Job Description

July 13, 2026

H (no hardship)

Family

NOB

National Professional Officer

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-08-03

Associate Finance Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
In the Regional Bureaux, the incumbent works under the direct supervision of the Regional Controller or Senior Finance Officer and in functional coordination with the Division of Resource Management (DRM)'s Financial Service (AFS). In the Country or Multi-Country Offices, the incumbent may be supervised by a Senior Finance Officer, Assistant Representative (Admin), Head of Sub-Office, or other senior positions as delegated by the Representative.
The incumbent is responsible for coordinating, guiding, monitoring, advising on, and supporting the financial operations in the area of responsibility (AoR). With the objective to safeguard and optimize the utilization of UNHCR's monetary and physical resources, the incumbent contributes to the establishment of efficient and reliable mechanisms and processes to ensure compliance with UN financial regulations and UNHCR's rules, policies and procedures including, and not limited to, accounts payable and treasury processes, accounting, and implementation of internal control mechanisms, including support to oversight and audit functions.
The incumbent may support the supervisor with the identification and management of risks under their responsibility in close coordination with the Risk Management and Compliance Advisor. In the Regional Bureaux, the incumbent supports the work of the Regional Controller with authority to discuss problems and seek common ground on which to recommend solutions based on predetermined guidelines provided by higher authority.
The incumbent may directly supervise national professional and general service staff.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR's core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
- Contribute to the assessment of budgetary needs for administrative budgets (ABOD); monitor and control ABOD expenditure.
- Analyse, evaluate and control disbursements/receipts, as well as expenditure variances against approved budgets;
- Review and approve vouchers, including ABOD and project disbursements.
- Propose monthly cash requirements for the Office, and ensure adequate and timely replenishments of funds.
- Contribute to the preparation and processing of monthly accounts.
- Provide financial status reports to supervisors.
- Analyse and evaluate all financial reports produced on a regular basis.
- Maintain effective business relationships with local banks.
- Assist in ensuring compliance with UNHCR and UN Financial Regulations and Rules, policies and procedures.
- Ensure that payments are effectuated by the monthly deadline.
- Ensure that monthly accounts are correct and approved, and ensure timely monthly bank reconciliations, including open items, review and clearance of unwanted requisitions and PO balances.
- Conduct regular checks of petty cash and cash accounts.
- Perform project control functions, in the absence of a dedicated project control position.
- Participate in the physical verification of UNHCR's local property, plant and equipment (PPE) and inventories.
- Verify that all financial transactions are correct and in accordance with UNHCR rules and procedures.
- In the absence of a senior finance position, ensure compliance with applicable financial rules, policies and procedures.
- In the absence of a senior finance position, certify country-level financial expenditure reports submitted to the regional office or Headquarters.

Regional financial services applicable to positions in the Regional Bureau only
- In coordination with relevant services in HQ, and to improve cost-effectiveness and process efficiency for operations, assist with the implementation and management of regional finance-related services such as: vendor and other related master data management and maintenance, invoice posting, travel claim processing, payments, bank reconciliations, accounting housekeeping and period cut-off activities, donor financial reporting, etc.
- Make proposals for the continuous improvement of financial monitoring and control mechanisms, including the streamlining of financial systems and procedures.
- In coordination with DRM and Field Support Section, identify and provide training on accounting matters, and recommend or develop training modules as necessary, aiming at the development of financial management skills.
- In close liaison with DRM System Administration Section and other divisions as necessary, assist the provision and planning of activities for rollout of new processes or systems; assist the Regional Controller in monitoring the implementing internal control mechanisms and compliance with UNHCR's financial policies and procedures in the region.

- Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P2/NOB - 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Accounting, Finance, Public or Business Administration, Economics
or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Professional accounting, auditing or financial management designation (CPA/ACCA/CIA/CMA or equivalent).
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential:
Work experience in the field of accounting/finance, project management, business analysis, quality assurance and/or risk management. Good knowledge of, and experience in working with, international accounting and auditing standards, with a minimum of 1 year of practical experience in the audit process and/or in financial statements preparation. Working experience with accrual accounting (such as IPSAS or IFRS). Experience with financial modules of a major Enterprise Resource Planning system (such as PeopleSoft, SAP or Oracle). Good understanding of project and resource management.
Desirable:
Good knowledge of UNHCR systems (such as Focus and MSRP). Excellent knowledge of United Nations financial rules and procedures.

Functional Skills
FI-ERP Financial Management (SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, Workday and other)
FI-Financial Accrual Accounting under internationally accepted standards (IFRS,IPSAS,etc)
PM-Project Monitoring
DM-Data Collection and Analysis
EL-Monitoring and Evaluation
FI-Financial Accounting - Modified cash-based accounting as per international standards
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Operational Finance Experience:

• Substantial and progressively responsible experience in accounts payable and master data management (MDM) finance processes within global payment processing environments managing high-value and high-volume transactions.

