IPSAS/IFRS Specialist (Roster)

Please note this roster primarily aims to establish a pool of qualified IPSAS Specialists interested in retainer, ongoing or short-term assignments based either in Copenhagen, Denmark or home-based (see section "Contract type, level and duration").

A professional accountant qualification is required for this position, and applicants without this qualification will not be considered.

UNOPS mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS provides its partners with advisory, implementation and transactional services, with projects ranging from building schools and hospitals, to procuring goods and services and training local personnel. UNOPS works closely with governments and communities to ensure increased economic, social and environmental sustainability for the projects we support, with a focus on developing national capacity.

UNOPS vision is a world where people can live full lives supported by appropriate, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, and by the efficient and transparent use of public resources in procurement and project management.

With over 8,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it.  By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.  

The Finance Group (FG) is a critical and strategic business function in UNOPS and serves as an authoritative and integrated partner in the organization on strategic financial planning and budgeting, financial policy, practices, analysis,  management services and reporting, organisational treasury and investments.  As the steward of resources of a self-financing UN entity, FG is accountable for processes to ensure timely cost recovery and reporting to partners, maintaining the integrity and transparency of financial management of resources in accordance with the highest standards of ethics and organisational/international accountability framework and the accurate and transparent financial reporting to governing bodies, clients, partners and stakeholders.

The IPSAS Specialist  reports to the Head of Financial Statements and UNBOA Relations who provides broad supervision and guidance.  The IPSAS Specialist is responsible for efficient financial reporting  and the provision of accurate, thoroughly researched and documented financial policies compliant to accounting standards and support  for preparation of the financial statement.  He/she analyzes and interprets the financial rules and regulations and the applicable accounting standards (IPSAS) and provides solutions to a wide spectrum of complex financial issues including financial investments.

At the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), we strive for excellence! We work in challenging environments around the world and we best serve people in need by being able to fill business critical roles very quickly.

In order to strengthen our capacity to meet our future needs for new colleagues, UNOPS has an ambitious and proactive recruitment approach: the Rosters.  For business critical roles, we establish rosters which are pools of assessed candidates who can be recruited  in an efficient manner once a vacancy arises. Roster members will be considered first for external vacancies. As a member you will remain on the roster for a duration of up to 3 years.

• A Master's Degree or equivalent in Finance, Accounting, Financial Management or a related field is required.

• A first-level university degree (Bachelor's or equivalent) in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of a Master's degree.

• Professional certification in accounting (CA, CPA, ACCA, ACA, etc.) or equivalent is required

• Minimum 5 years of relevant working experience within an international environment in the areas of financial reporting,  audit and accounting

• A thorough knowledge of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is required.

• Experience in areas of Financial Instruments and specialized knowledge in financial instruments (IPSAS 41, IFRS 9) and their practical application is considered as a strong asset

• Demonstrated experience in interpretation of international accounting standards and preparation of financial statements is required.

• Full working knowledge of English.  

• Knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.

Please note this vacancy primarily aims to establish a pool of qualified IPSAS Specialists interested in retainer, ongoing or short term assignments in various locations.


Contract type: ICA
Contract level: IICA-2
Contract duration: Various, temporary (short term or long term) or open-ended, depending on the Hiring Unit’s needs. Candidates might also be offered a retainer contract.

• 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. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority 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. 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.