Finance Senior Associate

Job Detail

Location:

Muqdisho
Company:

UNOPS
Type:

Full Time
Category:

Finance And Accounting
Positions:
Experience:

3 Year
Gender:

No Preference
Degree:

Bachelors
Apply Before:

Mar 26, 2026
Posting Date:

Mar 18, 2026

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Job Description

General Information

Position Title Finance Senior Associate

Job Category Finance

Duty Station(s) Mogadishu

Seniority Level AssociateICS

Level ICS 07

Contract Type ICA - LICA -

Support - Regular

Contract Level LICA 7

Posting Start Date 12-Mar-2026

Posting End Date 26-Mar-2026

Duration Open-Ended

Job HighlightEmpower finance operations with compliance, strategic budgeting, and robust financial controls.

About the Region

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.

About the Country/Multi-Country Office

The UNOPS Somalia Country Office supports the Government of Somalia and its partners in achieving sustainable development goals through effective project management, infrastructure development, and procurement services. The office focuses on delivering high-quality solutions that contribute to peacebuilding, state-building, and socio-economic development in Somalia.

About the Project Office

Since 1995, UNOPS Somalia (SOCO), headquartered in Mogadishu and part of the East and Southern Africa Multi-Country Office (ESAMCO), has been a trusted partner to the Government of Somalia and international donors. Through the provision of project management, infrastructure, procurement, and financial services, SOCO plays a critical role in supporting national priorities in health, rule of law, security, transport, and resilience. The office has delivered impactful infrastructure projects—including the Immigration Headquarters ($6.8M), Maritime Police Headquarters ($3.7M), and regional hospitals ($20M)—and leads key national initiatives such as the Joint Police Programme ($56.4M). UNOPS also manages large-scale procurement, including over $75M in non-lethal support to security actors. Advisory support to urban resilience and crisis recovery efforts further strengthens institutional capacity, with projects valued at $8.1M, $8.8M, and $7.4M. SOCO’s integrated approach contributes to sustainable peacebuilding and development outcomes across Somalia.

Job Specific Context

Under the direct supervision of the Finance Specialist and the overall supervision of the Head of Support Services, the Finance Senior Associate is responsible to provide advisory, management support, and planning services to ensure compliant planning, administration, and management (including budget, treasury and cash management) of the business units' financial resources; and support the oversight and control of project financial activities, providing value-added advisory services. S/he shall foster collaboration within the team, with project staff, and with other stakeholders with a client-oriented approach.

Role Purpose

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.

Functions / Key Results Expected

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 units.

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.

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.

Accounting 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.

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.

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.

SkillsCash Management, Finance, Financial Accounting, Financial Planning, Financial Reporting, Accounting, Financial Accounting StandardsCompetenciesTreats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organisational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.Education Requirements

Experiences and Qualifications

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.

Experience Requirements

Required

Relevant experience is work 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.

Language RequirementsLanguageProficiency LevelRequirementEnglishFluentRequiredSomaliNativeRequiredAdditional Information

Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
Please note that 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.
Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions

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.

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