Finance & Administrative Officer (Education)

The Finance & Administrative Officer will ensure efficient, effective and compliant administration of financial and human resources for the UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE). The role includes financial internal control, budget preparation, contract management, human resources coordination, and administrative support to the UNESCO Geneva Liaison Office.

Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise the staff of the Administrative Unit, ensuring effective planning, coordination and prioritization of daily tasks to achieve overall objectives of IBE teams and the Bureau.
• Oversee efficient execution and delivery of administrative and financial services supporting IBE activities and projects, including budget preparation, contract management, financial accounting, internal control, travel management and implementation monitoring.
• Coordinate administrative matters related to human resources including staffing actions, recruitment, performance assessments, advice and training to support a productive work environment.
• Implement and maintain effective security arrangements and policies, liaising with UNESCO headquarters and other UN agencies.
• Ensure upkeep and proper functioning of Office premises, compliance with Host Country Agreement, and maintain relationships with authorities.
• Manage and safeguard fixed-assets under custody of personnel.
• Provide inputs to key documents including IBE Governing Council and donor reports, and contribute to IBE strategy, donor proposal preparation and agreements with partners.
• Prepare and certify donor financial reports in line with approved budget and donor agreements.
• Ensure maintenance of all IBE accounts and preparation of complete and accurate annual financial statements in liaison with Director Finance.
• Provide administrative management support to the UNESCO Geneva Liaison Office (GLO).

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Finance or Accounting, or University degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in Finance or Accounting with additional 2 years of relevant professional experience.
• Completed professionally recognized accounting qualification.
• Minimum of 4 years of progressively responsible, relevant work experience in management, finance, accounting, administration or related areas, of which at least 2 years acquired at the international level.
• Experience in financial management and internal control duties.
• Proven experience in the development and implementation of modern financial management practices, tools and procedures, including programme and budget execution.
• Experience in the preparation of financial statements for audits.
• Experience in personnel management functions and provision of general administrative services.
• Problem-solving, creativity and analytical thinking skills related to financial management and control.
• Ability to interpret complex organizational rules and processes.
• Excellent organizational and multi-tasking abilities.
• Demonstrated integrity and discretion in the execution of duties.
• Familiarity with internal and external audit proceedings, techniques and requirements.
• Good IT skills, including practical experience with Microsoft or other software packages.
• Excellent knowledge (written and spoken) of English or French and working knowledge of the other language.
• Proven experience in managing, motivating and supervising staff and teams and maintaining effective working relations in a multicultural environment.
• Knowledge of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (preferably SAP), including Finance and HR modules.
• Knowledge of other official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish) is desirable.

Skills

• Finance Management
• Internal Controls
• Budget execution
• Financial Statement Preparation
• Audit Procedures
• Personnel Management
• Administrative Services
• Accounting Qualification
• Programme Budgeting
• Organizational Rules Interpretation
• Microsoft Office Suite
• ERP Systems
• SAP ERP Finance Module
• Staff Supervision
• Multicultural Team Leadership
• Contract Management
• Human Resources Coordination
• SAP HR Modules

Languages

English, French