Programme Finance Analyst at UNDP

Position Purpose

• Under the direct supervision of the Head of Program Management Support Team (PMST) and with matrix reporting to the Portfolio Advisor and the overall guidance of the Deputy Resident Representative (Programme), the Programme Finance Analyst ensures effective financial oversight and operational support for the CO’s portfolio of programmes and projects.
• In addition to traditional finance management functions, the incumbent will contribute up to 20% of their time to supporting portfolio management and investment analysis, helping the Country Office adopt a more integrated and adaptive approach to programme planning, delivery, and financing. This includes contributing to results-focused investment planning, resource mobilization analytics, donor compliance, and cross-cutting portfolio performance management in line with corporate portfolio guidance.
• The Analyst works in close collaboration with Programme, Operations, Project Teams, the Partnerships & Innovation Team, Regional Hubs, and GSSC, and serves as a resource for programme finance quality assurance, integrated portfolio data insights, and funding pipeline analysis.
• 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.

Duties And Responsibilities
Summary of key functions:

• Programme Financial Management and Operational Oversight
• HACT and Audit Coordination
• Cost Recovery, Resource Planning, Knowledge Management & Capacity Development
• Portfolio Management and Integrated Programming
• Investment Analysis and Resource Mobilization Support
• Programme Financial Management and Operational Oversight
• Ensure full compliance with UNDP financial rules and procedures (POPP) in budgeting, accounting, and reporting.
• Conduct programme finance business process mapping and support development of SOPs.
• Lead ERP-based budget formulation (Project Tree and Pipeline), expenditure tracking, and delivery forecasts.
• Monitor financial performance and exceptions across projects and advise on remedial actions.
• Guide programme/project managers on budget revisions, cash flows, ASL, and donor compliance.
• Prepare dashboards and management briefs on financial status, delivery rates, and operational efficiency.
• HACT and Audit Coordination
• Serve as HACT focal point; coordinate assurance planning and conduct spot checks with implementing partners.
• Liaise with auditors and IPs during DIM and NIM audit processes; review and upload final reports to CRADS.
• Monitor follow-up actions on audit recommendations to ensure closure and institutional learning.
• Train programme and operations teams on audit compliance and internal control frameworks.
• Cost Recovery, Resource Planning, Knowledge Management & Capacity Development
• Support implementation of cost recovery and direct project costing mechanisms.
• Oversee Accounts Receivable management and ensure compliance with cost-sharing and trust fund agreements.
• Maintain accurate financial records in ERP (Quantum), ensuring reconciliations and internal controls.
• Facilitate donor reporting and verification processes as per funding agreements.
• Organize training on programme financial management, RBM, and audit preparedness for staff and partners.
• Document lessons learned and share best practices across CO and the regional community of practice.
• Provide coaching and technical advice to programme teams on financial planning and portfolio integration.
• Portfolio Management and Integrated Programming Support the implementation of portfolio-based management approaches aligned with UNDP’s Strategic Plan and CPD priorities.
• Provide financial analytics and operational inputs to portfolio design, pipeline planning, and delivery tracking.
• Collaborate with programme clusters and PMSU to enhance horizontal integration across portfolios (e.g., governance, inclusive growth, energy, climate).
• Support preparation of portfolio performance reviews, adaptive planning sessions, and results forecasting.
• Use tools and data visualizations to promote portfolio insights and learning loops for adaptive management.
• Investment Analysis and Resource Mobilization Support Track and analyze donor contributions, funding gaps, and co-financing across programmes and portfolios.
• Provide input to investment cases, resource mobilization pitches, and donor-specific financial reporting.
• Assist in mapping financing partners and opportunities, including IFIs, philanthropic actors, and private sector players.
• Support development of tools and templates for investment planning, results-based budgeting, and funding scenario analysis.
• Collaborate with the Partnerships & Innovation Team to maintain a dynamic funding pipeline dashboard and support compliance with donor agreements.
• Serve as CO focal point for financial compliance in innovation and integrated development financing initiatives.
• Perform other duties as required.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.
Competencies
Core Competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build and/or /maintain coalitions/partnership.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

Functional/Technical competencies
Business Direction & 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.

Business Management: Portfolio Management

• Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity;
• Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.

Business Development

• Knowledge Facilitation: Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally.

Finance

• Accounting (General): Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, regulations, policies and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.

Finance: Financial Risk Management
 

• Ensures financial resilience through proactive assessment of risk, implementation of controls and taking mitigating action.
• Understands risk and reward in relation to collaborative and commercial projects. Ensures a culture of positive risk management.

Finance: Management and Cost Accounting

• Ability to produce periodic qualitative and quantitative performance reports to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring.
• Ability to use a range of costing techniques and analyze cost related data to provide quantitative information to the users of reports.

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.

Education
Required Skills and Experience

• Advanced University Degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, or related field is required;
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree is required;
• A professional accounting qualification from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy, and/or Advanced (Master’s) University Degree in Finance and/or Accounting is required. Candidates with professional accounting qualifications from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage;
• Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications, but with degrees that major in accountancy and/or finance must complete the Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited;
• Candidates satisfying the two above criteria are exempted from undertaking the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT);
• Candidates with MBA or master's in finance with no accountancy qualification but with relevant experience must successfully undertake the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT) to be eligible for shortlisting.

Experience

• Minimum 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in providing financial management services, and/or managing staff and operational systems is required;
• Experience in providing Resource Planning and Analysis is desired;
• Quality assurance oversight and close monitoring of implementing partners activities is desired;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems and ERP financials, preferably Quantum (UNDP ERP provided by Oracle) is desirable
• Experience in Portfolio management and some level of Investment analysis would be an asset;
• Experience of IPSAS and/or IFRS is required for external candidates;
• Experience working in the UN System is an asset.

Required Language(s)

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.