Background Information – South East Asia Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO)

The South East Asia and Pacific Multi Country Office (EAPMCO) supports, develops and oversees the UNOPS portfolio of projects in South East Asia and the Pacific. EAPMCO was established in January 2023 following the merger of the Thailand Multi-Country Office, which covered 20 countries across North East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific, and the Cambodia Multi-Country Office, which covered 4 countries South East Asia – 3 countries in the Mekong Sub-region (Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam) and the Philippines. EAPMCO currently covers 24 countries across North East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific. With its head office in Bangkok, the Multi-Country Office comprises nine business units: SEMCO Thailand, EAPMCO Indonesia, EAPMCO Pacific Operations Cluster, EAPMCO Papua New Guinea, EAPMCO China, EAPMCO Vietnam, EAPMCO Lao PDR, EAPMCO Philippines and EAPMCO Cambodia.

In 2022, the UNOPS EAPMCO implemented projects worth more than USD 95.7 million, in the areas of Energy Transition, Digital Transformations, Sustainable Environmental Management, Climate Change, Waste Management, Rule of Law and Access to Justice, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Post Conflict Reintegration, Emergency Relief, Post COVID19 Economic Transformations, and Health, through HR, procurement, construction, contract management, fund and program management services.

The Multi Country Office head office in Bangkok provides strategic direction, operational support, delivery oversight and assurance of the excellence of business processes and quality standards across all of the entire Multi Country Office locations. It is also responsible for developing, delivering and managing the portfolio of engagements in the country of the MCO location itself.

UNOPS in the Philippines

Established in 2016, UNOPS Philippines provides expert support to ensure sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure activities in projects. With funds from the European Union (EU), UNOPS supports the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government under the Governance in Justice (GOJUST) Programme (GOJUST2) through procurement, logistics, and grants management to push forward the justice reform agenda of the Philippine government through innovations and interventions; as well as providing grants to civil society organizations to improve access to justice of marginalized groups. In the Support to the Bangsamoro Transition (SUBATRA) Programme, UNOPS is working with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Government strengthening capacities of the executive, legislative and judicial branches to ensure a smooth transition, also with funds from the EU. In the health sector, UNOPS works with the DOH / ADB in the HEAL project (Health System Enhancement to Address and Limit COVID-19).

UNOPS Philippines is in the process of expanding its area of engagement in cooperation with its development partners, focusing mainly on a portfolio of projects and programs in the infrastructure, logistics management, procurement in health, rule of law, and governance sectors.

Project Background Information – SUBATRA

Support to Bangsamoro Transition (SUBATRA) is a 5-year program funded by the European Union, and co-financed by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), through an Agreement with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines. SUBATRA contributes to a smooth and timely undertaking of the transition through capacity building of the three branches of the Bangsamoro Government (executive, legislative and judicial) and civil society organizations. This will promote an enabling good governance environment and support the eﬃcient implementation of policies set up by the transition plan, with a focus on capacities that are critical for the sound functioning of interim institutions. These include

Output 1: the capacity of the BTA’s executive branch superstructure to drive and coordinate key transitional policies;
Output 2: the capacity of the Parliament to exercise its law-making and oversight functions;
Output 3: the capacity of the Justice System to adjudicate litigations and improve access to justice, and
Output 4: the capacity of the civil society to contribute to a peaceful transition to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The expected outcomes of the project are:

Overall Objective: To contribute to a peaceful, cohesive, secure, and inclusively developed Mindanao.
Speciﬁc Objective: The establishment of an enabling democratic governance environment for a smooth implementation of the transition in the Bangsamoro Region.

UNOPS is responsible for the provision of logistical and administrative support, which include the organization of training, workshops, seminars, and study tours as well as foreseen procurement of equipment under all 4 expected results including communication and visibility activities. In addition, UNOPS is in charge of the assessment and implementation of the infrastructure component of the Action linked to Outputs 1,2,3, and 4. UNOPS will coordinate and receive policy directions from the EU and abide by decisions and directions provided by the Programme Steering Committee (PSC) of SUBATRA, in accordance with the matrix of responsibilities, UNOPS rules and procedures and within the budget limit of this Agreement.

