Finance Senior Associate

The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, based in Nairobi, Kenya, oversees the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. Supported by more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices—spanning North, West, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa—the office advances national priorities through strategic initiatives in Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and Security, Middle-Income Country Support, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Regional Office provides strategic leadership, operational support, and oversight in key areas including Partnerships, Communications, Management and Oversight, Infrastructure and Project Management, Health and Safety, and Security. By promoting excellence in project delivery, fostering knowledge sharing, and driving continuous improvement, the office contributes to sustainable infrastructure, transparent resource management, and a better quality of life for communities across the continent.

Based in Dakar, Senegal, the West Africa Multi-Country Office (WAMCO) delivers high-quality project management, infrastructure, and procurement services across 16 countries in West Africa and the Sahel, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Togo. Aligned with UNOPS’ mission, WAMCO supports partners in peacebuilding, humanitarian assistance, and sustainable development. WAMCO’s portfolio spans key sectors such as health, climate change, renewable energy, agriculture, water and sanitation, environment, infrastructure, justice, and peace and security. Notable projects include the construction of pre-preschools for early childhood development in Senegal (in partnership with KOICA and UNICEF), capacity-building for national agencies on disaster risk reduction and resource management, and the development of rural mini-grid electrification systems in Sierra Leone. Through these initiatives, WAMCO contributes to inclusive growth and the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the region.

The EU-ISEY project is a European Union-supported initiative designed to transform The Gambia’s Senior Secondary Education (SSE) sector. Aligned with the EU's strategic frameworks (MIP 2021–2027 and GAP III), the project focuses on boosting quality, inclusivity, and equity to empower Gambian youth—particularly girls and marginalised groups and encourage careers in teaching.

The overarching goal is to enhance SSE completion rates and reduce gender and socioeconomic attainment inequalities across The Gambia  

Increasing enrollment and stay-in-school rates for both boys and girls, especially in rural and underserved areas

Making SSE more gender-sensitive and modern, with a heavy emphasis on STEM, digital literacy, health education, civics, and climate/environmental issues

Enhancing female representation and leadership within the teaching workforce.

The intended outcomes include:

Higher Retention through reduced dropout rates, particularly for rural girls

Improved educational quality that equips students with 21st-century and STEM skills

Workforce readiness, through better preparation for graduates entering higher education, vocational training, or tech careers. 

Increased female participation as both students and education leaders.

The key activities of the EU-ISEY project are designed to address key challenges in Senior Secondary Education (SSE) by focusing on capacity building, gender equity, and digital innovation. Training programs will enhance the skills of in-service and pre-service teachers, emphasising STEM education, gender-sensitive teaching methods, and digital competencies. The project prioritizes gender equity through targeted initiatives such as scholarships, mentorship programs, and leadership training for female students and aspiring educators. Digital innovation will be fostered by reinforcing existing e-learning centers and integrating offline and online tools to support both teaching and learning. Refurbishments of school-based science labs and/or supply of mobile labs will be provided. Community engagement campaigns, in collaboration with local NGOs, artists (performing art), etc, will address socio-cultural barriers to education, promoting inclusivity and retention for girls and marginalized groups. These activities collectively aim to create a more inclusive, equitable, and high-quality education system in The Gambia.

UNOPS serves as the lead implementing partner, leveraging its expertise in project management, procurement, and sustainable development. UNOPS will collaborate with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Expertise France (EF) and other partners to deliver the activities foreseen in the action. Key collaborators include The Gambia’s Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE), Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology (MoHERST), local civil society organizations, and international development partners. Together, they will ensure sustainable, impactful, and community-driven outcomes.

The Finance Senior Associate participates in day-to-day finance operations, ensures compliance with UNOPS and donor/partner financial rules and regulations, and assists with strengthening internal controls, budgeting, treasury, accounting and reporting.

1. Finance Operations 

• Ensure full compliance with UNOPS rules, policies, IPSAS, and audit recommendations. Assist in maintaining an effective internal control framework. ● Contribute to drafting and updating Finance Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and propose cost-saving/efficiency measures. 
• Promote a client-focused financial services culture across projects and support u units.
• Complete Value Added Tax (VAT) Rebate application for VAT refund and follow up with the Gambia Revenue Authority every 6 months.

 2. Budgetary and Monitoring Control 

• Set up accounts from project agreements. 
• Compile data for budget estimates and revisions, and approve budgets (as delegated) in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Monitor allotments, commitments, and expenditures. Analyze variances and agree on corrective actions with project teams/ partners. 
• Maintain budget controls to keep spending within approved limits and support project closures.

3. Treasury Functions 

• Review and monitor cash positions for local accounts to ensure sufficient funds for operational disbursements. 
• Operate and control bank accounts. 
• Maintain cashbooks, and perform account analyses and reconciliations. 
• Review and clear payment requests. Verify funding availability, coding and documentation. Process payroll/ travel/ vendor disbursements. 
• Manage petty cash and operational advances. Liaise with banks on rates/ procedures. Prepare cash-flow forecasts and initiate transfers. 

4. Accounting and Administrative Support 

• Maintain ledgers and accounting records. Ensure timely, accurate ERP posting and month/ quarter close. 
• Review vouchers/ supporting documents, GR/ IR and accruals. Resolve unposted items, match exceptions, and coding errors. 
• Prepare bank reconciliations (segregated from payment operations). Respond to internal/ external audit queries 
• Support travel logistics for project personnel such completion of travel authorisations (TAs), booking of tickets and request for entry clearances
• Serve as custodian of the office fuel stock/coupons and maintain up-to-dateup to date fuel logbooks/register. 
• Support drafting and formatting of letters and official correspondence, such as note verbales and letters to government partners 
• Coordinate supply and asset management services, including physical verification of inventory items
• Oversee inventory control, ensuring proper issuance and tracking of inventory items and supplies
• Support any other administrative tasks assigned for the effective and smooth running of the country office operations 

5. Financial Reporting and Control 

• Prepare expenditure schedules, IFRs, donor statements, and management reports (delivery, aged items, receivables, value added tax, advances).
• Reconcile balance-sheet accounts. Investigate discrepancies and post general ledger (GL) adjustments. 
• Coordinate with projects/ regions/ HQ to improve data quality, ensure audit readiness, and meet reporting deadlines 

6. 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 7 years of relevant experience OR 
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or other disciplines with 3 years of relevant experience is required 

Desired 

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

Required 

• Relevant experience 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. MS Office, 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 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.