audit follow up as per UNDP rules and regulations.
- Prepare business analysis/accounts and monitor for the project’s delivery status and the expenditure management for project.
Lead the Unit’s project work planning, implementation, monitoring, and financial reporting.
- Assume responsibility for tracking tasks in the Unit’s Annual Work Plan (AWP), including financial monitoring, and lead on the periodic revision of the 2025 AWP, and drafting of 2026 AWP as required.
- Liaise closely with the Country Office’s Programme Management Support Unit (PMSU), Procurement Unit and Finance Unit and represent the Unit is Country Office meetings, as required by the Head of Unit.
- Maintain up to date financial monitoring of Unit activities.
- Assume responsibility for initiating payments to contracted parties as required, in close coordination with the administrative assistant.
- Ensure the smooth operation of all of the administrative and financial systems of the Unit on a day-to-day basis.
- Provide timely information on financial progress and administration for the Unit’s quarterly reports, and support the report production process as required.
Coordination and support for Knowledge Production, event and mission planning.
- Under the direction of the Head of Unit, assume responsibility for the financial, administrative and logistical arrangements for all Unit events, including but not limited to consultation meetings, field visits, and the launch of the Unit’s Knowledge Products (KPs).
- Ensure event and mission planning is sufficiently well provisioned in the AWP, and work closely with the Procurement and Finance Units on the timely procurement and payment of contracted parties.
- Lead on the logistical production of KPs, including ensuring timely contracting of copy editing, designing and printing services.
- Work closely with the Unit’s Administrative Assistant to ensure the smooth operation of all administrative, logistical, security and operational tasks.
Ensure the overall effective financial and administrative functioning of the Unit.
- Under the direction of the Head of Unit, ensure all Unit financial and administrative processes function effectively, to enable the delivery of quality Knowledge Products.
- Provide support to the Head of Unit and PIKU technical staff on any tasks as required.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization
Institutional Arrangement
Under the guidance of the Specialist and Head of the Policy, Innovation and Knowledge Unit, the Finance and Administrative Associate will support the Unit with all finance and administration related activities. The Associate will work closely with the Unit’s UNV Administrative Assistant and will agree tasks under the direction of the Head of Unit. The Associate will also support the work of other members of the Unit, as required.
Competencies
Core
Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
Engage and Partner:LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion :LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
Business Management Project Management
- Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
Business Management Customer Satisfaction/Client Management
- Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs.
- Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy.
- Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests.
- Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.
Business Management Operations Management
- Ability to effectively plan, organize and oversee different parts of corporate operations, simultaneously and in an integrated way, in order to convert the organization’s assets into the best results in the most efficient way. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.
Finance Budget Management
- Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.
Procurement Contract management
- Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations
Administration and Operations
Documents and records management Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving
Finance Financial planning and budgeting
- Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP's long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, UNDP | People for 2030 – Competency Framework –Technical Competencies (2024) forecasting, analyzing and reporting
Experience:
- A minimum of 6 years (with high school diploma) or 3 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively relevant experience, in financial management or administration at the national and/or international level is required.
Required Skills:
- Experience in the use of Office software packages (MS Word, Excel, Power Point) is required.
- Demonstrable experience in financial management, including financial planning and processing, financial monitoring and financial reporting is required.
- Demonstrable experience in project administration including office procedures, logistics, meeting arrangements and event management, project implementation support is required.
Desired skills:
- Experience in UNDP project work planning and work planning revisions would be an advantage.
- A university degree in Finance, Accountancy or Business Studies will be an advantage.
- Experience in compiling project reports, including quarterly financial reporting, would be an advantage.
- Experience in the thematic areas such as poverty alleviation, economic growth, public policy would be an advantage.
- Prior UN/ UNDP experience and familiarity with its policies and procedures, particularly in the applicable job area, is an added advantage.
Languages:
- Fluency in English is required.
- Fluency in Dari and/ or Pashto is required.
Equal opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
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Interested applicants can apply by clicking the link below or by copying and pasting the link into their browsers to access the application for the post.
Finance and Administrative Associate - UNDP Careers
Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet. UNDP has been working in Afghanistan for more than 50 years on climate change and resilience, gender, governance, health, livelihoods, and rule of law. Under the broader framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in close coordination with other UN agencies, UNDP is supporting the Afghan people’s aspiration for peace, prosperity, and sustainability.
Afghanistan remains one of the poorest countries in the world3 with per capita income estimated at $360 in 2022, reversing all progress made since 2007. 85% of the population (29 million people) need humanitarian assistance in 2023.[1] As of December 2022, approximately 6.5 million people remain in internal displacement[2]. Almost half of the population - 18.9 million people - face emergency levels of food insecurity.[3]6 Even prior to August 2021, social protection support only reached 12.5 per cent of the population.[4]
UNDP is currently implementing the Transitional Country Programme Strategy (TCPS) 2024-2025. The Strategy will apply six implementation principles that focus on: (a) applying the triple nexus approach bringing together the humanitarian, development and peace mandates (b) promoting a whole-of-society approach; (c) maximizing a risk managed approach and synergies between programme and operations to facilitate delivery of support; (d) prioritizing the leave no one behind agenda; (e) investing in enhancing gender equality and (f) adhering to the fundamental postulate of ‘do no harm’.
In Afghanistan, UNDP works with international partners, the UN Country Team and national implementing partners to launch and deliver a comprehensive, risk-informed crisis response programme composed of interventions, inter alia, in the areas of socioeconomic resilience and recovery as well as maintenance of key health services.
An adaptive management and risk mitigation system have been put in place to assist the gradual roll-out and implementation of TCPS activities through continuous risk monitoring, learning, and adaptation loop. At the center of this system is envisaged an Integrated Risk Management Unit (IRMU) that continuously assesses and manages risks involved in the implementation of the ABP. This action-oriented capacity is meant not only to ensure a consistent “DO NO HARM” approach to UNDP’s intervention but also to support the agile adaptation of programmes in a continuously changing context.