Finance and Budget Officer

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Office of Programme Planning, Finance and Budget (OPPFB), Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance (DMSPC). The Finance & Budget Officer reports directly to the Chief of Service, Finance. Acting as Secretariat to the Committee on Contributions, the Contributions Section provides support to the Committee and General Assembly in negotiating the scale of assessments and ensures the timely issuance of assessments and information on the status of assessed contributions.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Finance & Budget Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

Programme plan:

• Reviews, analyses and finalizes the preparation of the programme plan and its revisions on the basis of departmental submissions, taking into account recommendations and decisions of specialized intergovernmental bodies.
• Provides substantive support to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies in their review of the programme plan and its revisions; secures approval from the General Assembly.
• Ensure legislative mandates are accurately translated into program budgets.

Budget preparation:

• Reviews, analyses and finalizes cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements from (a) Departments/offices at headquarters and in the field, including programmatic aspects; (b) peacekeeping operations; ensure compliance with the programme plan and other legislative mandates.
• Provides detailed input with respect to resource requirements for budget submissions.
• Reviews, analyzes and finalizes program budget/financial implications to the Security Council statements in light of additional mandates.
• Provides substantive support to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies in their budget review; assists in securing approval from the General Assembly.

Budget administration:

• Issues allotments/appropriations, authorizes sub-allotments/appropriations, including redeployment of funds when necessary, ensuring appropriate expenditures.
• Manages and monitors budget implementation and recommends reallocation of funds as necessary.
• Monitors expenditures to ensure that they remain within authorized levels.
• Administers and monitors extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures.
• Authorizes payment to Governments for settlement of certified death and disability, contingent-owned equipment and letters-of-assist claims; determine average monthly troop strengths, establishing amounts reimbursable and initiating payments for reimbursement to troop-contributing countries.
• Prepares budget performance submissions.
• Reviews and finalizes budget performance reports, analyzing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
• Provides substantive support to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies.

Finance:

• Manages a complete financial operation, encompassing a wide variety of funding sources, a large volume of transactions, and extensive dispersed activities.
• Assists the Service Chief/Secretary of the Committee on Contributions in preparing reports for and servicing the Committee on Contributions and the Fifth Committee; and implements the financial methodologies for preparing Member States’ assessments.
• Approves/Confirms that proposed obligations or expenditure for services, facilities supplies and equipment expenses, as well as those pertaining to personnel, are in accordance with the Financial Regulations and Rules of the UN, relevant appropriations and staffing tables and corresponding approved allotments/appropriations.
• Analyses accounts, reviews/prepares regular financial reports. Proposes/implements solutions with respect to problem transactions and irregularities.
• Ensures that accurate and complete accounting, reporting and internal control systems are functioning and that all relevant records are maintained.
• Prepares or consolidates financial statements for inclusion in the UN Audited Financial Statements to be audited. Responds to internal/external audit observations. Reviews the financial statements of other entities for which the Controller has certification authority.
• Produces major/complex financial reports for management including trend and forecast analysis.
• Provides substantive support to the development and implementation of new accounting systems. Takes initiative to improve accounting processes and approaches.
• Provides data for the preparation of year-end performance reports.
• Guides, trains and supervises staff in the function.

General:

• Provides advice and guidance, including training, to headquarters and field staff on budgetary and financial policies and procedures, including results-based budgeting.
• Participates in inter-departmental meetings and/or technical survey missions on matters related to resource requirements, programming, financial and budgetary issues.
• Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to finance and budget, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures.
• Drafts reports for intergovernmental bodies and for management on financial and budgetary issues, and correspondence.
• Drafts official documentation to troop contributing countries concerning reimbursements from the United Nations.
• Undertakes research and analysis of financial and budgetary policies and procedures, makes recommendations for changes and/or modifications.
• Acts as Certifying Officer or Approving Officer in accordance with established regulations and rules.
• Ensures the integrity of financial and management systems and the controls that underpin them.
• Provides support with respect to representation of the Secretary-General in meetings of legislative organs.
• Represents OPPFB or division in inter and intra-departmental meetings.
• May plan, organize, manage and supervise the work of the Unit/Section assigned.
• Incumbents may be asked to perform other related duties.

Education

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, finance, accounting or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven years’ experience in accounting, finance, administration, budget, business administration or related area is required. Experience with finance methodologies of international organizations is required. Experience communicating on financial matters with Member States or similar high-level officials in the United Nations system or comparable international organization is required. Experience in preparing reports for and servicing legislative bodies is required. Experience analyzing audit observations and coordinating audit responses is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required; and knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/246989?language=en