Finance Senior Officer

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world.  UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects.  Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations. 

With more than 20 years of experience in the country, UNOPS Afghanistan focuses on providing maximum support to the people of Afghanistan through the delivery of projects and services that improve the lives of people in need. The UNOPS Afghanistan Country Office (AFCO) serves as an organizational mechanism to deliver a range of projects for which UNOPS has been designated as the implementation agency.  UNOPS AFCO activities currently cover a range of sectors, including humanitarian, basic human needs, cash for work, infrastructure, development, procurement and HR services. 

The functional objective of UNOPS AFCO is to contribute to improving the lives of girls, boys, men and women living in Afghanistan. The aim of UNOPS AFCO is to provide efficient and cost-effective implementation services on behalf of all our partners to support the humanitarian response and development of the country. UNOPS AFCO’s mission is to exceed the expectations of all stakeholders in the delivery of AFCO services at all times, in all places, and in all circumstances in order to improve the lives of Afghans in need.

UNOPS is seeking a Finance Senior Officer to support the project Finance Specialist in: scrutinize, assess and evaluate documentation in relation to the financial aspects of the claims for payments in reference to the above project description. The Finance Officer will be working alongside the Finance Specialist, the Contract Management Specialist in order to support the verification of the amounts due to be paid to each contractor, consultant, supplier or project-affected person and the verification of expenses incurred under projects’ advance accounts.

This position will be supervised by the Project Finance Specialist to support the implementation of the project.

2. Summary of Key Functions  

1. Contribute to the verification of a large number of claims for payment against Contracts (both national and international suppliers/contractors/consultants), in terms of financial related aspects.

2. Support the verification of documents required for the liquidation of funds disbursed to projects’ advance accounts to finance eligible expenditures relating to small-scale community-based contracts, Project Management Offices (PMOs) staff salaries and operating expenses, and land acquisition and resettlement (LAR) compensation payments. 

3. Contribute to the review of the supporting documents to liquidate expenses incurred before 15 August 2021 relating to LAR compensation made to project-affected people, payments made to contractors and consultants, administrative expenses, and salaries of PMO staff.

Related to Output 1: Outstanding invoices for civil works, consulting, and non-consulting services confirmed and certificates secured

4. Contribute to the collection and review of Withdrawal Applications (WAs), all relevant records, outstanding invoices and supporting documents, and requests for contract verifications and scrutinize whether expenditures were in accordance with the contracts’ terms and conditions, for the grants’ intended purposes, and eligible for financing

5. Contribute to the review and reconciliation of WAs and other payment documents to identify the amounts of the retention monies to be reimbursed to contractors of civil works in accordance with ADB’s Loan Disbursement Handbook, 2022.

6. Support the review of advance payments disbursed to contractors, consultants, suppliers, and PMO staff and the reconciliation with the verified outstanding payments

7. Based on the review and verification of the outstanding invoices, and physical confirmation (by other team members) of the works, goods, and services, contribute to recalculation, and reconciliation with the amounts of the invoices, submitted by contractors, consultants, and suppliers

8. Under the guidance of the Finance specialist, contribute to the following tasks in coordination and collaboration with the Legal Advisor, Contract Management Specialist and Legal component of the team: 

• `Review subcontracting arrangements and identify subcontractors and subconsultants names, contact details, bank details and amounts to be paid to subcontractors and subconsultants from the verified payment
• Identify and itemize the amount of taxes and other duties to be paid by contractors, consultants and suppliers (which may be eligible to be included in the claim).  
• Identify the total amount of outstanding payments including verified and confirmed amounts payable for the works, services, and goods, and the amount of the retention fees to be reimbursed and advances to be withheld
• Provide inputs into the preparation and review of the payment certificates, acknowledgement certificates, employers letter of confirmation, advance accounts letter and other documents relating to verification/certification as needed
• Confirm the bank account details of contractors, consultants, and suppliers and confirm the accuracy of the bank details with the banks against the original contracts
• Check, verify, and confirm that contractors, consultants, and suppliers (and their relevant shareholders and Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBOs), as applicable) and banks through which the payments will be made are not on the UN Security Council Sanctions List and liaise with ADB to ensure they are also not on any sanctions list applicable under ADB’s sanctions framework.

Please note that the nature of this role requires flexibility in adapting to the needs of the team since the objective of alignment of Contracts details, local situation and habits, local law and other factors might generate unexpected needs.

• Advanced University Degree (Master Degree or equivalent) in Finance, Business Administration, Management or other relevant discipline 
• First level University degree (Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent) in Finance, Business Administration, Management or other relevant discipline in combination with 2 additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree 
• Professional qualifications such as CPA (Certified Public Accountant) or CA (Chartered Accountant) or similar professional accounting bodies would be a strong asset.                                  

b. Work Experience 

• A minimum of 2 years of relevant experience level in financial management and or financial analysis and reporting and/or budget preparation is required;
• Within relevant experience, a minimum of one (1) year of professional-level experience in accounting is required with a strong preference for the accounting component of claims, contract variations, liquidation of expenses, certification of works or equivalent.
• Experience of FIDIC (International Federation of Consulting Engineers) Conditions of Contract is an asset
• Experience in implementing projects funded by the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) is an asset.
• Experience in the use of electronic systems is required.
• Skills in budget preparation, financial reporting, coordination, and report writing is an asset.
• Experience in developing countries or post-conflict environments is an asset.
• Familiarity with the country context and programme/project regions is an asset.

c.  Languages

• Fluent in English (read, write and speak) is required
• Fluent in Dari, Pasto (read, write and speak) is required

Contract type: ICA
Contract level: Local ICA-9 
Contract duration: Ongoing ICA – ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.’

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.



• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete)  in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.