Job Title: Head of Unit-Finance and Contracts
Ref.: UfM/FT/2026/08
Location: Barcelona, Spain (on-site)
Department: Finance, Legal & Administration Department
Reports to: Director of Administration Department
Deadline to apply: 12 October 2026 (midnight, Central European Summer Time – CEST, GMT/UTC+2).
Staff category and conditions:
Post Classification: CS2. 2, Step 1 (Head of Unit)
Gross Salary: 69,358 €
Contracted Staff as per UfM Staff Regulations and Implementing Rules
Fixed-term contract of 3 years as per Staff Regulations and Implementing Rules of the Staff Regulations, 6 months’ probation period
Official Call and application: The information below summarises the main responsibilities and requirements of the position. The complete and official Call for Candidatures, including the full Job Description, eligibility conditions and application instructions, is available on the UfM website: https://ufmsecretariat.org/work-with-us/vacancies/
SUMMARY
The Head of Finance manages the activities and teams of three units: Finance, Procurement and Contracts, and Grants and Funds Management. The position provides operational leadership across these functions, translates organisational financial priorities into operational plans, allocates resources effectively, and ensures the timely and accurate delivery of financial, procurement, contractual, grants, and funds management services.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Financial Leadership and Planning
Advise the Director of Administration and senior management, as appropriate, on Finance and Contracts matters, including financial planning, budgetary discipline and resource allocation.
Lead long-term financial planning and annual budgeting.
Develop and implement financial strategies aligned with UfM priorities.
Oversee Treasury, Procurement, Accounting, Planning and Monitoring, including effective internal controls; and translate financial priorities into the Unit’s work programme and operational delivery.
Team Leadership and Operational Management
Manage the Finance and Contracts Unit; identify staffing and operational needs; allocate resources; and ensure timely and accurate financial services.
Lead, develop and supervise staff; distribute tasks; set priorities, objectives and performance expectations; manage performance; and support professional development.
Foster a results-oriented, accountable and client-focused environment; monitor service levels and take corrective action; coordinate financial and accounting processes with the Accounting Officer; and promote cross-functional collaboration across Units, Departments and Divisions.
Financial Systems, Internal Controls and Compliance
Implement financial rules, policies and procedures in compliance with the UfM’s financial regulations, delegated authorities and internal-control and legal frameworks, ensuring compliance with contractual and legal obligations.
Apply accounting and internal-control principles in accordance with IFRS and/or IPSAS; review accounting and financial-system reports; and oversee data-entry controls and financial-information integrity.
Coordinate internal and external audits and implementation of recommendations; establish early-warning mechanisms for budget variances, expenditure risks and compliance or reporting delays; and initiate corrective action.
Budgeting and Financial Analysis
Coordinate the preparation, monitoring and analysis of budgets and financial plans with Departments and Divisions; analyse expenditure, contracts and grants; and provide projections and recommendations supporting budgetary discipline and cost-effective resource use.
Develop the annual operating budget with departmental management, including the financial aspects of programme planning, salary recommendations and other administrative actions; and provide stakeholders with current budget, expenditure and forecast information.
Treasury and Cash Management
Oversee treasury operations, cash management, banking arrangements, receipts and payments, ensuring the security of funds and appropriate financial controls.
Manage bank relationships, accounts and services, including signatory mandates, access rights and documentation; ensure secure and timely transactions, payments and transfers in line with authorisation matrices, signatory mandates, segregation of duties and dual controls; and maintain cash-flow forecasting tools supporting liquidity planning and decisions.
Accounting, Financial Reporting and Monitoring
Oversee accounting operations and transactional records, ensuring the completeness, accuracy and integrity of the general ledger; compile and analyse financial information; and ensure accurate preparation and posting of entries.
Ensure effective control and accurate reporting of funds and expenditure, supported by complete documentation; coordinate financial statements and periodic and ad hoc reports; and prepare and review budget, revenue, expense and payroll entries, invoices and other accounting documents for accuracy, completeness and compliance.
Ensure timely, independently reviewed bank reconciliations and resolution of discrepancies; coordinate donor financial reporting; and ensure compliance with grant agreements and donor requirements.
Stakeholder Engagement, Continuous Improvement and Additional Activities
Communicate financial information to senior management and relevant stakeholders; maintain productive relationships with colleagues, donors, auditors, service providers and external partners; monitor financial risks and reporting timelines; and take corrective action.
Improve financial processes, efficiency and internal controls; align Unit activities with organisational priorities and other Units; promote knowledge-sharing and the documentation, retention and consistent application of financial procedures, institutional knowledge and good practices.
Support Secretariat-wide digitalisation from a Finance perspective by defining business and process requirements, supporting system implementation and testing, and coordinating finance-related process and data migration to protect continuity, data integrity and internal controls.
Perform other duties assigned by the Director of Administration within the position’s responsibilities and competencies.
ROLE REQUIREMENTS
Eligibility
Be a national of a UfM Member State (https://ufmsecretariat.org/who-we-are/member-states/)
Educational Background
Hold both a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent and a Master’s degree or equivalent; at least one must be in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Auditing or a closely related field.
A professional accounting qualification such as Certified Chartered Accountant (e.g. ACCA, CPA, CA or an equivalent internationally recognised title) is highly desirable.
General and Managerial Experience
Overall experience: At least 14 years of progressively responsible professional experience relevant to the position, covering several of: finance, accounting, budgeting, treasury, financial reporting, procurement, contract management, and grants and funds management.
Senior leadership: At least 8 years at senior managerial or leadership level in roles of comparable scope, with accountability for complex financial operations and budgets, direct line-management of finance teams, and leadership of multidisciplinary teams.
Institutional experience: Proven experience in one or more of: international organisations; EU institutions, bodies or agencies; international development agencies; national public administrations; institutional donors; organisations managing donor-funded programmes or operations; or comparable institutions operating in EU-related, public-sector, international-development or donor-funded contexts.
Specific Professional Experience
Proven experience in financial accounting, including preparation of financial statements, is mandatory, together with solid knowledge and proven application of IFRS and/or IPSAS and experience in budget formulation and execution, financial planning, treasury and cash management, financial reporting and internal controls.
Experience managing procurement processes and contracts with service providers.
Demonstrated experience in grants and funds management, including the financial monitoring of grants and reporting to institutional donors.
Knowledge of, and practical experience in applying, the Practical Guide to Contract Award Procedures for European Union External Action (PRAG), particularly in procurement, contract-award and grant-award procedures.
Experience working within international and EU financial and regulatory frameworks applicable to institutional and donor-funded operations.
Demonstrated ability to develop and implement financial policies and procedures and manage Unit-level operations.
Experience identifying and monitoring financial risks and implementing appropriate corrective measures.
Experience coordinating internal and external audits and following up on audit recommendations is a strong asset.
Additional Desirable Experience
Knowledge of and/or professional experience in Mediterranean countries is an advantage.
Language Requirement
Full proficiency in written and spoken English and in at least one other UfM working language—Arabic, French or Spanish—is required.
Competency Requirements
Excellent leadership and people-management skills: setting direction, managing performance, empowering staff and building effective teams.
Excellent communication, interpersonal and negotiation skills
Ability to explain complex financial matters and foster cross-organisational collaboration.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and sound judgement, with high standards of integrity, accountability, impartiality and confidentiality.
Ability to deliver under pressure, manage and reprioritise competing priorities, allocate resources for timely delivery, lead change, turn feedback and lessons learned into improvements, and foster a client-focused, results-oriented environment.