Consultant_ Implementation of the Swiss Bankers Card Closure – Funds Reconciliation & Refund Process at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Duties and Responsibilities

• Support UNEP’s Corporate Services Division (CSD) in managing the end-to-end operational workflow associated with the Swiss Bankers (SB) card closure, focusing on data validation, financial coordination, and multi-office engagement. The contractor will consolidate all SB cardholder information, ensuring accurate matching of participants to meetings and responsible offices, while verifying card details, balance amounts, cluster categories, and resolving any discrepancies through systematic follow-up, prioritizing high-value cases as necessary.
• The consultant will coordinate closely with UNEP offices by preparing and transmitting office-specific participant lists and maintaining continuous communication to monitor their outreach progress. They will support offices in gathering and validating banking details, confirming participant identity, and ensuring accurate data entry into Umoja. A centralized tracking system will be maintained to reflect real-time updates on participant contact, document completeness, and refund readiness across all divisions.
• Support financial processing, the consultant will prepare grant allocation sheets, ensure proper referencing of participant balances, and maintain oversight of refund workflows including the assignment of unique transaction reference identifiers. They will liaise with UNON to prepare consolidated refund memos, track refund execution, validate bank transfers, and resolve issues as they arise.
• Throughout the assignment, the consultant will reconcile grant allocations against processed refunds, identify variances, prepare periodic progress updates, and compile a final closure report detailing outcomes, variances, unresolved cases, and recommendations for future exercises. All responsibilities will be carried out in compliance with UN financial rules, audit requirements, and UNEP procedures.
• The consultant will also manage special cases including incomplete banking details, disputed balances, and unidentified claims, escalating them to CSD when necessary. Confidentiality, accuracy, and timely processing will be maintained throughout to ensure an accountable and smooth closure of the Swiss Bankers card reconciliation.
• The consultant may, on an ad hoc basis and if requested, be asked to carry out additional tasks.

Qualifications/special skills

• A master’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, or a related field is required.
• A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, combined with two additional years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of the master’s degree.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in financial reconciliation, accounting, or similar functions is required. Experience in UN financial systems (Umoja/SAP) is highly desirable