Shared Service Centre and Centralization Experience:

• Hands-on experience in centralizing AP and data management functions, including supporting the transition of activities into shared service environments. Proven ability to manage change initiatives through stakeholder communication, training delivery, and the centralization, optimization, and automation of finance processes.

Systems and Project Experience:

• Solid knowledge of ERP-based finance operations, including supplier and banking master data (bank and branch management), and end-to-end payment workflows such as configuring payment process request templates, managing approval structures (including security contacts and access), and implementing validation controls. Proven experience in designing analytical reports and dashboards using OTBI, BI Publisher, and Financial Data Intelligence (FDI), as well as supporting system integrations, automation initiatives (including Digital Hub of Treasury Solutions – DHOTS), and delivery of finance-related process improvement and enhancement projects.

Core Competencies:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage complex accounts payable, supplier and banking master data, and payment-related issues with accuracy and sound judgement.
• Solid understanding of internal controls, compliance requirements, data quality standards and risk escalation in finance operations.
• Ability to work effectively in shared service and centralized processing environments, including supporting operational transitions, stakeholder coordination and service delivery.
• Strong systems aptitude, including confidence working with ERP-based finance processes, reporting tools and process automation initiatives.
• Proven ability to collaborate across teams, guide junior staff, develop practical process documentation and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives.

Additional information:

Application open for all nationals with right to work in Hungary. UNHCR does not facilitate the obtaining of the visa for recruitment.

Remuneration:

In case of appointment, a competitive compensation and benefits package is offered.

Benefits:

Annual leave: UNHCR staff members holding a fixed-term appointment will accrue annual leave at the rate of 2.5 working days for each full calendar months of service (i.e. 30 working days per year).

Pension system: Staff members holding a fixed-term appointment will become participants in the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF).

Health insurance plan: locally recruited staff members in Budapest will be enrolled in the Medical Insurance Plan (MIP). The coverage is also optionally available for eligible family members.

Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a test. No late applications will be accepted. UNHCR is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).

English

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

Global Shared Services (GSS) provides location-independent transactional services in Finance, Payroll, Human Resources, Supply and IT, enabling operations worldwide to focus on strategic and context-specific priorities. Based in Budapest, GSS serves as the backbone of the service and is supported by satellite teams in Panama, Amman, Kuala Lumpur, Dakar and Nairobi. GSS works closely with enabling functions, including DPM, DRM, DEPS and ITS, to ensure that policies and controls are applied effectively and services are delivered efficiently. The strategic direction and operating modalities of GSS are governed by the GSS Advisory Board.

This position is located within the Finance Section of GSS and reports to the Associate Finance Officer – AP Payment Processing. The incumbent will support two functions within GSS Finance, namely MDM Finance and Payment Processing.

The main responsibilities of the position are as follows:

• Oversee supplier and banking master data in UNHCR’s ERP system, ensuring accuracy, completeness and compliance.
• Supervise and guide junior staff across master data and payment processing functions.
• Serve as a focal point for field and HQ colleagues on supplier and banking master data matters.
• Apply organizational policies, instructions and internal controls in master data and payment processing, and escalate risks as needed.
• Conduct reviews, reconciliations and quality checks to maintain accurate supplier and banking records.
• Lead and support process improvement, automation and optimization initiatives in master data and payment processing.
• Collaborate across functions to resolve issues, strengthen controls and improve processes.
• Prepare reports and analysis on master data and payment processing activities; monitor operational dashboards to identify errors or anomalies in data management and payment process activities; and highlight issues and take required actions to address them.
• Support payment process centralization and related operational transition activities.
• Act as back-up to the Associate Finance Officer – AP Payment Processing Lead, including oversight of the global payment process when required.
• Develop training materials, SOPs and process documentation, and provide guidance on master data and payment processing procedures and systems.

Living and Working Conditions:

Additional Qualifications

Skills

DM-Data Collection and Analysis, EL-Monitoring and Evaluation, FI-ERP Financial Management (SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, Workday and other), FI-Financial Accounting - Modified cash-based accounting as per international standards, FI-Financial Accrual Accounting under internationally accepted standards (IFRS,IPSAS,etc), PM-Project Monitoring

Bachelor of Arts: Accounting, Bachelor of Arts: Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts: Economics, Bachelor of Arts: Finance, Bachelor of Arts: Public Professions

Certifications

Accounting - Other, Auditing - Other, Financial Management - Other

Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Additional Information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance