Finance and Budget Officer

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Resource Planning and Analysis Section (RPAS) of the Division for Special Activities (DSA) in the Department of Operational Support (DOS). A core role of the Division is to lead the Departments efforts to further develop and enhance the Secretariat’s existing global operational support architecture and within that RPAS works to support operational support solutions that deliver value for money and ensure resource stewardship. Its work has a focus on strong programme management and coordination, data driven analysis of major resourcing drivers and practices, the development and maintenance of operational support resourcing standards, cost recovery mechanisms, harmonized operational processes and performance measures and the comprehensive integration of financial and operational aspects into solutions developed. The Finance & Budget Officer reports to the Programme Management Officer.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Finance & 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 submissions, taking into account recommendations and decisions of specialized inter-governmental bodies.
• Provides substantive support to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies in their review of the medium-term plan and its revisions; assists in securing approval from the General Assembly.
• Ensures legislative mandates are accurately translated into programme budgets.

Budget Preparation:

• Supporting the work of the Division with regard to the review of major resource drivers for planning and budget management, the development of efficiency measures and the creation/coordination of a framework of operational resourcing standards and priorities for client entities.
• Reviews, analyses and provides input into finalization of programme budget/financial implications to the Security Council statements in light of additional mandates.
• Providing inputs to major programmes and projects including the further development of the global operational support architecture and supporting operational support relationships with key partners within the architecture such as field facing Secretariat entities, major service providers, United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programmes and external partners.
• Provides support to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies in their budget review; assists in securing approval from the General Assembly.

Budget Administration:

• Issues allotments, including redeployment of funds when necessary, ensuring appropriate expenditures.
• Monitors budget implementation and determines/recommends reallocation of funds when necessary.
• Supporting engagements and the provision of expert advice on strategic resources and stewardship aspects of proposed operational support solutions .
• Administers and monitors extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures.
• Researching, analyzing and presenting information gathered from diverse sources leveraging data analytics and visualization tools e.g. Power BI (or similar), PowerPoint (or similar ).
• Prepares relevant documentation with respect to budget performance submissions.
• Reviews and makes appropriate recommendations with respect to the finalization of budget performance submissions.
• Reviews and makes appropriate recommendations with respect to the finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.

General:

• Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to programme and/or peacekeeping budgets, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures
• Monitors and supervises the work of subordinate staff as required.
• Performs other related duties, as assigned. .

Education

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree, or equivalent degree) in business administration, finance, or other operational support 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 five years of progressively responsible experience in finance, administration, budget, business administration, programme management or operational support or related area is required.
• Experience in the development of operational support resourcing standards and frameworks and the review of related business processes to enable efficient budget planning and management is required.
• Experience in applied analytics, business intelligence to inform decisions, strategies and execution is required.
• Experience in the administration and management of extra-budgetary resources is desirable.
• Experience with self-service analytics and data visualization applications (MS PowerBI, Qlik, Tableau or similar), or business intelligence tools (SAP Business Objects, etc.) is desirable.
• Experience working with administrative policies and procedures in the area of cost recovery is desirable.

Languages

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

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/230612?language=en