WORLD BANK

The World Bank is hiring an Accounting Analyst – Travel

UN Jobs SpecialistFebruary 21, 2024

0 23 5 minutes read

Deadline : 21 February 2024

Duty Station / Location : Chennai, India

Background About the World Bank

The World Bank (WB) is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions (IBRD, IDA, IFC, MIGA, and ICSID) dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development on a livable planet. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, the World Bank works with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges.

Career 2

Brief Background Information and context About the Position

The WB Finance & Accounting (WFA) Vice Presidency is responsible for all aspects of the financial reporting and internal control framework for IBRD and IDA, and the extensive Trust Fund/Partnership portfolio of the WB entities. It supports an appropriate fiduciary control framework and administering disbursements for Bank lending and leads the client service function for the WB’s corporate expenses.

Organizationally, WFA is comprised of three departments: (1) Corporate Accounting and Reporting, (2) Trust Funds and Loans, and (3) Financial Operations. In WFA, WB mandate supports both internal and external clients while WB focuses on delivery, optimization, impact, and people & culture.

Within WFA, Travel Accounting, ensures that the policies related to Operational Travel Expense Reimbursement reflects management objectives; as owner (jointly with Global Corporate Solutions) of the institutional Travel system (Travel Web), maintains the system and ensure it operates in a manner consistent with policy; develops new tools and enhancements to address the changing needs of travelers and the institution; administers the corporate card program by managing vendor contracts, user policies, processes and systems.

The Travel Accounting Team is currently seeking an Accounting Analyst for its team in Chennai.

How your contributions will help WB achieve it’s goals

The Accounting Analyst will support the team in undertaking compliance reviews and supporting the tasks related to the corporate card program, its monitoring, review, and reconciliation. You will also serve as a functional expert for transactional issues. You will use your comprehensive knowledge/ability to interpret accounting policies and formulate and communicate related procedures.

You will interact extensively with

(1) various client units based in Washington DC and country offices;

(2) other WFA units in Chennai;

(3) various business partners like Global Corporate Solutions (GCS), the Budget, Performance Review and Strategic Planning Group (BPS) and the Information and Technology Solutions Group (ITS) and

(4) External parties like Citi bank, Amex, Visa, Airplus and various Travel Management Companies to jointly deliver timely and accurate tasks of World Bank.

As an Accounting Analyst, you will report to the Sr. Accounting Officer of the team.

Duties and Responsibilities

What you will do:

• Coordinate with regional / country office focal points, travel management companies, CITI, Visa, ITS, GCS, and HQ counterparts in facilitating smooth rollout of myCard.

• Participate in the design of business requirements, user testing and implementation of any new systems, applications, tools, and reports for the team, to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and standardization.

• Support processing of invoices, reconciliation, following up for missing information, fixing issues, etc. to ensure prompt payment to vendors.

• Support the review and analysis of ledger accounts that relate to travel expenses and preparation of trial balance package leading to manager’s sign-off.

• Independently perform review, analyze, and provide secondary-level technical advice on cases escalated by junior staff or external clients covering admin expense (travel and other admin expenses) review processes.

• Establish and maintain accounting practices to ensure accurate and reliable data necessary for business operations. Support the conduct of reviews of administrative transactions (both travel and staff & other admin expenses related) to verify accuracy of records, compliance with Bank’s policies and procedures.

• Strong familiarity with travel data and various resources, ability to retrieve and analyze data and support business in diverse data analysis requests.

• Support the implementation of power tools like Power Automate, Power BI and analytical tools for process mining, and AI/ML based review of travel data.

• Identification of problems and areas of possible improvements and development of constructive recommendations for improvements in internal controls over the activities reviewed.

• Mentor junior staff and provide input to senior-level staff to help optimize processing standards and improve productivity; identify process improvements and provide inputs to support management’s initiatives to improve the process quality & process related controls.

• Take the lead on investigations of complex cases. Collaborate with other units effectively to resolve these complex issues

• Manage and assist in special projects as and when required.

• Manage client escalations and demonstrate client service skills in resolving issues

• Actively participate in institutional driven initiatives.

Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Selection Criteria

What you will bring:

A strong compliance mindset, with a good eye for detail. An adaptive learner, who can learn the bigger picture, adapt, ensure that output meets quality standards, and effectively manages time.

Education:

• CA or CPA (or an equivalent professional accounting qualification) and

• Bachelor’s degree in commerce OR master’s degree in finance/Accounting

Experience:

• 5 or more years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience

• Background in financial services industry and familiarity with compliance reviews and travel accounting transactions.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Strong analytical skills with ability to collate and interpret data, assess issues, develop sound conclusions, formulate remedial measures with diligence and accuracy.

• Experience with SAP enterprise resource planning system, Power BI, Alteryx is desirable, but not required.

• Exposure to other systems like People soft, and proficiency in Microsoft applications viz, Excel, word, power point would be an added advantage. A proven record of critical thinking skills in an automated accounting environment

• Has a strong understanding of general accounting principles, risks and controls, financial concepts, and financial transaction processes.

• Demonstrated ability to recommend process improvements leveraging latest technology, enhance internal controls, and participate in design and implement changes.

• Knowledge of WBG-specific policies, processes and systems will be an advantage.

• A proven track record of problem solving in an automated accounting environment.

Abilities:

• Excellent judgment, particularly good written and oral communications skills (including ability to write clear, concise, and complete procedure); ability to conduct a multi-dimensional, multi-functional work program.

• Exhibit a personality that enables the incumbent to be client focused, flexible and an excellent collaborator. Ability to effectively work with various levels of staff with-in the department and across the Institution.

• Initiative-taking person with high degree of initiative and a strong collaborator.

• Ability to deal sensitively in a multi-cultural environment and build effective working relations with clients and colleagues.

• Ability to analyze large sets of data and complex processes, identify the underlying control risks and formulate business solutions. Ability to exercise leadership in designing solutions for processing unusual, sensitive and/or complex transactions.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

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