Job Description - Accounting Assistant (25066-FT_LT)
Accounting Assistant - 25066-FT_LT
Accounts Payable Unit, Treasury Section, Finance Division, Department of Program Planning and Finance, Administration, Finance and Management Sector
Grade - G6
Contract Duration - 1 year (maximum cumulative length of 5 years)
Duty Station
CH-Geneva
Publication Date
27-Feb-2025
Application Deadline
19-Mar-2025, 10:59:00 PM
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING APPLICATION DEADLINE: Please note that the deadline for applications is indicated in local time as per the time zone of the applicant’s location.
This post is a limited-term fixed-term post.
1. Organizational Context
The post is located in the Accounts Payable Unit of the Treasury Section, Finance Division of the Department of Program Planning and Finance, Administration, Finance and Management Sector. The Finance Division is responsible for the management of WIPO's financial accounting and reporting, treasury management and compliance with financial policies and procedures. Included within these responsibilities are the management of the Organization's cash position, production of statutory financial reports and other financial information, and coordination with oversight and financial control activities.
Purpose Statement
The incumbent performs a variety of complex financial support functions related to the accounts payable activities of the Organization and provides support in the control and maintenance of accounts for financial, statistical and reconciliation purposes. This includes processing complex transactions related to accounts payable activities. The incumbent provides briefings and guidance regarding applicable procedures and methods, explains rules and regulations, and assists in the establishment/update of internal control procedures. The incumbent utilizes and provides guidance in the use of WIPO financial systems, and contributes to an efficient, transparent, and controlled financial process.
Reporting Lines
The incumbent works under the supervision of the Accounts Payable Manager.
Work Relations
The incumbent interacts with a wide range of colleagues within the work unit, with clients within the Organization and with external parties, such as other UN organizations, Member States, customers, financial institutions and/or social suppliers to obtain/provide information, to resolve problems or to clarify issues.
2. Duties and Responsibilities
The incumbent will perform the following principal duties:
1. Analyze, verify, and process financial data and associated correspondence, ensuring adherence to financial and staff regulations, rules, anti-fraud policies, and established procedures.
2. Ensure the accuracy of financial transactions and vouchers, such as calculations, system inputs, master data and payment processing, related to commercial invoicing, staff entitlement travel and official travel for both staff and non-staff. Facilitate matching of accounting documents and related records for vendors, staff, and customers, including advances, credit advices, invoices, reimbursements, travel claims etc. Verify, analyze and process associated account postings.
3. Monitor periodic and timeliness of reconciliations, including reconciliation processes as part of the financial closures, such as general ledger and/or suspense accounts. Review obligations and expenditures, identify anomalies and take necessary corrective actions. Report discrepancies to supervisor.
4. Collaborate with the IT department to address data entry, accounting operations, within the context of accounts payable functions. Assist in data extraction and analysis, assess data retrieval methods and queries for efficiency, and propose streamlined procedures to maintain consistent and accurate data analysis.
5. Ensure proper maintenance of accounting records; collate and compile financial and statistical data to accurately provide financial and transactional activities within the accounts payable domain, including vendor data, staff and non-staff travel entitlements, reimbursements, advances, recoveries, etc.
6. Address inquiries and provide explanations/resolutions to problems in a timely manner, forwarding disputed, complex, or unusual cases to the supervisor; manage correspondence to clarify discrepancies, obtain explanations and provide information on the financial and/or staff rules and regulations.
7. Propose and contribute to operational improvements by suggesting and implementing enhanced work methods and procedures. Actively participate in testing/upgrading of financial systems and database.
8. Provide backup assistance to colleagues across the Accounts payable function and treasury section fostering collaborative and efficient work environment.
9. Perform other related duties as required including backing up other staff members of the Unit.
3. Requirements
Completion of secondary education supplemented by training or post-secondary education in accounting and/or finance. First-level university degree in accounting/finance.
Experience (Essential)
At least eight years of accounting or finance-related work experience. Related experience within the United Nations common system or another international organization. Excellent written and spoken knowledge of English. Knowledge of French and/or another official UN language.
Job Related Competencies (Essential)
Good knowledge of accounting and financial principles, procedures, and systems. Ability to understand, interpret, work within, and explain applicable accounting and financial rules, regulations, and procedures. Ability to analyze and evaluate financial transactions using computer-based systems and use independent judgment to search for, perform analysis and take corrective action where needed. Ability to prioritize work assignments, organize own schedule, perform work independently as well as work effectively in a team, meet deadlines and provide technical guidance to subordinate staff. Accuracy and attention to detail. Competent user of Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint and the internet, and the ability to work with databases and adapt quickly to new software. Ability to tactfully deal with clients and respond to complex queries both orally and in writing in a clear and concise manner and draft correspondence and responses requiring subject-matter expertise. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.
5. Information
Mobility: WIPO staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the Director General and may be assigned to any activities of the Organization. Accordingly, the selected candidate may be required to move from time to time to new functions.
* Initial fixed-term appointment of one year, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and other applicable conditions. The selected candidate's appointment will be subject to an overall term of five years in this position, with normally no possibility of renewal beyond that term. S/he may, however, apply and be considered for other positions at WIPO.
This is not applicable to WIPO staff members on fixed-term, continuing or permanent appointments, who were recruited following a competition under Staff Regulation 4.10 (“Appointment Boards”).
Applications from qualified women as well as from qualified nationals of unrepresented Member States of WIPO and underrepresented geographical regions are encouraged. The Organization reserves the right to make an appointment at a grade lower than that advertised.
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