Finance and Budget Assistant GS5. Temporary Appointment, Caracas, Venezuela LACR. (2 positions).

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to Opportunities

UNICEF is implementing the current CPD 2023-2026 agreed with the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to better contribute to address national priorities and emerging needs faced by the most vulnerable children. Programme is being implemented through technical cooperation, capacity building, supply delivery, and communication and advocacy strategies aiming to strengthen national capacity in the areas of Nutrition, Health, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Protection and Education.

How can you make a difference? 

1. Programme and Operations Budgeting

Key Function: Provides technical support for the formulation, administration, and reporting of approved budgets to ensure financial accuracy.

• Financial Analysis: Reviews and prepares budget plans, revisions, and detailed cost estimates.
• Documentation: Drafts narratives and supporting tables for budget proposals and other financial requirements
• Monitoring & Compliance: Tracks open commitments and expenditures against approved budgets and follows up with sections on recommended actions.
• Data Maintenance: Manages digital budget files, records, and recurring reports for audits or internal reviews.

2. Grant Monitoring

Key Function: Support to monitor the utilization of funds for Country and Field Offices to ensure strict adherence to donor conditions and timelines.

• System Management: Uses VISION to register grant allotments based on approved donor agreement and track the lifecycle of programme grants.
• Proactive Reporting: Supports to generate bi-weekly/monthly utilization reports to highlight expiring grants or underutilized fund or ad hoc reports.

3. Payroll

Key Function: Supports the planning and execution of payroll activities in compliance with organizational rules, ensuring accurate cost distribution.

• Strategic Planning: Supports coordination with various sections to plan the annual payroll for all Country Office positions.
• Monitor: Supports to prepare and monitor payroll affordability and support the preparation of cost distribution for staff positions.
• Problem Solving: Supports in analyzing issues and identify possible solutions.
• KPI Tracking: Supports monitors payroll shortfalls and analyzes performance indicators (expenditures vs. gaps) by section.

4. Financial Quality Assurance and Data Integrity

Key Function: Support on all aspects related to preparation of reports, compilation of data and answering queries on funds received, adjustments made to ensure financial compliance, accuracy and completeness of data for its inclusion into statement of accounts and adjustment of financial records. Identify discrepancies and assist to resolve differences in their records.

• Record Keeping: Maintains monitoring systems for expenditures, balances, payments, and day-to-day transactions.
• Quality Assurance: Support invoice processing according to Country Office procedures and UNICEF policy and guidance. Identify discrepancies and report to sections and supervisor.
• Vendor Master Data: Support MDM focal point releaser in contacting vendors when requested by GSSC to verify and confirm financial and other related data.
• Data Validation: Selects and enters data from diverse sources, performing manual calculations and verifying accuracy against source documents.
• Reporting: Supports preparing periodic scheduled reports and ad-hoc special reports for audits and financial needs.
• Bank Management: Supports the finance team with local banks regarding interest/exchange rates and procedures; and administrative documentation with local bank for signatory panel maintenance.

5. Financial Support and Year-End Operations

Key Function: Supports the periodic financial monthly and yearly closure activities.

• Year-End Closing: Supports the closure of accounts, specifically handling accounts receivable, payables, prepayments, and leave balances.

Impact of Results

The efficiency and effectiveness of support provided by the Finance and Budget Assistant ensures that a strong financial and budget platform is provided to the respective sections, which in turn affects the timely and accurate completion of the services provided by managers and specialists in the team.  

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Completion of secondary education is required.
• Work Experience: Minimum five years of relevant finance and/or budget work experience required. Experience in UN agency is considered an asset.
• Skills: Experience as user in SAP, Power Apps, Power Bi is desirable. Solid experience in Excel is an asset.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in Spanish is required. Basic of English is desirable.

Capabilities Required

1. Project Management (2)

• Schedule and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines
• Provide project updates and report issues

2. Collaboration (2)

• Use tact and discretion in sensitive situations
• Communicate thoughtfully and diplomatically considering how words may be perceived by others
• Write clearly and concisely in emails and reports, outlining brief summaries and suggested actions
• Communicate key points and recommendations verbally in a clear and direct manner
• Organize, visualize and present data, tailoring visuals to highlight key insights

3. Problem Solving (2)

• Compare different sets of information to identify correlations and differences
• Analyze information to identify the root cause of problems and possible risks
• Identify key data and patterns in reports and summaries
• Organize, visualize and present conclusions in a structured and logical way
• Consider and suggest possible solutions to resolve problems independently
• Consider available information when making decisions

4. Digital Dexterity (2)

• Use AI tools and digital platforms to collect information
• Assess AI generated tasks for accuracy and effectiveness
• Use key organizational business systems and digital platforms
• Manage and organize digital documents and files in alignment with digital workforce policies and culture
• Safeguard documents ensuring confidentiality and manage data risks

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

As this is a National Officer position, only nationals of Venezuela are eligible.

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. 

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be cancelled.

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/”

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.