I.  Position Information

Job Title: Programme Finance Associate, PMSU

Department: Programme (MSU)

Reports to: Head of MSU

Grade Level: G6

Bureau: RBA

Direct Reports: None

Position Number:

Duty Station: Kigali. Rwanda

Career Track: General Services

Career Stream: Policy/Programme

Contract Modality: FTA Local

Contract Duration: 2 Years FTA

II. Background and Organizational Context

UNDP in Rwanda operates through its Country Programme 2025-2029. The Country Programme is derived from the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and guided by the country’s Vision 2050, NST2, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Programme priorities integrate all six signature solutions from the UNDP Strategic Plan (2022-2025) while leveraging strategic innovation, digitalization, and development financing enablers. The Country Programme is structured around two key outcomes that are designed in the UNSDCF with focus on a) reducing poverty and b) promote transformational governance mechanisms. Under the first pillar UNDP focuses on support sustainable environment and climate change efforts as well contribute to disaster risk reduction and sustainable energy. These areas are integrated in a wider focus on inclusive growth and youth and women employment. The second area is focused on transformative governance where support is focused on enhancing accountability, transparency, participation and the overall rule of law. Through its portfolio, the Country Office (CO) has tailored localized integral solutions to specific sustainable development issues and is crafting methodologies and toolboxes to deploy and escalate them across the country.  At the same time, UNDP is committed to support the broader UN development System’s Reform (UNDS), where UNDP in Rwanda is committed to enhancing efficiency, coherence, and impact across the UN Programming, partnerships and operations. UNDP at the area of operations continue to be the backbone for the UN System.

UNDP Country Office (CO) is structured around two units to deliver on the Country Programme and provide the Operations support. The Programme Management Support Unit (PMSU) is the key unit that bridges between Programme Team and Operations Team. This unit also provides the necessary guidance and quality assurance for successful implementation of the Country Programme and its associated Portfolios and Projects. The PMSU is managed by the Head of PMSU who reports to the Deputy Resident Representative for Programme and Operations (DRR P&O).

Programme Finance provides cost effective and timely partnering services to the UNDP Country Office (CO) to maintain the sound financial management of and responsible resource allocation for its development programme and projects. Programme Finance provides support to development project teams to ensure appropriate and adequate budgeting for projects, monitoring of budgets to identify gaps against allocations, and financial reporting to CO management to promote transparency and informed decision making

III. Position Purpose

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Head of PMSU and in close collaboration and guidance of the DRR (P&O), the Programme Finance Associate provides support in execution of programme finance services, while ensuring effective and transparent utilization of financial resources and integrity of financial services for all Programmes and Projects.

The Programme Finance Associate may supervise support and clerical staff on the Programme Finance team. The Programme Finance Associate works in close collaboration with the Programme, Operations, and project staff in the CO and staff in UNDP HQ, Regional Hub and GSSC to exchange information and resolve finance-related issues.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

IV. Key Duties and Accountabilities

In this section lists up to five primary functions/accountabilities of the position (Typically one sentence each) and examples of duties that must be performed to successfully accomplish key responsibilities.

1. Ensures administration and implementation of operational strategies, adapts processes and procedures.
2. Provide effective support to management of the CO programme, administration of budgets, and functioning of the optimal cost-recovery system.
3. Provides support to implementation of the resources mobilization strategy focusing on achievement of the following results:
4. Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the CO.

Ensures administration and implementation of operational strategies, adapts processes and procedures focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Ensure full compliance with UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP) on financial recording and reporting system.
• Provide information for the audit of projects. Implement and follow-up on audit recommendations.
• Provide input for implementation of cost-saving and reduction strategies in consultation with the office management.
• Continuous analysis and monitoring of the financial situation, presentation of forecasts for development and management projects. This includes review of status of delivery and supporting the PMSU in developing its monitoring dashboard.
• Elaboration of proposals and implementation of cost-saving and reduction strategies in consultations with the programme team.
• Routinely monitors financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, and investigates anomalies.

