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General Information

Position Title
Finance Specialist
Vacancy Type
Internal candidates only
Job Category
Finance
Duty Station(s)
Yangon
Seniority Level
Mid Level
ICS Level
ICS 10
Contract Type
ICA - LICA - Specialist - Regular
Contract Level
LICA 10
Posting Start Date
19-Mar-2026
Posting End Date
02-Apr-2026
Duration
Ongoing

Job Highlight

Drive financial integrity, transparency, and compliance, overseeing operations and strengthening financial management across projects and teams.

About the Region

The Asia Pacific Regional Office, based in Bangkok, Thailand, provides strategic leadership and oversight for UNOPS operations across 17 countries, ensuring high performance, operational excellence, and alignment with organizational goals. Operations currently span Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Pacific Islands. Across these countries, we work closely with key stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and maximize impact through five main operating units: Afghanistan (AFCO), Myanmar (MMCO), South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO), East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO), and the Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC). Through these entities, we provide agile, client-focused service delivery across diverse sectors - including infrastructure, health, procurement, and project management - supporting the implementation of sustainable development solutions across the region.

About the Country/Multi-Country Office

UNOPS Myanmar is one of UNOPS’ leading offices in Asia, acting as the fund manager for some of the largest development programmes in the country. In addition, UNOPS is the Principal Recipient for the Global Fund in Myanmar and for the Global Fund’s regional artemisinin-resistance initiative towards the elimination of Malaria, which works to accelerate progress toward malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong sub-region. UNOPS provides procurement, infrastructure, and project management services to a wide range of organizations in the country, including international development partners, other UN agencies and INGOs. UNOPS plays a critical role in ensuring that the quality of services provided to its partners meets stringent requirements of speed, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.

About the Project Office

The EU-funded Comprehensive Recovery and Resilience for Myanmar (CRRM) programme is designed to address the full spectrum of the Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) nexus: prevention, response, and recovery. CRRM will build community resilience by enhancing the capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from both natural and human-induced crises. Furthermore, a core focus will be placed on guaranteeing access to quality basic services, improving livelihoods, and fostering durable economic solutions.

Programme Management Office - Finance Specialist will be based in the CRRM Programme Management Unit. This position involves collaborating with the Unit team to ensure financial oversight, comprehensive reporting, and effective budget management for the programme.

Job Specific Context

The Finance Specialist will be an integral part of the CRRM Programme Management Unit, contributing to the financial integrity and efficient management of the programme. This role involves close collaboration with project teams to ensure compliance with UNOPS financial regulations and donor requirements, as well as providing financial expertise to support the achievement of programme objectives. The Finance Specialist will also play a key role in strengthening the financial management capacity of project staff and partners.

Role Purpose

The Finance Specialist plans, manages and oversees project and office financial operations, ensuring integrity, transparency and compliance with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations (FRRs), IPSAS standards, and donor/ partner requirements. The role provides guidance on budgeting, cash management, cost recovery, financial reporting, and internal controls, while strengthening the financial management capacity of project and field teams.

Functions / Key Results Expected

Budget Planning and Management

  • Lead budget formulation, monitoring and revisions in line with UNOPS FRRs and project agreements, ensuring allocations support strategic objectives and operational efficiency.
  • Ensure sound financial planning and control, including preparation of detailed budget variance analyses and expenditure forecasts.
  • Implement internal control frameworks that ensure accurate processing of payment requests, timely receipt of goods/ services, and complete financial documentation in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.
  • Review and authorize budget revisions, ensuring they are supported by proper documentation and management approval.
  • Advise management on cost-efficiency measures, resource optimization, and corrective actions to address budgetary gaps and risks.
  • Drive continuous improvement in budget management tools, templates and reporting mechanisms.


Implementation of Project Financial Management

  • Oversee the full cycle of project financial management, ensuring accurate accounting, effective control, and timely recording of contributions and expenditures.
  • Lead the financial process mapping and development of internal standard operating procedures (SOPs), ensuring consistency and compliance across all project transactions.
  • Advise project management on financial strategy, resource allocation, and risk mitigation, ensuring effective use of funds and alignment with project objectives.
  • Conduct financial forecasting and scenario analysis, providing data-driven recommendations to meet project needs.
  • Identify, assess and mitigate financial and operational risks, proposing corrective actions where necessary.
  • Monitor financial exception reports for unusual transactions, investigate anomalies, and report findings to management.
  • Ensure full compliance of project financial activities with UNOPS policies, audit standards, and IPSAS.
  • Support audits and ensure the timely implementation of audit recommendations.


