Senior Finance and Budget Officer

Org. Setting and Reporting
The Finance Division is responsible for securing the financing of the Organization's expenses, pursuant to Article 17 of the Charter of the United Nations, and to ensure sound, effective and efficient integrated financial management of and reporting on United Nations resources, supported by a strong internal control environment. This position is located in the Office of Chief, Financial Risk Management Service (FRMS), Finance Division (FD), Office of Programme Planning, Finance and Budget (OPPFB) in the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance (DMSPC). The Senior Finance & Budget Officer reports directly to the Chief, FRMS.

Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Senior Finance & Budget Officer will be responsible for the following duties:
Medium-term plan:
• Plans, organizes and manages the preparation of the medium-term plan and its revisions on the basis of submissions, taking into account recommendations and decisions of authorised bodies.
• Proactively supports Chief, FRMS and relevant bodies in the review of the medium-term plan and its revisions.
• Ensures legislative provisions and medium-term plan are accurately translated into budgets.
Budget preparation:
• Reviews, analyses and finalizes cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements; ensures compliance with the medium-term plan and other legislative provisions.
• Co-ordinates the preparation of budget submissions from managers.
• Provides substantive support and guidance to relevant authorised and expert bodies in their review.
Budget administration:
• 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.
Finance:
• Responsible for developing, documenting and monitoring alignment of Treasury financial policies with the Organization's internal control and financial reporting framework.
• Takes the lead in designing financial processes for improvement of efficiency and the containment of costs, and for strengthening of internal controls.
• Undertakes special reviews of operational objectives and related financial policies and procedures affecting the Organization's accounting and financial systems.
• Directs the development and implementation of financial risk assessment and mitigation plans; and taking into account recommendations and decisions of intergovernmental and oversight bodies.
• Develops compliance strategies based on the financial regulatory framework of the Organization.
• Leads the efforts to collect and analyze data and provides insight to identify trends, compliance issues or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation, and reporting. Defines requirements with respect to production of relevant risk compliance reports.
• Provides authoritative advice, financial interpretations, adaptations and corrective actions in response to audits and other queries to ensure adherence to UN Financial Regulations and Rules, Staff Rules, Administrative Instructions, Bulletins and Circulars.
General:
• Provides advice and guidance, including training, to Headquarters and field staff on financial policies and procedures.
• 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, budget and procurement, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures.
• Prepares reports for intergovernmental bodies and for management on financial and budgetary issues, and correspondence, including guidelines, instructions.
• Reviews and analyses financial and budgetary policies and procedures, makes recommendations for changes and/or modifications.
• Acts as Approving Officer in accordance with established regulations and rules.
• Ensures the integrity of financial and management systems and the controls that underpin them.
• Leads efforts to collect and analyze data and provides insight to identify trends or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. Ensures that everyone can discover, access, integrate and share the data they need.
• Represents the Secretary-General in meetings of legislative organs; represents OPPFB or Division in inter and intra-departmental meetings.
• Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Competencies
PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of financial, budgetary, risk management, internal control and compliance principles and practices, budget management and financial administration of resources. Proven analytical skills and ability to provide technical advice in budget management to managers. The ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. Ability to manage a programme in a field operation and formulate new strategies and approaches to budget management issues. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.
PLANNING AND ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required. Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work. Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning. Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary. Uses time efficiently.
TECHNOLOGICAL AWARENESS: Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology.
VISION: Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; clearly communicates links between the Organization's strategy and the work unit's goals; generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction; conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities.
JUDGMENT/DECISION-MAKING: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly. Gathers relevant information before making a decision. Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them. Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization. Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information. Checks assumptions against facts. Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision. Makes tough decisions when necessary.

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.

Job - Specific Qualification
Not available.

Work Experience
A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in accounting, finance, administration, budget, business administration, risk management and compliance or related area is required. At least 5 years of experience in risk management, compliance and on implementing an internal control framework such as the 2013 COSO internal control (or equivalent) – integrated framework or equivalent in large international organizations is required. Significant experience with business development and enhancement of financial systems incorporating system controls, including with financial accounting and funds management modules of SAP is required. Experience reviewing financial accounting requirements and linking with complex data analysis is required. Experience in translating complex integrated financial process requirements into technical specifications is required; At least 5 years' experience in data analytics and building complex financial data models is required. Experience in developing and delivering training related to integrated financial processes is desirable. Experience in the UN system or comparable international organization is desirable.

Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. There are no specific desirable languages.

Required Languages
Language
Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking
English
UN Level III
UN Level III
UN Level III
UN Level III

Assessment
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice
This post is financed by the Extra-budgetary funds. 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. 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. 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. Individual contractors and consultants (Non-Staff Personnel) who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions and their applications will not be considered. Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must meet the applicable geographical or lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy, taking into account that selection to the post may itself constitute a qualifying move, in accordance with the relevant administrative issuances. Staff members are encouraged to ensure that all qualifying geographical or lateral moves are accurately reflected in their applicant profile.

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.

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.