Accountant

The Accountant position is located in the Payroll and Accounts Payable Section, Income Tax Unit of the Division of Administration in the Department of Operational Support. The role involves providing advice and guidance on tax reimbursement processes, coordinating tax system development and testing, and supporting financial information systems related to income tax and payroll.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice and guidance, including training, to headquarters and field staff on tax reimbursement process, policies, and procedures, including making necessary actions for accurate reimbursement and protection of the TEA Fund.
• Provide analytical research and information to tax returns and other tax documents such as IRS transcripts and provide an understanding to other parts of the Organization such as in Management Advice and Evaluation Section cases.
• Plan, supervise, coordinate, and participate in all phases of the system development tax process particularly with the UN Tax Portal and yearly testing of the UN in-house tax system.
• Provide simplified explanation of complex tax matters to clients.
• Provide and evaluate tax cases with an excellent understanding of immigration status as it relates to an International Organization.
• Provide and coordinate with HR partners the importance processes such as Waiver sign dates, change of immigration status, and the monetary impact on the budget.
• Undertake and participate in working with other colleagues to review workbooks such as the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) related to certain tax benefits such as the Child Tax credit, the limited time repeal of the dependent exemption and other areas where benefits are impacted.
• Interact with Information Systems Officers in Umoja; OICT, HR OPS; Payroll Finance and several UN Agency Partners.
• Provide input for the business analysis and technical direction for planning, implementing, and supporting financial information systems for the UN Income Tax Unit, including Tax system (STARS), Umoja (SAP ERP), and Tax Portal.
• Provide input for analysis of industry best practice in business processes, and design and manage the implementation of new methods of work with departmental or organizational scope that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of financial operations.
• Provide input for the evaluation of existing systems and identify the need for new systems (or modifications to existing systems).
• Provide input for select options for solving system and workflow problems and propose the most suitable solutions based upon functional and economic considerations.
• Provide input and participate in all phases of the systems development lifecycle, through the negotiation and development of design change documentation.
• Assist in test plans and testing methodologies.
• Provide day-to-day problem-solving services for complex tax systems issues to clients.
• Document system problems and prioritize them.
• Identify problems and irregularities in Umoja (SAP ERP), tax operations and completed transactions, resolving them in a timely and effective manner.
• Propose resolutions and data fixes following best practice where data has been corrupted.
• Write work procedures for systems and/or specific business events.
• Provide advice and guidance, including training, to headquarters and field staff on budgetary and financial policies and procedures and tax issues.
• Ensure the integrity of financial and management systems and the controls that underpin them.
• Represent PAPS/ITU or division in inter and intra-departmental meetings.
• Plan, organize, manage, and supervise the work of the Tax Unit.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in taxation, accounting, information technology, business administration, finance, or related field.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional experience in income taxes, budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, payroll, including complex budgetary and accounting operations, and preferably in both the public and private sector is required.
• At least five years of professional experience focused on transactional activities of US income tax process is required.
• Experience working with the United Nations or a large global Organization's system and procedures are required.
• Experience in finance systems analysis and development is desirable.
• Experience in SAP Crystal Reports is desirable.
• Experience with SAP, People Soft or similar ERP systems, specifically in the area of payroll and finance is desirable.
• English language proficiency at UN Level III in reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

Skills

• Income Tax Accounting
• Budgeting
• Financial Reporting
• Payroll Management
• US Income Tax Process
• Public Sector Accounting
• Private Sector Accounting
• United Nations Financial Procedures
• Financial Systems
• SAP Crystal Reports
• SAP-based ERP
• PeopleSoft ERP Development
• Tax Reimbursement Processes
• Financial Information Systems
• Tax System Development
• Tax System Testing

Languages

English