Provide effective support to management of the CO programme, administration of budgets, and functioning of the optimal cost-recovery system

• Present information for formulation of country programme work plans, budgets, and proposals on implementation arrangements and execution modalities. Enter data on new grants into ERP in the form of Annual Work Plans (AWPs) and monitor their status.
• Oversee ERP matching, implement effective internal controls, and ensure proper functioning of a client-oriented financial resource management system. Implement control mechanism for development projects by monitoring budget preparation and modifications, and budgetary status versus ASL. Follow up with HQ on ASL for development projects
• Implementation of effective internal controls, proper functioning of a client-oriented financial resources management system. Identification of operational and financial problems, proposal of solutions.
• Ensure proper creation of projects in Quantum.
• Monitoring of timely Operational and Financial Closure of projects, reimbursement of remaining balances to donors, and liaising with UNDP HQ on donor reimbursements.
• Prepare reports and verify accuracy of Combined Delivery Reports.
• Provide guidance to the executing agencies on routine implementation of projects and track use of financial resources.
• Assist in the preparation of cost-recovery bills in ERP for the services provided; elaborate and implement the revenue tracking system; and follow up on cost recovery.
• Support year-end closing procedures related to development projects’ budgets.
• Support in monitoring relevant corporate key performance and dashboard indicators in programme and project financial management and ensure full compliance and high performance.
• Review and quality assurance of donor reports as required by the financing agreements and facilitate the timely donor reporting submission. 
• Monitoring of cost-sharing contributions, revenue management, including all new agreements, installments, and amendments, and maintenance of the Revenue Service Request System.
• Monitoring timely receipt of contributions in accordance with the revenue plan and revenue-related dashboard indicators.

Provides support to implementation of the resources mobilization strategy focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Maintain Accounts Receivables for UNDP projects and follow-up with partners on contributions.
• Monitor financial contributions, prepare AR pending items, and maintain contributions and receivables documentation.
• Review financing and trust fund agreements, obtain clearances from HQ if necessary, and follow up on contributions within the CO resource mobilization efforts
• Monitor financial contributions, prepare AR pending items, and maintain contributions and receivables documentation.
• Develop capacities of implementing partners in programme financial management particularly in ensuring proper record keeping and accountability of funds.
• Advice to Project staff on UNDP administrative and NEX reporting on budgetary issues.

Track and report on mobilized resources by performing the following tasks:

• Enter financing agreement information into Contracts Module and attach a copy of the signed agreement in ERP.
• Submit information based on financing agreements to GSSU including amendments

Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the CO.

• Assist in organizing training for the operations/ projects staff/IPs/RPs on finance, audit, and compliance matters.
• Support to Programme team on technical matters and strengthening of team performance through knowledge sharing.
• Participation in all relevant UNDP and external training.
• Drawing together synthesis reports of lessons learnt and best practices; and
• Contribution to UNDP knowledge networks and communities of practice.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: NO

V. Requirements:

Education:

• Secondary Education is required, or
• University degree (Bachelor’s degree) in Finance, accountability and relevant related field will be given due consideration but not a requirement
• Fully Qualified Accountant, from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy or Full Completion of the UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP). No UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (AFT) required.
• Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications but with degrees that major in accountancy and/or finance must complete UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited. However, UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (AFT) is not required
• Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications but with relevant experience must successfully undertake UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (AFT) before shortlisting, and must complete the UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

• Minimum 6 years (with high school diploma) or 3 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible finance and accounting experience at the national or international level is required.
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheets and web-based management systems such as ERP financials and database packages is required.
• Knowledge of IPSAS and/or IFRS is an asset.
• Experience in preparation of financial reports and overviews is desired
• Knowledge of programme management processes is desired
• Knowledge of procedures of national / international organizations is desired
• Ability to manage and analyze large amounts of project data is an asset.

Language requirements

• Fluency in English and national language of the duty station is required for local staff (Kinyarwanda and/or Kiswahili) is required.

Expected Demonstration of Competencies

Core

Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible

Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

 Cross-Functional & Technical competencies (insert up to 7 competencies)

Thematic Area

Name

Definition

Business Direction and Strategy

System Thinking

Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Communications

Advocacy strategy and implementation

Ability to create and implement advocacy strategies which lead to impactful change.

Business Development

Knowledge Generation

Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.

Partnership management

Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding

Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms, 

Audit & Investigation - Audit

Fraud awareness and investigation techniques

Basic knowledge to understand the foundations of fraud, how to detect red flags and conduct initial fact findings

Digital & Innovation

Data analysis

Ability to extract, analyses and visualize data (including Real-Time Data) to form meaningful insights and aid effective decision maki

Finance

Audit risk management

Ability to address audit issues raised in the course of an audit and propose solutions in order to ensure a true and fair audit opinion is achieved

Deadline till 18^th of June 2025, 23:59 pm (Midnight New York, USA)- Rwanda Nationals only.

Application Link: Programme Finance Associate - PMSU - UNDP Careers

VI. Keywords

List 3-5 most important skills from competencies required for the position – limited to 1-3-word descriptions – that will help   inform workforce planning of critical skill supply and demand. 

• Project finance
• Budgeting
• Internal controls
• Financial and donor reporting
• Partnerships for resources mobilization 
• Result based management