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For every child, the right to be seen

The Administrative & Finance Associate, at the G-6 level, is located in the UNICEF Uruguay Country Office, within the Operations function. The post supports the implementation and quality assurance of specialized administrative and financial processes that are essential to the office’s operations platform. The incumbent reports to the Operations Manager, and works closely with programme, fundraising, operations and external relations colleagues, as well as the Global Shared Services Centre (GSSC), LAC Regional Office, other UN agencies and external service providers.

How can you make a difference? 

The Administrative & Finance Associate is responsible for implementing specialized administrative and financial processes requiring sound knowledge of UNICEF rules, procedures, systems and internal controls. The role provides quality assurance, budget and financial monitoring support, payment and invoice processing, office administration, contracting and vendor-related support, and contributes to the continuous improvement of office workflows and client-oriented operations services.

In this capacity, the incumbent is expected to provide reliable operational guidance, identify and resolve process issues, ensure timely and accurate transactions, and help strengthen the office’s compliance, accountability and service delivery. The quality of work directly affects the credibility, responsiveness and efficiency of the Operations function in supporting UNICEF Uruguay’s programme and management priorities.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks

1. Specialized administrative and operations support
• Implements and monitors specialized administrative processes for the Uruguay Country Office, ensuring compliance with UNICEF rules, procedures, delegated authorities, office standard operating procedures and applicable service standards.
• Contributes to the preparation and implementation of annual workplans, risk assessments and other key management documents.
• Provides guidance to staff and supervisors on administrative and financial requirements, documentation standards, workflow steps and system-related procedures, escalating complex or exceptional cases as required.
• Coordinates administrative and legal formalities with public authorities, including tax and regulatory bodies, and UNICEF headquarters.
• Maintains workflow trackers, service request logs, commitments, pending actions and other management tools to support timely follow-up, transparency and effective service delivery across Operations.
• Identifies bottlenecks, recurring issues and opportunities for simplification, and supports the development or updating of templates, guidance notes and internal SOPs.

2. Financial monitoring, budget support and internal controls
• Supports budget owners and Operations management in budget preparation and monitoring of the financial status of office and operations workplans, including commitments, expenditures, accounts payable, advances, open items and potential over-expenditures.
• Reviews financial and administrative transactions for completeness, accuracy, appropriate coding, availability of funds, supporting documentation, certification and compliance with UNICEF financial rules and procedures before submission or processing.
• Processes or supports budget revisions, requisitions, payment vouchers, deposits, advances, utility payments, purchase orders and other finance-related transactions in relevant UNICEF systems, as delegated.
• Prepares periodic financial status updates, variance analysis, offline monitoring reports and other inputs required for management oversight, year-end/month-end closure, risk monitoring and decision-making.
• Provides relevant information and documentation in response to audits, assurance activities, spot checks, anti-fraud monitoring and other internal control reviews.

3. Payments, financial services and GSSC coordination
• Liaises with banking institutions, financial service providers and UNICEF headquarters on matters related to bank accounts and financial service agreements, ensuring timely coordination and compliance with organizational requirements.
• Performs quality assurance and submission of invoice and payment requests through Vision/SAP, Fiori, Service Gateway or other applicable UNICEF platforms, ensuring that electronic files and supporting documents are complete and properly retained.
• Monitors payment status and follows up with GSSC, vendors, staff and relevant office focal points to resolve discrepancies, rejected transactions, missing documentation or other processing issues.
• Responds to client inquiries on transaction status, payment requirements and documentation standards, ensuring timely, accurate and service-oriented communication.
• Supports vendor master data and banking-related requests, as applicable, ensuring that vendor information, payment details and related files are maintained in line with UNICEF procedures and confidentiality requirements.

4. Travel, meetings, events and workshops
• Supports coordination and provides quality assurance for travel arrangements and related administrative matters, in accordance with UNICEF rules and procedures.
• Maintains and verifies travel records and travel-related financial data, monitors travel budgets and supports budget owners in tracking planned and actual travel costs.
• Provides briefing and debriefing support to staff and travelers on administrative requirements and travel documentation as required.
• Supports the planning and administration of meetings, workshops, training activities and conferences, including budgeting, logistical arrangements, venue and vendor coordination. participant communications and materials.

5. Contracts, consultants and service providers
• Facilitates and quality-assures the administrative processing of contracts for consultants, institutional contractors and other service providers supporting Operations and office-wide activities.
• Reviews or prepares required documentation, including terms of reference, selection records, procurement or contracting templates, vendor documentation, financial evaluation inputs and contract files, ensuring completeness and compliance before submission for approval.
• Maintains updated consultant, vendor and service provider records, rosters, contract trackers and related documentation, and follows up on deliverables, payments, contract amendments and closure actions.
• Coordinates with Supply/Procurement, GSSC and relevant office focal points to ensure timely processing of low-value procurement actions, contract amendments, purchase requisitions and service-related commitments, as applicable.

6. Data, records, reporting and knowledge management
• Maintains accurate filing systems, databases, SharePoint/Teams repositories and records management tools, ensuring timely recording, safekeeping, retrieval and disposal of documents in line with UNICEF retention and confidentiality standards.
• Compiles, organizes and visualizes administrative and financial data for reports, presentations, dashboards and management briefs, highlighting key trends, risks, follow-up actions and recommendations.
• Supports onboarding and orientation of staff, consultants and other personnel on relevant administrative and finance workflows, systems, documentation requirements and office procedures.
• Contributes to knowledge management by documenting recurrent questions, lessons learned, process clarifications and practical guidance for office users.

7. General office support and operational continuity
• Provides backstopping to other administrative, finance and operations focal points when required, helping ensure continuity of services during absences, peak workload periods or transitions.
• Supports general office administration, including office supplies, common services, premises-related processes, assets or inventory follow-up, and other operational requirements, as assigned.
• Performs any other duties and responsibilities assigned by the supervisor, consistent with the grade level, functional area and evolving needs of the Uruguay Country Office.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Completion of secondary education is required. Supplementary formal studies in finance, accounting, business administration, public administration, procurement, operations management or a related field is highly desirable.
• Work Experience: A minimum of six years of progressively responsible relevant work experience in administration, finance/accounting, budget monitoring, invoice processing, travel, procurement/contracting, office operations or a related area is required. Experience in applying administrative and financial rules, internal controls and quality assurance procedures is required. Experience with UNICEF or UN systems, including Vision/SAP, Fiori, Service Gateway and GSSC workflows, is an asset.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in Spanish is required. Good working knowledge of English is required.

• A bachelor’s degree from a recognized academic institution in a field relevant to the position may be considered to compensate for three (3) years of experience in case the candidate lacks the required experience.
• A master’s degree from a recognized academic institution in a field relevant to the position may be considered to compensate for an additional two (2) years (in addition to the three years from above, totaling 5 years).

Desirables:

• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

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As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable [Insert candidates from targeted underrepresented groups] are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

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Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.