Vacancy Announcement: Chief Accountant at UNU-ViE

• Financial reporting in accordance with the terms and conditions of donor contracts to national and international donors in the public sector, notably German ministries and agencies, the European Union, donors in the private sector and to the UNU Centre;
• Preparation and maintenance of statements of accounts relating to the projects conducted by UNU entities in Bonn to allow the officers responsible for the respective budgets to easily monitor work in progress and availability of funds;
• Practical application of the German Public Administration Travel Expense Regulations (Bundesreisekostengesetz) within the framework of the respective project;
• Journal entry preparation and review of journals prepared by staff accountants;
• Bank and other balance sheet accounting reconciliation and review of reconciliations prepared by staff accountants;
• Liaise with auditors, donor agencies/ministries, financial services of partner institutes and vendors, as well as with the UNU central administration and other UNU sister institutes;
• Participates actively in the full spectrum of accounting services including accounts payable, accounts receivable, application of cash receipts, accounts reconciliation, billing, monthly closing of accounts, bank reconciliation, preparation of management reports, consolidation, forecasting, year-end closing of accounts;
• Manages the cash position of the UNU-EHS bank account and imprest account which includes cash-flow forecasting and the determination of funding requirements in relation to budget execution;
• Ensures conformity with the UN Financial Regulations and Rules;
• Oversees the budgetary and financial reporting of UNU-EHS;
• Maintains records for project documents, contracts, programme-wide budget allocation, and programme-wide and project-specific expenditures;
• Develops and manages an effective property and inventory control system to create, maintain, and update property records of UNU-EHS;
• Focal point for travel, registry and records management functions;
• Liaises with internal and external auditors on their review of internal controls, financial and procurement/inventory practices;
• Demonstrates proficiency in the use of ICT systems and contributes to the adoption of new technology;
• Serves as UNU in Bonn petty cash custodian;
• Other accounting related tasks as appropriate.
  
  

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Business Administration/Public Administration, Finance, Accounting or related field;
• Professional Certification (CPA, Chartered Accountant ) is desirable;
• Excellent command of English (oral and written), very good working knowledge of German;
• Other UN working languages will be considered an asset;
• ICT literacy with advanced knowledge of spreadsheets and accounting databases (experience with PeopleSoft/Oracle would be an advantage);
• Strong analytical and technical skills in finance and accounting;
• Ability to conduct independent research and analysis, identify and address key issues, and recommend suitable solutions;
• Result-oriented, self-motivated and ‘hands-on’ with the ability to prioritize work while dealing with multiple priorities simultaneously and to be consistent with agreed strategies;
• Flexibility and capacity to work under stress and meet deadlines;
• Strong planning and organizing skills, including time management, attention to detail, accuracy, and efficiency;
• Excellent communication skills and strong client orientation;
• Ability to speak clearly and effectively to colleagues as well as clients and to listen to others while discussing complex issues;
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective and healthy working relationships with people of multi-cultural backgrounds with sensitivity and respect for diversity;
• Ability to establish and maintain productive relationships with colleagues as well as identify needs and match them to appropriate solutions;
• Demonstrated integrity with firm understanding of and commitment to confidentiality.
  
  

• At least five years of progressively responsible professional experience as a chartered accountant/CPA or in financial management, preferably in an international environment;
• Experience with Big 4 audit/accounting firms or leading banking or higher education/research institutions would be advantageous;
• Experience in submitting financial reports to the European Union and similar international entities;
• Experience in working with the German Public Administration Travel Expense Regulations (Bundesreisekostengesetz) and other German public sector accounting practices would be advantageous.