POSITION TITLE: Finance Specialist
DEPARTMENT: Programmes
DURATION OF CONTRACT: One year (renewable)
DUTY STATION: ACB Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
REPORTING TO: ASEAN ENMAPS Project Manager
TERMS OF REFERENCE
A. BACKGROUND
The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) is an intergovernmental regional centre of excellence established through an agreement among the Governments of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2005. The ACB facilitates cooperation and coordination among the members of ASEAN, and with relevant national governments, regional and international organisations, on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of such biodiversity in the ASEAN region. Since its establishment, the ACB has lived up to its mandate of strengthening national and regional capacity for biodiversity conservation.
The ACB is the Implementing Partner of the GEF project, Effectively Managing Networks of Marine Protected Areas in Large Marine Ecosystems in the ASEAN Region (ASEAN ENMAPS), which is designed to address the coastal and marine ecosystem challenges in the ASEAN region through enhanced collaborative management of marine protected areas (MPAs) and other integrated coastal management and ecosystem-based fisheries management approaches. The objective of the project is to develop and improve the management of networks of MPAs and marine corridors within selected Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) in the ASEAN for the conservation of globally significant biodiversity and support for sustainable fisheries, and other ecosystem goods and services. This regional project will have a strong upscaling focus, including engagement with ASEAN working groups and LME governance mechanisms, as well as leveraging complementary investments across the ASEAN region. The ASEAN ENMAPS will be implemented for five (5) years, beginning in March 2024, in selected marine protected areas and marine corridors with high conservation importance across Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
The ACB is seeking dynamic, innovative and committed candidates for the position of Finance Specialist for this project that will be responsible for the overall financial and management accounting.
B. SCOPE OF DUTIES
The Programmes Department is the primary oversight of the ASEAN ENMAPS project with the technical and management support of the Project Management Unit (PMU). The Finance Specialist will be working under the PMU, directly reporting to the ASEAN ENMAPs Project Manager and with close administrative supervision of the Director for Finance and Administration.
The Finance Specialist shall perform the following specific roles to ensure that the project objectives are efficiently achieved:
- Financial Reporting
a. Review project expenditures and ensure that project funds are used in compliance with the Project Document, Project Cooperation Agreement, and ACB policies;
b. Consolidate and finalise the monthly financial reports to monitor adherence to the budget as per work plans;
c. Prepare quarterly cash flow projections ensuring sufficiency of funds;
d. Validate and certify Funding Authorisation and Certificate of Expenditure (FACE) forms before submission to UNDP;
e. Manage requests for the provision of UNDP financial resources through funding advances, direct payments or reimbursement using the FACE form;
f. Facilitate processing and completion of pending documents related to financial reporting; and
g. Provide necessary financial information as and when required for project management decisions. - Financial Planning
a. Certify budget and fund availability prior to the approval of requests such as Activity Designs, Purchase Requests, Travel Authority/Order, Trip Ticket, Requests for Personnel, Requests for Consultancy, etc;
b. Prepare an annual and quarterly budget in accordance with the project work plan; and
c. Review quarterly budgets against expenditures and notify the Chief Accountant and Finance and Administration Director if there are any discrepancies or issues. - Accounting and Bookkeeping
a. Ensure proper and timely recording of all financial transactions in accordance with relevant financial reporting framework;
b. Certify financial transactions prior to approval; and - Audit Support
a. Provide necessary financial information during project audits;
b. Conduct cycle audit of all financial transactions and reports and ensure that all transactions and reports are in accordance with the accounting policies prescribed by the Project Document and Project Cooperation Agreement (PCA); and
c. Coordinate with the Risk Management and Quality Assurance Division to ensure that both financial and operational controls are in place. - Cash Management;
a. Review the Bank Reconciliation Statement prepared by the Accounting Officer; and
b. Monitor foreign exchange currency rates. - Evaluate objectively the performance of the Accounting Officer subject to validation of the ASEAN ENMAPS Project Manager;
- Perform other related tasks that may be assigned by the supervisor(s) from time to
time.
C. QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Work Experience
- Master’s Degree in Accountancy, Accounting, Business Administration, Management or any other related course with 5 years of related work experiences or its equivalency requirements:
- Completed Academic Requirements in Master’s Program in Accountancy, Accounting, Business Administration, Management or any other related fields with 7 years of related work experiences; or
- 18 units earned in Master’s Program in Accountancy, Accounting, Business
Administration, Management or any other related fields with 9 years of related work experiences; or - Related Bachelor’s Degree in Accountancy, Accounting, or any other related fields with 12 years of related work experiences.
- Relevant work experience in a reputable international or regional organisation is an advantage
- Good knowledge of UNDP rules and processes is an advantage
Skills/Eligibility
- Certified Public Accountant
- Strong interpersonal, communication, leadership and training skills, and good organisational and advocacy skills
- High standard of personal conduct, honesty, and integrity, attentiveness to details
- High level of analytical and written communication skills to produce descriptive financial reports
- Excellent skills working with MS Office applications; familiarity with electronic presentation techniques and ability to operate with online or web-based applications
- Working knowledge of financial/accounting system
- Understanding of contracts and agreements
- Ability to work independently and to effectively manage different tasks
Nationality
- Must be a citizen of any of the ASEAN Member States
D. COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS
Core Values
- Integrity, professionalism, and respect for diversity
- Cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
- Treats all people fairly
- Prudence, dependability, and accountability
Core Competencies
- Communication, teamwork, planning, and organising, accountability, commitment to continuous learning, and technological awareness.
E. APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Applicants should prepare the following and send all to acb.hr@aseanbiodiversity.org:
- A letter of intent of no more than two pages, elaborating how his/her qualifications and experiences make him/her suitable for the position. Address the letter to Executive Director Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim. JP 2024-09 Finance Specialist should be indicated in the aforesaid letter.
- Updated curriculum vitae, and diploma, or transcript of records
- A completed Job Application Form (which can be downloaded here)
(**if the link does not download automatically, please RIGHT-CLICK on the link and select OPEN LINK IN NEW TAB or SAVE LINK AS)
Deadline for submission of completed applications is on 5 July 2024. Only applications with complete documentary requirements (Letter of Intent, completed Job Application Form, and curriculum vitae) will be processed. Applications received beyond this date will not be considered. All applicants will be given notice as to the status of their application. Previous applicants may apply again.
F. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The ACB does not ask for payment at any stage of its recruitment process (application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee) nor authorises anyone to officially receive applications from prospective candidates, except through the ACB Human Resources Division. The public is strongly advised to be vigilant when dealing with financial transactions online and to report any suspicious individuals or accounts representing the ACB.
