Senior Advisor, Finance (Policy Review)

The Finance Group serves as a strategic partner and fiduciary advisor, ensuring transparent, accountable, and effective resource management across UNOPS. The Group defines financial strategy in alignment with organizational goals, establishes finance policies, systems, and processes, and leads corporate budgeting to enable full cost recovery and ensure long-term financial sustainability. Throughout the project lifecycle, the Finance Group provides expert guidance, oversight, and tailored financial solutions. Responsibilities include delivering comprehensive financial and corporate performance reporting, strengthening financial capacity across the organization, and continuously enhancing resource planning and allocation. In addition, the Finance Group prepares and oversees the implementation of finance-related policies, upholding the highest standards of financial stewardship and supporting UNOPS in achieving operational excellence and fiscal responsibility.

The Senior Advisor, Finance (Policy Review) reports to the CFO/DCFO and collaborates closely with FG Leadership, Finance Group Team Leads, and external stakeholders including Legal Group (LG) focal points, Policy Development Committee (PDC) members, and Regional Technical Experts. This strategic position within the Finance Group focuses on substantive quality assurance and legislative framework alignment. The Finance Group (FG) is entrusted with upholding UNOPS' financial integrity, which requires policies that are compliant with the new UNOPS Legislative Framework (LFR), technically sound, and aligned with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and the Financial Regulations and Rules (FRRs). This role serves as the central authority, ensuring FG policies are consistently updated, internally coherent, fit-for-purpose, and effectively navigated through the LFR approval process.

This is not a full time contract. This job is a retainer contract designed to provide on demand services, and a specific number of hours cannot be guaranteed each month or year.

The Senior Advisor, Finance (Policy Review) is instrumental in upholding UNOPS' financial integrity and global compliance. This requires a profound understanding of complex financial regulations and the ability to provide authoritative advisory services, navigating intricate financial landscapes, and strengthening organizational financial governance. The role integrates diverse financial specializations to deliver comprehensive advisory, leading complex programs focused on substantive quality assurance and legislative framework alignment. 

1. Substantive Policy Review & Technical Quality Assurance

• Content Stewardship: Actively review draft policies for technical accuracy, ensuring that accounting terminology and definitions remain consistent with public sector accounting standards  IPSAS  including UNOPS paper on new revenue standards and transfer expense (IPSAS 47/48) as well as UNOPS policy on management of Property Plant Equipment (PPE) and Intangibles. Actively review policies in alignment with the fee-for-service or operating model of UNOPS.
• Financial Reporting Review: Review of financial reporting policies and in close consultation with Chief of Accounts, review and improve the accounting guidelines on Revenue Recognition, Expense Recognition, Asset Management.
• Benchmark Analysis & Advisory: Conduct benchmark analysis on various accounting policy components and treatments across UN agencies and provide technical advice and recommendation for enhancement and improvements of UNOPS existing policies on accounting and financial reporting.
• Strategic Alignment: Act as the primary bridge between technical Policy Owners and the Legal Group (LG)/Policy Development Committee (PDC), ensuring that accounting standards and professional requirements are not compromised during the "legalization" of policy text. Ensure that policies reflect best practices applied by United Nations System entities.
• Substantive Coherence: Ensure that all FG policy revisions are cohesive, avoiding duplication and conflicts between existing instruments and new LFR-compliant policies.
• Cross-Practice Coherence: Collaborate with other Practice Groups (e.g., Procurement, Project Management) to ensure FG policies do not create friction in integrated "Service Line" delivery. This aligns with the new emphasis on breaking down silos.
• Mandatory vs. Guidance Validation: Work with technical experts to rigorously test whether provisions are genuinely mandatory, ensuring the framework remains agile and user-focused rather than overly process-heavy. Support with review and expert consultation on development of guidance on specific Finance and Accounting processes (service lines and outputs from IPSAS perspective).

2. Strategic Coordination & Stakeholder Engagement

• LG/PDC Liaison: Facilitate collaborative engagement with the Legal Group by reviewing feedback for technical alignment. The Coordinator will ensure that financial nuances are preserved during legal refinements and partners with Policy Owners to finalize technical language.
• Consultative Integrity: Facilitate the Consultative Group process by synthesizing feedback into actionable changes, ensuring that operational realities are reflected in the final drafts while maintaining legal compliance.
• Audit & Closure Management: Monitor policy effective dates against critical financial deadlines (e.g., year-end closure, interim audits), escalating risks where the policy review process threatens operational readiness.

3. Risk & Compliance Management

• Exception Management: Monitor and document where exceptions to standard processes are required, managing the submission of "Statements of Concerns" when technical financial principles are at risk of being overruled by generic administrative frameworks.
• Process Improvement: Identify bottlenecks in the LFR process and recommend tailored approaches (e.g., seeking ED/DED exceptions) to ensure timely issuance of critical finance and accounting policies.

4. Deliverables

• Coherence Reports: Periodic summaries of the FG policy landscape, flagging cross-policy conflicts, outdated instruments, and opportunities for consolidation.
• Policy Health Dashboard: A living status tracker that monitors not just timelines, but the substantive readiness (e.g., "Drafting," "In Consultation," "Technical Review Complete," "LG Feedback Resolution Pending").
• Mediation Briefs: Concise summaries of contentious points between technical experts (FG) and LG, with recommendations for Policy Owner sign-off to expedite finalization.
• Stakeholder Syncs: Structured bi-weekly updates with Policy Owners to review progress, unblock drafting delays, and address "quality" concerns.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or other equivalent disciplines with 12 years of relevant experience OR 

• A master's degree (or equivalent) in any of the above disciplines with 10 years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• Professional certification in finance or accounting (e.g., CPA, ACCA, CIMA) is desirable.

Required

• Relevant experience is defined as progressive experience working in finance, accounting, or related fields, with a focus on financial advisory, quality assurance, and legislative/regulatory compliance. 

• Extensive experience in leading and managing complex financial programs or services within an international organization or large corporate environment is required.

• Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing financial policies, procedures, and control frameworks is required.

• Proven track record of providing authoritative financial expertise and strategic guidance to senior stakeholders is required.

Desired

• Experience with UNOPS financial regulations and rules, or similar UN financial frameworks is desirable.

• 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. 
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• 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.