The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments. By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

From Geneva, UNOPS facilitates the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working with governments, other United Nations (UN) agencies and partners by providing quality servces, integrated solutions and management support through strategic, cost-effective and results-oriented approches. This includes supporting platforms and hosting high-profile, flagship initiatives and funds focusing on health, nutrition, water and sanitation, sustainable cities, environment, energy, climate and trade. UNOPS is a recognized resource for the UN system in Geneva – from fund management and oversight and advisory services, to providing hosting solutions to a range of global initiatives, as well as operational support to partner organizations.

From Geneva, UNOPS facilitates the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working with governments, other United Nations (UN) agencies and partners by providing quality servces, integrated solutions and management support through strategic, cost-effective and results-oriented approches. This includes supporting platforms and hosting high-profile, flagship initiatives and funds focusing on health, nutrition, water and sanitation, sustainable cities, environment, energy, climate and trade. UNOPS is a recognized resource for the UN system in Geneva – from fund management and oversight and advisory services, to providing hosting solutions to a range of global initiatives, as well as operational support to partner organizations.

The Education Outcomes Fund (EOF) is a global initiative transforming how education and skills are financed and delivered. We partner with governments, donors, investors, and implementers to make education systems more effective, equitable, and accountable. Through our Outcomes Partnership model, funding is tied to measurable results, aligning incentives across all actors to ensure that resources lead to real improvements in learning and employment outcomes. EOF’s approach is grounded in systems change - we align incentives, strengthen data and delivery capacity, and foster collaboration across public, private and social sectors. By embedding results-based principles within national systems, we help governments shift from inputs to outcomes, ensuring that every investment leads to a measurable, lasting impact for learners.

The Finance Associate provides accounting, budget administration, cash management and financial reporting support to ensure efficient and compliant financial operations. The incumbent performs a wide range of financial transactions with a high degree of accuracy, ensuring compliance with UNOPS financial rules and regulations (FRRs), policies and donor requirements.

1. Budget Administration and Cost Recovery

• Support the annual budget setting process, as well as the preparation, monitoring and revision of project and office budgets, ensuring accuracy and alignment with UNOPS financial policies and donor/ partner agreements.

• Assist in the development, maintenance, and testing of financial and budget models for programme proposals, supporting scenario analysis, cost projections, and payout structures for outcomes-based financing contracts.

• Prepare and maintain financial data and analysis on budget utilization, expenditure trends, and funding gaps for long-term sustainability and management decision-making

• Assist in developing cost-recovery models and maintaining an efficient cost allocation system in compliance with UNOPS guidelines.

• Contribute to the preparation of cost-sharing and trust fund agreements, follow up on partner contributions, and ensure proper recording in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

• Provide inputs on the financial implications of operational plans and support the implementation of cost-saving and efficiency measures.

• Assist in project financial closure processes, ensuring accuracy and completeness of records in accordance with UNOPS project closure protocol

2. Accounting, Payments and Payroll

• Review and verify payment requests and supporting documents for completeness, accuracy and compliance with approved budgets and UNOPS FRRs.

• Prepare and process vouchers (purchase orders, accounts payable, payroll and journal vouchers) and execute pay cycles in the ERP system.

• Monitor foreign exchange (FX) rate fluctuations and cross-currency exposure across multi-currency project portfolios, tracking FX gains/losses and providing data to support FX risk mitigation strategies.

• Ensure timely and proper recording of goods receipt, service delivery and accruals.

• Maintain an internal expenditure control system, ensuring transactions are properly matched, posted, and supported by adequate documentation.

• Conduct expense verifications and financial reviews of EOF grantees, ensuring compliance with grant agreements and established procedures.

• Process and reconcile accounts receivable and accounts payable, including follow-up with partners and projects on pending items.

• Perform monthly and quarterly account reconciliation, identifying and resolving discrepancies in coordination with HQ and project teams.

• Support payroll processing, ensuring accurate and timely disbursement and resolution of queries.

• Ensure timely month-end and year-end closure of accounts and submission of required financial reports.

• Respond promptly to HQ queries to resolve financial data or audit issues.

3. Office Cash and Treasury Management

• Review and monitor cash positions for local accounts to ensure sufficient funds for operational disbursements.

• Oversee the daily review of zero-balance accounts, imprest management, and proper recording of receipts and contributions.

• Prepare monthly cash flow forecasts and liaise with operations and project teams to gather cash requirement estimates.

• Conduct bank reconciliations, ensuring accuracy and prompt resolution of variances.

• Initiate and record bank transfers, replenishments, and foreign exchange transactions in the ERP system.

• Manage petty cash and operational advances, ensuring compliance with policy and timely settlement.

4. Financial Reporting and Analysis

• Prepare and review financial reports, including interim financial reports (IFRs), donor expenditure statements, and management dashboards.

• Support preparation of variance analyses, cost distribution summaries, and project-level expenditure reconciliations.

• Participate in quarterly and annual financial closure activities, ensuring completeness and consistency of data.

• Support internal and external audit exercises, ensuring timely submission of documentation and clearance of audit findings.

• Maintain accurate records of Value Added Tax (VAT), prepayments, operational advances and other balance sheet accounts, ensuring reconciliations are performed regularly.

• Analyze and prepare adjusting entries (GLJEs) and ensure accuracy of financial postings across projects.

5. Knowledge Building and Sharing

• Support the organization, facilitation and delivery of training and learning sessions on finance topics.

• Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned.

• Conduct research on finance-related topics and contribute to the drafting of reports, summaries and briefing notes.

Required

• Secondary school (or equivalent) with 6 years of relevant experience is required OR

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or other disciplines with 2 years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• Professional certification (e.g. CPA, ACCA, CA, CIMA) is desired.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in project financial management, budgeting, cash management and financial reporting, or related areas.

• Demonstrable proficiency in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g. G-Suite, etc) and web-based management systems.

Desired

• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is desired.

• Experience working with outcome based financing models and/or FX/cross-currency experience is considered an asset.

• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.

• Experience with financial systems or ERP software is desired.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• 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.
• For more details about the contract types, please click 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.