The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is a training arm of the United Nations System and a strategic driver in today’s global and essential role of the UN by empowering individuals, governments and organizations through knowledge and learning to effectively overcome contemporary global challenges. UNITAR serves over 60,000 beneficiaries annually by conducting close to 500 capacity development and research activities around the world.

UNITAR’s Finance and Budget Unit is responsible for the overall Finance and Budget functions of the organization, ensuring efficient service delivery to the programme areas for the assigned portfolio of programmes as well as the centralized functions. Arranging travel services and undertaking related financial and accounting functions is one of the core functions of the unit.

UNITAR’s traineeship allows young professionals to put their talent and expertise into the service of the United Nations by contributing concretely in their respective field of specialization and expertise.

This traineeship is designed primarily to support the Unit’s focal persons as well as the Finance and Budget Officer, in the financial operations, transactional processing, accounting reconciliations, making journal entries, data analysis and preparation of financial reports.

The trainee will be involved in various activities of the unit such as:

• Reviewing and processing project budget and cash balances
• Supports processing of payment requests pertaining to consultants, vendors, reimbursement to staff etc.;
• Records Obligations in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and maintains commitment documents.
• Records in payment vouchers and adjustment vouchers in ERP system.
• Periodically reconciles the credit card pool account and makes payments to the Credit Card company.
• Reconciles monthly invoices / bills of travel agencies, validates and makes payments to the Credit Card company.
• Conduct financial analysis and support Finance and Budget officer in accounting and reporting to donors
• Prepare presentation material and maintains financial-data repository
• Undertake audit coordination functions in terms of gathering evidence, information and follow up actions
• Review travel authorizations and process payment of travel entitlements for delegated programmes in Atlas;
• Reviews settlement of travel claims;
• Maintains monitoring table of processed travel claims;
• Prepares periodic and ad-hoc fund sufficiency, expenditure and budget variance reports to programmes identifying key variances for attention of programmes and management;
• Checks regularly the level of income and expenditures records flagging funding gaps, recommends appropriate actions for the projects with actions as required; tracks and follows up with programmes refunding of inter-agency debts if any;
• Reviews quarterly status of unliquidated obligations (POs) and take appropriate actions in coordination with the program managers;
• Records utilisation reconcile and initiate replenishment of the monthly Imprest accounts for UNITAR field offices and workshop Imprest accounts;

• Ensure all financial and accounting transactions are processed in compliance with existing policies rules and regulations;
• Ensure all traveller entitlements and commitments are processed accurately, timely in accordance with the approved travel authorizations.
• Ensure bills and invoices are processed, reconciled and settled accurately on timely basis.
• Ensure timely and accurate processing of assigned financial transactions.
• Ensure timely accurate financial analysis and presentation
• Ensure timely reconciliations and closure of accounts as assigned and required.

• All internal administrative procedures and deadlines are met;
• Financial transactions are done in compliance with UN and UNITAR policies, procedures and guidelines;
• Client-orientation is used when working resource persons and participants;
• Accuracy in calculations, provided information and drafted correspondence and documents;
• Issues/problems when arise are addressed on time.

The projects and activities allow trainees to:

• Plan, organize, and manage Finance, Accounting, Reporting and Travel activities of the Unit.
• Develop new interactive processes and tools for improving the workflow processes.
• Learn and apply UN Financial Rules, Regulations, Policies and Procedures.

The incumbent has a reporting relationship directly to the Finance and Budget Officer.

Given the nature of the projects, we are particularly interested in the following profile:

• Recent first-level degree from a University in Commerce, Finance, Accounting, Management, Administration or closely related disciplines.
• Intermediate skills in Microsoft suite, in particular using MS Outlook and MS Excel is required.
• Flair for numbers, ability to pay attention to details and make mathematical calculations.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and with extended/remote teams, 
• High level of individual responsibility and commitment, and
• Availability for 6 months, full-time in Geneva.