Finance Assistant (Open to Tier 0, 1 & 2 applicants), Brasilia, Brazil

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments.
• Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers.
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates.

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

As all countries around the globe are seeking new ways to address complex and interconnected challenges such as shocks from crises, economic stagnation, inequality and poverty, providing access to clean and affordable energy, protect the environment, or mitigating and adapting to climate change, UNDP aims to develop integrated responses to these issues.

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition to multi-lateral and bi-lateral partnerships, UNDP provides countries with specialized integrated technical services for eligibility assessment, programme/project formulation and implementation, capacity development, policy advice, technical assistance, training and technology transfer, mobilization of co-financing, implementation oversight, results management and evaluation, performance-based payments and knowledge management services.

The UNDP Country Office (CO) in Brazil is a key development partner of the Brazilian government and supports national and sub-national public and private sector institutions and civil society to achieve a more sustainable and inclusive society by strengthening democratic institutions, improvement of governance effectiveness, reduction of poverty and inequalities and addressing climate change and biodiversity issues.

In the pursuit of aligning organizational resources with UNDP strategic objectives and serving as the overarching framework to propel the operational reform agenda and streamline the United Nations' (UN) operational presence in Brazil, the Country Office (CO) has structured its functional organization into three primary domains: the management support functions, the Programme team, and the Operations Team. The Operations Team is further comprised of units encompassing Finance, Human Resources (HR), Support to Projects, and the Common Back Office (CBO), which encompasses common services for the UN House, including Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Administration and Logistics, Procurement and Travel, and HR services tailored for UN entities and Protocol. All of these units bear the responsibility for ensuring the adherence to UN principles and UNDP policies and procedures in the realm of operational functions.

The Operations Team plays a pivotal role in enhancing the efficacy of UN operational services and UNDP Brazil. It does so by crafting a comprehensive service delivery platform aimed at providing operational solutions to all UN entities and UNDP programs and projects. Moreover, it coordinates operational services and explores their potential expansion to the UN Common Back Office.

The Finance team supports the Country Office (CO) in the promotion of its sustainable development agenda by continuously enhancing CO financial performance, delivering sound management of financial resources, and ensuring strong accountability through informed decision making, effective financial management processes, and transparent financial reporting that complies with international standards and regulatory guidelines.

Position Purpose

Under the guidance and supervision of the Operations Manager & UN Common Back-Office in Brazil and the Finance Analyst, the Finance Assistant provides financial services ensuring high quality, accuracy and consistency of work. The Finance Assistant promotes a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

The Finance Assistant works in close collaboration with the Operations, Programme and projects' staff in the Country Office (CO) and with UNDP HQ and GSSC staff to exchange information and ensure consistent service delivery.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

1.) Support implementation of operational strategies.

• Ensure full compliance of financial processes and financial records with UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP) and strategies.
• Provide input to the Finance unit and office management in preparing and reviewing CO business processes mapping and elaboration of the content of internal standard operating procedures in finance in consultation with the direct supervisor and office management.
• 2.) Ensure administration of budgets of CO management projects, clearance of budgets for development projects, and functioning of an optimal cost-recovery system. Analyze financial data, monitor expenditures, and identify variances to advise management on corrective actions.
• Prepare analytical and periodic financial reports, forecasts, and portfolio insights to support strategic decision-making.
• Liaise with UNDP Headquarters on critical issues or inconsistencies, acting as a third-level escalation point.
• Review, prepare, and revise project budgets in compliance with UNDP rules, regulations, and donor agreements.
• Ensure proper coding of expenditures, budget revisions, and data integrity in UNDP's ERP system (e.g., Quantum/UNALL).
• Verify availability of funds prior to approving financial commitments.
• Support and implement cost-recovery mechanisms, including billing, revenue tracking, and maintenance of cost-sharing agreements.
• Follow up with HQ on authorized spending limits (ASL) for management projects and ensure budgetary compliance.

3.) Provide accounting and administrative support to the Finance unit.

• Provide support in ensuring proper control of the supporting documents for payment invoices and proper document management including systematic archiving.
• Prepare all types of invoices for projects and non-ERP Agencies.
• Maintain a proper filing system for finance records and documents.
• Maintain the internal expenditures control system which ensures that invoices processed are matched and completed; transactions are correctly recorded and posted in ERPand other entitlements are duly processed.
• Provide information on the status of financial resources as required.
• Take timely corrective actions on unposted invoices, including invoices with validation errors, match exceptions, and/or unapproved invoices.
• Manage cash receipts.
• Maintain the Accounts Receivables for UNDP projects in ERP.

4.) Ensure proper functioning of CO cash and Treasury management systems.

• Serve as alternate to Finance Associate (G6) for timely review of cash position for local accounts to ensure sufficient funds for disbursements and maintain liquidity level approved by Treasury. Identify and record receipts and create deposits for revenue application on a timely basis.
• Identify and record contributions.
• Prepare timely and accurate bank reconciliations and provide documentation to GSSC according to service level agreement. Initiate bank transfers and deals in ERP.

5.) Support knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the CO.

• Participate in the training for the operations/ projects staff on finance.
• Provide contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies

Core Competencies

• ACHIEVE RESULTS - LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
• THINK INNOVATEVELY - 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 Competencies

• BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
  • KNOWLEDGE GENERATION: Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.
• 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.
  • WORKING WITH EVIDENCE AND DATA: Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making.

Technical Competencies

• ADMINISTRATION & OPERATIONS
  • DOCUMENTS AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT: Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving.
• FINANCE
  • ACCOUNTING (GENERAL): Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, frameworks, standards, regulations, policies and trends, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.
  • FINANCIAL REPORTING AND ANALYSIS: Understands changes in regulatory, legal and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in the public sector. Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring. Understands the benefits of integrated reporting, including nonfinancial resources such as human, social and intellectual capital, and environmental and governance performance.
  • AUDIT (GENERAL): Understands how regulations and professional standards in internal and external audit underpin audit work in the public services. Understands the key stages of audit work, including planning, documentation, testing and reporting. Ability to examine and verify accounts and records. Understands wider mechanisms for assurance and scrutiny. Understands the law and best practice relating to anti- bribery and corruption controls and the fraud risks faced by public bodies.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary education is required. A university degree in finance or accounting is desirable.
• Part-qualified accountants from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage.
• Candidates with accountancy certification from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage. Candidates without certification but with relevant experience must complete the UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years (with high school diploma) or 2 years (with bachelor's degree) of progressively responsible professional experience in finance and accounting, including financial reporting, budget monitoring, payment processing, reconciliation, and support to financial management activities at the national or international level is required.
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheets and web-based management systems such as ERP financials and database packages is required.

Additional desirable criteria:

• Experience in providing financial and budget support to program and projects is desired.
• Experience with ERP systems and financial tools is desired. Experience at national and international level in providing financial services is desired.
• Experience in the preparation of financial reports is desired.
• Experience supporting adherence to financial procedures (e.g., data validation, internal controls, compliance with policies), identifying discrepancies, and assisting in the mitigation of operational risks is desirable.
• Experience providing support and guidance to users/teams on financial processes is desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in Portuguese is required.
• Working knowledge in English is required.

Important applicant information

All posts in the GS categories are subject to local recruitment.

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.

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.

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