Senior Finance Assistant

Deadline for Applications June 6, 2026 Hardship Level D Family Type Non FamilyDanger Pay Residential location (if applicable) Grade GS5 Staff Member / Affiliate Type General Service Reason Regular > Regular Assignment Target Start Date 2026-10-01 Standard Job Description 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. Desired Candidate Profile a. 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. b. 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. 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. Kurdish Language is required. Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level): English , Kurdish , Desired languages , , 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 Education Certifications Accounting - Other, Business Administration - Other, Finance - Other, HCR Learning Program - UNHCR Work Experience Competencies Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration, Technological awareness UNHCR Salary Calculator https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales Compendium Additional Information Functional clearance This position doesn't require a functional clearance If you are a former UNHCR international staff member who held a fixed-term or indefinite appointment, you can apply to regular positions in the international professional category as candidate with UNHCR-experience (within 2 years following separation for males and 5 years for females). To apply to vacancies, please create a new account ("Sign In" on the top left corner >> Create account) or sign into your account, if you have already registered via the external career site. Once successfully registered/signed in, you can start filling in your data and apply for vacancies. If you are former UNHCR locally recruited staff member who held a fixed-term or indefinite appointment, you can apply to regular positions in your staff category as candidate with UNHCR-experience (within 2 years following separation for males and 5 years for females). To apply to vacancies, please create a new account ("Sign In" on the top left corner >> Create account) or sign into your account, if you have already registered via the external career site. Once successfully registered/signed in, you can start filling in your data and apply for vacancies. If you do not fall under any of the above categories, please use the External Career site for applying to vacancies. Technical notes: Once you fill in your basic personal information (employee ID, birth date, name, email address), Workday will identify you as prior personnel and merge your employee account with your external applicant account. If you were notified about unsuccessful application, please follow the steps described in the message. While you will not see the list of your employee-time applications in your external account, you will be duly notified if any action is required from your side and/or when the recruitment process is completed. In case you would like to update your name, address or phone number or you face any technical difficulties when applying, please write to recruitmentcase@unhcr.org. Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing or training). Read about how to avoid scams and fraudulent job offers. Please note that applications are only accepted via the online recruitment platform. CVs and/or application requests sent via email will not be answered, reviewed nor considered. The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, takes the lead in protecting people forced to flee wars and persecution around the world, providing life-saving aid including shelter, food and water to ensure their basic safety, rights and dignity. With 18,879 women and men working in 137 countries, we work tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of 89.3 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Our dedicated and professional staff work around the clock in roles including legal protection, community services, public affairs, health and more. Despite the challenges they can face, our staff are proud to work for UNHCR and determined to make a positive impact. Why a career with UNHCR? Our dedicated staff work to protect and assist people fleeing conflict and persecution at a time when global forced displacement is at a record high. Our colleagues bring a wide range of specialized skills, including expertise in legal protection, administration, community services, public affairs, health and other disciplines. Disability inclusion If you are a person with a disability and you expect you may face challenges during the recruitment process, you can indicate it in your application form. There are options to select any health conditions you may have and outline any necessary adjustments related to disabilities during the recruitment phases. Providing this information is optional. It will be treated as strictly confidential and used only for the purpose of finding out how to better assist you during the recruitment process. Adjustments for candidates with disabilities will be provided as best as possible and as needed upon request. All candidates will be assessed based on meeting the requirements for each vacancy in relation to experience, skills, and education.