Financial Verification and Reconciliation Senior Officer

Job Highlight

This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the transparent and accountable disbursement of funds in a challenging environment. The role provides exposure to large-scale verification processes, collaboration with international financial institutions, and the chance to make a significant impact on the lives of project-affected individuals and businesses in Afghanistan.

About The Project Office

Since 1995, UNOPS has maintained an active presence in Afghanistan, delivering efficient, agile services in support of both humanitarian response and development efforts. Prior to August 2021, the Afghanistan Country Office (AFCO) implemented projects across a broad range of sectors, including infrastructure, procurement, capacity building, and environmental protection. In response to evolving humanitarian needs, AFCO has shifted its focus to supporting life-saving initiatives and basic human needs. Current priorities include managing large-scale cash-for-work programmes, procuring emergency supplies, and providing inter-agency coordination, communication, and accountability support.

Role Purpose
The Financial Verification and Reconciliation Specialist conducts substantive analysis, judges the validity of conclusions, and synthesizes proposals to meet demands related to the financial aspects of claims for payments under the Afghanistan ADB Verification of Claims and Expenditures Project (VCEP).

Functions / Key Results Expected

• Verification of Claims from Contractors/Suppliers/Consultants
• Collect and review the Withdrawal Applications (WAs), outstanding invoices, supporting documents, and requests for contract verifications, and assess whether expenditures were in accordance with the contracts' terms and conditions, for the grants' intended purposes, and eligible for financing.
• Review the advance payments disbursed to contractors/consultants/suppliers, and reconcile with the verified outstanding payments.
• Based on the review and verification of the outstanding invoices, and physical confirmation (by other team members) of the works, goods, and services, reconcile the amounts of the invoices, submitted by contractors, consultants and suppliers.
• In consultation with the Finance Specialist, Contract Management Specialist and Legal component of the team, identify the amount of taxes and other duties to be paid by contractors, consultants and suppliers eligible for inclusion in the claim.
• Reconciliation and Verification of Advance Accounts and Related Pending Liabilities
• Collect and review the supporting documents available in the PMOs of Executing/Implementing Agencies (EA/IAs) to confirm the eligibility of expenses incurred by PMOs for the works, goods, and services, administrative expenses, and salaries financed from the projects' advance accounts.
• Identify unliquidated amounts from the advance accounts and contribute to securing EA/IAs confirmation that the unliquidated amounts will be returned.
• Reconcile the unliquidated balances with the fund balances as per bank statements of the advance accounts available in the banks and identification of any withdrawals or cash movements in the advance accounts after freeze periods.
• Determine the eligible amounts for liquidation against the project's advance accounts after verifying supporting documents for the payments made from the project's advance accounts
• Verify the pending liabilities against advance accounts including PMO salaries, individual consultants' claims and other PMO expenses.
• Confirm with the EA/IAs that there are no pending payments for the works and services.
• In collaboration with the VCEP's safeguard team, review and verify the documentation available across stakeholders related to payments of eligible compensation made or to be made to the affected people for Land Acquisition and Resettlement (LAR), health and safety issues.
• Knowledge Management and Innovation
• Support the implementation of new modules in the MIS enabling the processing and monitoring of payments to contractors/suppliers/consultants.
• Contribute to knowledge management activities to ensure that project experiences and learning are documented.
• Interact with the team to explain, in conformity to contracts, what data/type of information/ documentation is necessary to support the substantiation of the financial component of claims.
• Interact with the team to explain the process to follow in order to properly address the financial related aspects of the claims for payment.
• Brainstorm and collaborate with the team to create alternative ways of producing evidence or necessary documentation when standard documentation is not available.
• If required, along with team coordinators, support planning and coordination activities, and follow up on progress and quality of outputs from team members.
• Support the supervisor in producing reports and other documentation necessary for internal UNOPS use and external stakeholder management.
• Participate in recruitment, work planning, performance management, coaching, and promotion of learning and development.
• Perform any other task assigned by the supervisor.

Note: The nature of this role requires flexibility in adapting to team needs, as alignment of contract details, local conditions, local law(s), and other factors may generate unexpected requirements.

Education Requirements

Required

• Advanced University Degree (Master Degree or equivalent) in Finance, Management, Business/Public Administration, or other relevant discipline with 2 years of relevant experience.
• A first-level University degree (Bachelor's Degree or equivalent) in Finance, Management, Business/Public Administration, or other relevant discipline with 4 years of relevant experience.

Desired

• Professional qualifications such as CPA or CA

*Required*
Experience Requirements

• Minimum of two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in finance and accounting.
• Experience in the financial accounting component of claims, contract variations, liquidation of expenses, certification of works or equivalent.
• Experience in implementing projects funded by International Financial Institutions (IFIs).

Desired

• Experience in developing countries or post-conflict environments.
• Familiarity with the country context and programme/project regions.