Finance & Accounting Consultant

JOB DETAILS

Type of contract : Consultant Contract

Level :  Level 2 - Middle

Hiring Unit : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station : Khartoum

Work location : On site

Duration of contract : 4 months

Hiring open to : External candidates

Application deadline (Midnight UTC+2 Time) : 05/09/2026

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

Background

UNESCO Sudan office is implementing the project “Better Employability for Youth in Sudan through TVET,” with support from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). The project aims to strengthen Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and improve the employability of young people in Sudan.
Port Sudan Technical School is one of the institutions supported under the project. Effective financial management, record keeping and internal controls are important both for the implementation of project-supported activities and for strengthening the institutional management capacity of the school.
UNESCO Sudan office therefore intends to recruit a full-time Consultant based at Port Sudan Technical School. The Consultant will support accurate financial recording and documentation of project-related activities at school level while also strengthening the school's broader accounting and financial-management system.
UNESCO Sudan office will retain responsibility for the authorization and processing of project payments. The Consultant will therefore focus on financial recording, verification and organization of supporting documentation, expenditure tracking, reporting and strengthening the school's financial-management practices.

B. Objective of the consultancy
The purpose of the assignment is for the consultant to 
1. Develop the capacities of the Port Sudan Technical School managers in financial management, and to be able to  adopt operating procedures. To strengthen the school's overall accounting and financial-management capacity
2. Ensure financial transactions and expenditures related to activities implemented at Port Sudan Technical School are properly recorded, documented, tracked and reported. 
3. Ensure compliance with UNESCO, Federal and Red Sea State Ministries of Finance standards and procedures.

The Consultant will establish and maintain reliable financial records and systems that promote accuracy, transparency, accountability, traceability and sound internal control, as per UNESCO processes and standards

ASSIGNMENTS

C. Scope of work

Under the overall supervision of the Head of UNESCO Sudan Office and the direct supervision of the Head of the Education Unit and the Project Officer, the Consultant will work on a full-time basis at Port Sudan Technical School, work closely with the School Director and relevant administrative staff to access the records, documentation, and information necessary to perform the assignment, and submit all reports and outputs under this assignment to the Project Officer for review and approval. The Consultant will be tasked with the following:

A. Project Financial Records and Documentation

1. Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of project-related expenditures and financial transactions concerning Port Sudan Technical School.
2. Maintain systematic expenditure records by activity and expenditure category.
3. Collect, verify, organize and maintain invoices, receipts, attendance records, participant payment documentation, delivery documents and other relevant supporting documents.
4. Check supporting documentation for completeness, consistency and accuracy before submission to UNESCO Sudan Office.
5. Maintain clear links between activities, expenditures and their respective supporting documentation.
6. Prepare financial summaries and expenditure statements as requested by the UNESCO Sudan office Project Officer.
7. Maintain an organized electronic and physical filing system that allows financial records and supporting documents to be readily retrieved.
8. Follow up with relevant school personnel, suppliers or activity organizers to obtain missing or incomplete financial documentation.
9. Support UNESCO in responding to financial verification, monitoring or audit requests related to activities implemented at the school.

The Consultant will not authorize, approve or execute UNESCO payments.

B. Budget and Expenditure Monitoring

1. Maintain an updated school-level financial tracking system for project-supported activities.
2. Track expenditures against approved activity budgets and provide regular updates to the UNESCO Project Officer.
3. Identify discrepancies, unsupported expenditures, potential budget variances or documentation gaps and promptly bring them to the attention of the UNESCO Project Officer.
4. Assist in preparing cost estimates and financial information required for planned school activities.
5. Support reconciliation of school-level records with expenditure information provided by UNESCO Sudan Office, where applicable.
6. Verify and maintain records for project-supported expenditures including training, workshops, equipment, supplies, teaching and learning materials, operational activities and other eligible expenditures.
7. Ensure that cash disbursements are executed by the cashier, while maintaining all related records and receipts.

