Senior Finance Assistant

June 6, 2026

D

Non FamilyDanger Pay

GS5

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-10-01

Senior Finance Assistant

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Senior Finance Assistant is normally supervised by a more senior finance colleague who defines work objectives and provides regular advice and guidance. The incumbent also refers to UNHCR Manuals and relevant policy papers on financial issues.
The incumbent assists with the processing of financial transactions. S/he keeps frequent contact with staff at various levels in the office and with bank officials to exchange information.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR's core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
- Maintain financial records for project or other office accounts for which responsibility is assigned.
- Record receipts and payments, assure accuracy of computation and completeness of documents and maintain continuing status of allotments against obligations.
- Prepare recurring reports on assigned accounts, noting problems resulting from excess cost or less-than-expected receipts.
- Prepare special reports to clarify problems or as requested for other reasons.
- Calculate and compile cost estimates and projected budget requirements and assist in preparation of budget statements for area of assignment.
- Prepare routine correspondence and maintain contracts with others to discuss matters concerning accounts and related assignments.
- Maintain contacts with local banks to clarify questions pertaining to office bank accounts.
- Brief and assist new staff on basic financial procedures and requirements with respect to payments, entitlements, banking and currency provisions and other requirements relating to accounts and finance.
- Initiate correspondence to verify data, answer queries and obtain additional information on accounts and financial transactions, as required.

- Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G5 - 2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable

Certificates and/or Licenses
Accounting; Business Administration; Finance; HCR Learning Prog;
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Not specified

Desirable
Not specified

Functional Skills
IT-Computer Literacy
FI-ERP Financial Management (SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, Workday and other)
IT-Microsoft Office Productivity Software
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Updated Operational Context:
After more than three decades of political turmoil and armed conflict that profoundly affected its population, Iraq is gradually emerging into a period of relative stability. The country is making progress towards sustainable development, including efforts to resolve protracted displacement. Iraq continues to host significant numbers of refugees and asylum-seekers and pursues an inclusive policy that enables their access to national services. Despite these advances, substantial humanitarian and development needs persist.
As of the end of 2025, Iraq generously hosts more than 348,600 refugees and asylum-seekers, of whom 88 per cent are Syrian nationals. Approximately 80 per cent of this population resides in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). While most refugees and asylum-seekers live in urban and peri-urban areas, around 30 per cent continue to reside in nine refugee camps nationwide. Iraq also continues to have large numbers of internally displaced people (IDPs), including some 102,000 IDPs who live in IDP camps.
In this evolving context, UNHCR in Iraq has transitioned from a humanitarian response to an approach that increasingly supports development-oriented solutions. UNHCR works closely with the Government of Iraq and partners to support refugees and asylum-seekers in accessing protection, public services such as education and healthcare, and economic opportunities, while also advancing durable solutions for both refugees and IDPs.
Accordingly, UNHCR’s Multi-Year Strategy (2025–2029) envisions that forcibly displaced populations in Iraq will have enhanced access to legal protection, inclusive and quality basic and protection services within national systems and improved economic opportunities.

Desired Candidate Profile:
The desirable candidate should be able to carry out a variety of entry-level transactions in Cloud ERP, including but not limited to:
- Experience in managing petty cash and cash accounts.
- Experience in liaising with UNHCR bank accounts regarding financial transactions.
- Experience in processing and validating different types of Accounts Payable (AP) invoices, including payments to staff and suppliers, as well as integrated invoices for partners (e.g. CBI, OHI, Travel), and handling MODE entries.
- Experience in processing Payment Processing Requests (PPRs).
- Experience in processing Accounts Receivable (AR) transactions, including handling refunds.
- Required languages: English and Arabic.

c. Instructions for applicants:
- When completing the application, candidates are required to list all of their language skills – including their mother tongue. The three broad levels are A1/A2 ("Basic User"), B1/B2 ("Independent User"), and C1/C2 ("Proficient User").
- Shortlisted candidates might be required to undergo a written test.
- Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

Living and Working Conditions:

 

Additional Qualifications

Skills

FI-ERP Financial Management (SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, Workday and other), IT-Computer Literacy, IT-Microsoft Office Productivity Software

Certifications

Accounting - Other, Business Administration - Other, Finance - Other, HCR Learning Program - UNHCR

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration, Technological awareness

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Additional Information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance