What are the responsibilities and job description for the ASSOCIATE FINANCE AND BUDGET OFFICER position at United Nations?
Org. Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the Finance Section (FS), Headquarters Client Support Service (HQCSS), Department of Operational Support (DOS) in New York. It encompasses various sub-functional specialties in budget management and financial analysis. The Associate Finance & Budget Officer reports to the Finance and Budget Officer in the FS / HQCSS. he HQCSS also provides administrative support to the Global Compact Office (GCO), Human Security Unit (HSU), Office of Administration of Justice (OAJ), United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG) System-Wide Evaluation Office, Office of Special Coordinator on Improving the United Nations Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict (OSRSG-CAAC), Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (OSRSG-SVC), Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children (OSRSG-VAC), Office of the United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services, Office of Victims' Rights Advocate (OVRA), United Nations Ethics Office, United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP), United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), the Trust Fund in Support of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti; Office of the Data Protection and Privacy, the Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies(ODET), as well as to the liaison offices of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in New York and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research.
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Associate Finance and Budget Officer will be responsible for the following duties : Medium-term plan :
- Reviews, analyses and finalizes the preparation of the medium-term plan and its revisions on the basis of departmental and supported entities submissions, taking into account recommendations and decisions of specialized intergovernmental bodies and donor agreements.
- Provides advice and support to client entities on their medium-term plans and its revisions; assists in securing approval from legislative bodies and donors. Budget preparation :
- Reviews, analyses and assists in the finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals for extra-budgetary resources, including review of donor agreements, ensuring compliance with legislative mandates, regulations and rules and established policies and procedures.
- Assists with the review and analysis of cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements, from DOS and client entities of HQCSS.
- Utilizes data analytics tools and techniques to assists managers in the elaboration of resource requirements and budgetary submissions, identifying trends and insights in budget data, ensuring adherence to budgetary and financial policies and procedures, including results-based budgeting, and with particular emphasis on the use of voluntarily contributions.
- Provides support to clients in their budget review and submission of documents for the review of legislative and expert bodies. Budget administration :
- Releases budgets, including redeployment of funds when necessary, ensuring that trust fund resources are allocated efficiently and in accordance with the project's objectives
- Utilizes data analytics tools and techniques to monitors budget implementation and recommends reallocation of funds as necessary and improve budget forecasting and resource allocation
- Develop and maintains financial dashboards and reports for senior management to monitors expenditures to verify that they remain within authorized levels of the donor agreements and facilitate data-driven decision-making in the budgeting process.
- Works closely with client entities to reviews and certifies the acquisition of goods and services to ensure correct objects of expenditure have been charged ensuring availability of funds and compliance with donor agreements
- Applies data analysis techniques to reviews,assess and assist in preparation of of budget performance reports, analyzing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures and providing recommendations for corrective action.
- Assists in providing substantive support to client entities and reviews donor reports. General :
- Keeps up-to-date on documents / reports / guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to programme and client entities' budgets, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations, donors and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures;
- Uses data visualization tools to present budget and financial data in clear, actionable formats for various stakeholders.
- Performs other related duties, as assigned.
Competencies
Education
An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in business administration, finance, or related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. A first-level university degree and no experience will be accepted for candidates who have passed the United Nations Young Professionals Programme Examination (YPP), the United Nations National Competitive Recruitment Examination (NCRE) or the General Service to Professional Examination (G to P).
Job - Specific Qualification
Not available.
Work Experience
A minimum of two years of progressively responsible experience in finance, administration, budget, business administration or related area is required. Experience working in an Executive or Administrative office in the UN Secretariat, the UN Common System or in a similar international organization is required. Experience in the administration and management of extra-budgetary resources with a strong understanding of compliance and reporting requirements is required. Experience in creating interactive dashboards and visual reports using tools such as Power BI and SAP BusinessObjects is required. Experience with financial management in ERP systems, such as SAP (Umoja) is required. Experience in providing advice to clients on the review of cost plans, including budget formulation and monitoring, is desirable.
Languages
Fluency in one of the working languages of the UN Secretariat, English or French, (both oral and written) is required; knowledge of the other is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.
Assessment
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
Special Notice
Appointment or assignment against this position is for an initial period of one year. The appointment or assignment and renewal thereof are subject to the availability of the post or funds, budgetary approval or extension of the mandate. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or under-represented in the UN Secretariat as of 30th November 2024, are strongly encouraged to apply : Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Germany, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu. Pursuant to section 7.11 of ST / AI / 2012 / 2 / Rev.1, candidates recruited through the young professionals programme who have not served for a minimum of two years in the position of their initial assignment are not eligible to apply to this position. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50 / 50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Applicants, who successfully go through a competitive recruitment process and are recommended for selection and / or inclusion in the roster of pre-approved candidates for subsequent job openings at the same level and with similar functions, may have their application information and roster status shared with other UN Organizations. Such applicants may be contacted by other UN Organizations for similar job openings, subject to the confirmation of their interest. Placement on the roster is no guarantee of a future selection.
United Nations Considerations
According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term "sexual exploitation" means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term "sexual abuse" means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term "sexual harassment" means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator's working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST / AI / 2023 / 3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on "Manuals" in the "Help" tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11 : 59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.
No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS' BANK ACCOUNTS.