Cash Management and Treasury

  • Oversee cash management operations to ensure liquidity and accuracy in fund allocation.
  • Review daily, weekly and monthly cash positions to maintain sufficient balances for disbursements and manage the zero-balance and imprest accounts.
  • Prepare cash flow forecasts for operational and project needs and ensure alignment with budget projections.
  • Initiate and approve bank transfers and foreign exchange transactions in the ERP system in compliance with authorization levels.
  • Maintain strong relationships with local banking institutions and ensure compliance with national financial and banking regulations.
  • Monitor operational advances, recoveries and petty cash accounts, ensuring timely reconciliation and closure.
  • Conduct periodic treasury analyses and forecasting of income and expenditure trends to inform financial planning and risk management.


Commitments and Payments

  • Ensure accuracy, validity and compliance of financial transactions, commitments and payments against budget allocations and contractual terms.
  • Review and approve payment requests, verifying the completeness of supporting documentation and proper use of account codes.
  • Ensure that transactions are properly recorded, reconciled and reported in the ERP system.
  • Maintain control of accounts receivable and payable, ensuring timely recording and follow-up with clients, partners and donors.
  • Support the establishment and implementation of an effective expenditure control framework, ensuring that vouchers are matched, verified, and cleared in accordance with financial rules.
  • Manage financial data quality through ongoing review, reconciliation, and corrective action for unposted or exception items.
  • Supervise timely accounts closure, including accruals, provisions and adjusting journal entries.
  • Coordinate with HQ and Regional Office on complex payment or compliance issues and resolve financial data discrepancies.


Financial Reporting

  • Prepare, review and analyze monthly, quarterly and annual financial reports for management and donors, ensuring accuracy and adherence to reporting timelines.
  • Support the preparation of client financial statements, interim financial reports (IFRs), and delivery reports in line with contractual and audit requirements.
  • Develop and maintain financial dashboards and reporting tools for portfolio oversight and performance analysis.
  • Contribute to the annual financial closure process, ensuring all accounts are reconciled and adjustments made in compliance with UNOPS standards.
  • Provide financial input and analysis for strategic reports, audits and evaluations.
  • Lead or support the implementation of audit recommendations and contribute to internal and external financial reviews.


Advisory and Cost Recovery

  • Provide expert guidance to field and project finance teams to ensure consistency and compliance.
  • Review project agreements, budgets, and classifications to ensure proper cost attribution and cost recovery (LSS, GSS, ME).
  • Conduct financial reviews of project expenditures to identify potential cost recovery opportunities and prevent losses.
  • Advise management on financial accountability mechanisms, including full-cost recovery and spending limit oversight.
  • Provide advisory support on operational advances, petty cash, and fund management modalities, ensuring efficiency and risk control.
  • Strengthen financial closure processes, ensuring all commitments, receivables and payables are reconciled and accurately reported.


Knowledge Building and Sharing

  • Support the organization, facilitation and delivery of training and learning sessions on finance topics.
  • Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned.
  • Conduct research on finance-related topics and contribute to the drafting of reports, summaries and briefing notes.

Skills

Cash Management, Finance, Financial Accounting, Financial Planning, Financial Reporting, Accounting, Financial Accounting Standards
Strategic Perspective
Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organisation. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organisation.
Respect
Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organisational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.
Collaboration
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.
Partnerships
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).
Excellence
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.
Adaptability
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.
Decision-making
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.
Communication
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 Requirements

Required

  • Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or other disciplines with 7 years of relevant experience OR
  • Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above disciplines with 5 years of relevant experience is required.


Desired

  • Professional certification (e.g. CPA, ACCA, CA, CIMA) is desired.
  • Knowledge of IPSAS or other international accounting standards is desired.


Experience Requirements

Required

  • Relevant experience is work in project financial management, budgeting, cash management and financial reporting, or related areas.
  • Demonstrable proficiency in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g. MS Office, G-Suite, etc) and web-based management systems.


Desired

  • Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is desired.
  • Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.
  • Experience with financial systems or ERP software is desired.

Language Requirements

LanguageProficiency LevelRequirement
EnglishFluentRequired
BurmeseFluentRequired

Additional Information

  • Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
  • Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
  • Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. 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. 
  • UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse 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. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
  • For more details about the contract types, please click 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.