Administrative and Finance Specialist

Job no:

Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment

Duty Station: Rome

Level: P-3

Location: Italy

Categories: Administration, Financial Management

How can you make a difference?

Finance Stream

Quality controls

• Overall internal and quality controls for HACT, Invoicing, MDM and Pcard management.

Financial planning and oversight of payroll management

• CSC Budget management and planning.
• Monitor expenditures and ensure alignment with approved budgets, providing regular updates to supervisor.
• Serve as an approver on SAP or other organizational systems for relevant financial transactions including payments, posting of journal vouchers and all HACT transactions. Oversight of monthly and year‑end closure activities.
• Oversight for payroll management and analysis for all staff in Rome.

Financial transactions oversight

• Examine DCT transactions (transfer, adjustments, reprogramming and liquidation) supporting documents to ensure FACE form has been properly entered into the system and the expenditure is broadly reasonable and in accordance with policy.
• Review the accurate and timely processing of all MDM and invoicing cases within the CSC scope ensuring compliance with budgetary limits, IPSAS and UNICEF financial rules and regulations, policies, procedures, standards of accountability and ethics. Ensure timely actions on outstanding cases to resolve pending issues in line with the established CSC catalogue of services, SOPs and SLAs. This includes dialogue and follow‑up with the GSSC to facilitate timely processing of financial transactions submitted to the CSC.
• Provide technical and operational advice on application, interpretation and implementation of financial and operational policies, procedures and guidelines to the CSC team and stakeholders.

Administration Stream

Undertakes delivery and improvement in administrative support and office services including space management, equipment, conference and visa processing arrangements, document reproduction, communications, mail and delivery services, local procurement and bill payments of utilities.

• Coordinate space management needs for various entities, ensuring optimal allocation and utilization of premises.
• Liaise with the World Food Programme (WFP) and other relevant stakeholders regarding space requirements and adjustments.
• Serve as the main administrative point of contact for daily operations with WFP focal points, and key contact for premises management, ensuring effective communication and collaboration across organizations.
• Act as the Alternate Security Focal Point, supporting security‑related activities and communications.
• Disseminate premises‑related information, security updates and other communications to staff, and lead testing and maintenance of emergency communication systems to ensure readiness and effectiveness.

Property and asset management

• As asset coordinator, maintains Asset Management Records for UNICEF Geneva Non‑Expandable Property.
• Manages the safekeeping of assets, annual physical inventory, prepares reports, including cost analysis and liaises with IT on replacement/disposal of equipment and supplies. Reconciles physical inventory data with office records to ensure inventory taken is complete and identifies discrepancies for corrective action.
• Prepares annual reports on asset management and other requested information. Coordinates annual asset count.
• Serves as Secretary to the Property Survey Board and in this respect ensures timely submissions, preparation of minutes of meeting, executes PSB recommendations approved by Head of Office or delegate.
• Ensures all required property insurance is in place and coordinates with DFAM.

Contract management and control.

• Ensures that all administrative transactions and arrangements of contracts are in compliance with the applicable policies, procedures, rules and regulations.
• Participates in the reviews of contractual arrangements with suppliers of goods and services for Common Services Operations.
• Ensures that the terms and conditions of all contracts are being adhered to by the vendor and provide expert advice to facilitate resolutions of any contractual issues.
• Act as the Receiving Officer for all services and purchases made for the Common Services section. Coordinates closely with Procurement on preparing Common Services Requests for Proposals, drafting TORs, proposing evaluation criteria and participating in review panels. Proposes to supervisor any changes that may be required.
• Monitors payments against contractual obligations, including low‑value transactions related to P‑cards and credit cards.

Cross‑cutting

Policy, procedures and strategies: interpretation and application.

• Provide clear guidance and support to staff regarding policies and procedures related to administration and finance.
• Implement the appropriate application and interpretation of administrative rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Conduct training sessions and disseminate updated policy information as needed; prepare SOPs to clarify roles and responsibilities and processes.

Quality Assurance

• Implement and oversee quality assurance activities for the Common Service Center (CSC) in accordance with the CSC framework and leveraging technology such as OASIS.
• Make specific recommendations on the improvement of systems and internal controls, planning, restructuring and resolution of sensitive issues, taking into account the prevailing context.
• Improve data analysis to increase productivity and collaboration to minimize cost, reduce duplication of work and maximize efficiencies.
• Regularly review and update quality assurance protocols, and solicit feedback from service users to identify pain points. Implement continuous improvement cycles based on performance review outcomes and service standard adherence.

Staff supervision, learning and development

• Manage the Admin and Finance team workload, including tracking and prioritizing service requests to ensure timely action and resolution.
• Organize individual/team capacity development sessions in executing streamlined client services in admin and finance areas efficiently, ensuring meeting SLA benchmarks and providing an early warning if demand starts to exceed resources or performance starts to slip.
• Conduct capacity development initiatives in the area of low‑value transactions processing to build knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the centralized work.
• Develop and strengthen knowledge management across all stakeholders.

Performs any other duties and responsibilities assigned as required.

• Keeps the supervisor abreast of potential problem areas, identifies and recommends solutions.
• Prepares reports and correspondence on administrative and finance matters.
• Carries out other administration and finance related tasks as requested by the supervisor.
• Acts as officer‑in‑charge for the Chief of CSC during absences.
• May also be called upon to provide back‑up support or officer‑in‑charge for the human resources officer during absences.

To qualify as a Champion for every child you will have…

Education

• An advanced university degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or social sciences, or equivalent is required. Any other comparable recognized professional qualification or valid professional certification (e.g., CA; CPA; etc.) is desired.

Experience

• A minimum of five (5) years of professional experience, at the national and international level, is required, specifically in implementing strategic organizational initiatives in one or more operations management areas including budget; financial management and reporting; facilities management; administration.
• Work experience in a large country office, Regional Office, or HQ is required.
• Experience in building and managing teams is required.
• Demonstrated experience in managing successful client‑oriented work units is required.
• Experience working with diverse stakeholders to deliver services is required.
• Experience in working with corporate ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning) and IPSAS (International Public Sector Accounting Standards) is highly desirable.
• Previous hands‑on experience in strategic operations is a strong asset.
• Prior experience in the development sector or UNICEF‑UN system/international NGOs would be an asset.
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian context is an asset.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2) are required