Long Description

C. Strengthening the School Accounting System
1. Establish or improve appropriate accounting registers, expenditure records and supporting document filing systems.
2. Develop simple and practical financial templates, registers and tracking tools for regular use by the school.
3. Support the school in maintaining accurate records of income and expenditure, where relevant and where records are made available to the Consultant.
4. Introduce systematic procedures for recording, classifying, reconciling and archiving financial transactions.
5. Strengthen basic internal controls, including appropriate segregation of financial responsibilities and documentation of transactions.
6. Support improved record keeping for school assets and equipment, in coordination with the staff responsible for inventory and asset management.
7. Provide practical guidance to relevant school staff on sound financial record keeping and use of the improved accounting tools.
8. Recommend practical measures to improve the sustainability, transparency and reliability of the school's financial-management system.
D. Financial and Expenditure reporting and Accountability
1. Prepare monthly financial and expenditure reports for submission to the UNESCO Sudan office Project Officer, including monthly bank account statements.
2. Prepare reconciliations and supporting schedules when required.
3. Flag financial irregularities, inconsistencies, missing documentation or control weaknesses immediately to the UNESCO Sudan office Project Officer.
4. Facilitate access to financial records and supporting documentation for authorized UNESCO reviews, monitoring exercises and audits.
5. Maintain confidentiality and ensure the secure handling of financial records and information.
6. Perform other accounting and financial-management duties directly related to the assignment as requested by the UNESCO Sudan office Project Officer.

Long Description

E.Expected Outputs
The Consultant will be expected to deliver:
1. Appropriate registers, templates and filing arrangements, as per UNESCO directives.
2.Up-to-date financial records and supporting-document files for project-supported activities at Port Sudan Technical School.
3.Monthly financial and expenditure reports, including expenditure tracking, reconciliation issues, outstanding documentation and identified financial-management issues.
4.Updated accounting registers and financial records for the broader financial operations of the school, based on information and documentation made available.
5. Improved financial-management tools and procedures, including standardized templates, registers, filing arrangements and basic internal-control procedures.
6. Final financial and accounting handover report by the end of the assignment, summarizing records maintained, outstanding issues, systems introduced and recommendations for continued use by the school.

F. Reporting and Supervision
The Consultant will work on a full-time basis at Port Sudan Technical School and will report directly to the UNESCO Sudan office Project Officer.
The Consultant will work closely with the Port Sudan Technical School Director and relevant administrative staff of Port Sudan Technical School for access to records, documentation and information necessary to perform the assignment.
All reports and outputs under this assignment will be submitted to and reviewed by the UNESCO Project Officer.

G. Contract Duration

The consultancy will be conducted until 31/12/2026.

DELIVERABLES

COMPETENCIES - Core (C) & Managerial (M)

• Communication (C)
• Accountability (C)
• Innovation (C)
• Knowlegde sharing and continuous improvement (C)
• Planning and organizing (C)
• Results focus (C)
• Teamwork (C)

For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• A Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or a closely related field from a recognized institution.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• At least FIVE years of relevant professional experience in accounting, financial management, bookkeeping or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in maintaining financial records, preparing financial reports and managing supporting documentation.
• Experience in budget monitoring, expenditure tracking and financial reconciliation.
• Experience in establishing or improving accounting and financial record-keeping systems would be an asset.
• Previous experience with an international organization, UN agency, donor-funded project, government institution or educational institution would be an advantage

Long Description

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Good knowledge of accounting and basic financial management principles.
• Strong numerical, analytical, organizational, and record-management skills.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail in maintaining financial records and supporting documentation.
• Ability to monitor and reconcile expenditures, identify discrepancies, and report financial-control issues appropriately.
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel; experience with accounting software is an advantage.
• Ability to organize and maintain both electronic and physical financial documentation.
• Ability to work independently, under pressure, and meet tight deadlines.
• Excellent written and spoken Arabic and English.
• Strong sense of integrity, accountability, professionalism, discretion, and respect for confidentiality.
• Ability to work constructively with UNESCO and school personnel and contribute to strengthening financial management and record-keeping systems.
• Commitment to UNESCO’s core values and compliance with applicable administrative and financial requirements.

Long Description

LANGUAGES

• Exellent written and spoken Arabic.
• Very good written and spoken English

Application Process

UNESCO invites qualified individual consultants to submit their through the UNESCO Careers website.

Applicants will:

1. Submit the completed UNESCO Employment History Form.
2. Submit a cover letter indicating how their qualifications and experience makes them suitable for the post.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information, by the above deadline.

To apply, please visit the UNESCO Careers website. No modifications can be made to the application once submitted. 

The process may include pre-recorded video interviews and/or written assessments, interviews with a Panel, as well as reference checks. In addition, candidates may be requested to provide additional information which may be pertinent to the position’s qualifications.  

Please note that all candidates, whether selected or not, will be informed of the outcome of their application in due course. 

Short-listed candidates may also be added to Talent Pools; subject to their consent (i.e. Data Privacy Statement).