Functional Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Project Management Support – Officer/PMSO (Fin/Admin) and in close partnership and coordination with the Project Manager (PM), the Project Coordination Team, the Support Operations Team, the Infrastructure Team, the EAPMCO’s Support Services Unit (SSU) and Project Management Unit (PMU), and the implementing partners (Technical Assistance Team), the Project Management Support – Associate (Finance and Performance), will be responsible for:

1. Project Financial Management

Provide effective support to the PMSO (Fin/Admin) on all finance-related issues, including forecasting, budgeting, planning, analysis, and reporting.
Review actual expenses, ensure consistency across all processes, and prepare updated financial reports in compliance with reporting requirements to donors or specified agreements. Analyze project cash position, create monthly, quarterly, and annual reports, and ensure accurate financial information recording.
Assist in the formulation of budgets, plans, and forecasts, ensuring accurate historical and forecasting data availability for decision-making. Prepare budget revisions in consultation with relevant stakeholders and contribute to the streamlining of budgeting, planning, forecasting, monitoring, and reporting systems, processes, and tools.
Ensure conformity of project disbursement requests with UNOPS Financial Regulations and Rules (FRR), work plans, and resource availability. Maintain an effective records system and ensure all transactional processes are backed up by required supporting documents.
Ensure proper usage of the Chart of Accounts, Work Packages, and Nature of Costs and assist with project planning to optimize financial management processes.
Work closely with the supervisor to ensure actions are taken on verification and audit findings, with proper report tracking to address any identified issues.

2. Performance Monitoring

Develop and maintain performance monitoring applications/tools for internal use.
Provide support in analyzing financial and performance data to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement.
Assist in the monitoring of performance against Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and identification of areas of improvement or compliance issues. Generate periodic reports highlighting SLA adherence and deviations.
Ensure timely compilation and submission of periodic and ad-hoc reports to the supervisor on performance against KPIs or service delivery lead times. Adhere to reporting requirements and guidelines.
Design and generate regular performance reports, dashboards, and presentations for internal stakeholders and senior management.
Support the PMSO (Fin/Admin) in the quarterly reviews and audits of financial and operational processes to ensure compliance with policies and regulations.
Provide regular briefings to the PMSO(Fin/Admin) and/or PM regarding operational matters and general systems controls.

3. Operational and Administrative Support

Prepare the reconciliation ledger and gather necessary supporting documents and other requirements for all transactions paid through the recurring Operational Advance (OA)
Create payment requests for the replenishment of petty cash, prepaid card, and recurring and non-recurring OAs.
Review the reconciliation ledger for petty cash, prepaid card, and recurring and non-recurring OAs to ensure accuracy of the account codes and nature of costs used.
Perform other relevant duties/tasks as may be assigned by the supervisor.

4. Knowledge Management and Innovation

Participate and assist in the organization and delivery of training and learning initiatives for project personnel on finance and performance-related topics.
Contribute valuable insights to knowledge networks and communities of practice by synthesizing lessons learned and disseminating best practices, fostering productive planning and knowledge building.
Contribute feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices and utilize productively.

Competencies

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational 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/Experience/Language requirements

EDUCATION:

Completion of Secondary education is required.
University degree, preferably in Accounting, Audit, Finance, Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Management, or in related fields, is an advantage and can substitute for some of the required years of experience.

EXPERIENCE:

A minimum of six (6) years of professional experience in providing analytical and operational support, preferably in the field of accounting, finance and/or project management with a focus on budget, expense, and performance recording, monitoring, analyzing, reporting, coordination, and process improvement is required in combination with a high/secondary school diploma. 2 years of relevant experience is required in combination with a Bachelor degree and no experience is required in combination with a Master degree.
Proficiency in the use of computers and Google Workspace applications as well as web-based management systems is preferred.
Intermediate to advanced skills in spreadsheet (e.g., MS Excel and/or Google Sheets), database packages/ERPs, and data analytical tools, experience in data analytics is desirable.
Experience with an international Organization and/or UN Agencies is an asset.
Knowledge of UNOPS/UN Financial Rules and Regulations is an asset.
Possession of a recognized qualification/certification in a relevant field (e.g., accounting, audit, finance) is a distinct advantage.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills is desirable.

LANGUAGE:

Fluency in oral and written English is required.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA)
Contract level: ICS 6 / LICA 6
Contract duration: Ongoing ICA – ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.’
Duty station: Cotabato City, Philippines

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Application open only to Philippines nationals or with valid residence.

Additional Information

Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
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.
Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority 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. For more information on a retainer contract 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.