Finance and Budget Assistant

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Office of the Director, Finance Division, the Office of Programme Planning, Finance and Budget (OPPFB), Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance (DMSPC). The Finance & Budget Assistant reports to the Deputy Controller/Finance Director. 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.

Responsibilities

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

Budget:

• Provides support with respect to the review, analyses and preparation of the programme plan and its revisions.
• Prepares supporting documents (narrative and supporting tables) with respect to finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements.
• Assists Deputy Controller/Finance Director in the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submissions, as well as preparation for intergovernmental hearings.
• Undertakes research and provides support to Deputy Controller/Finance Director with respect to budget reviews of relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies.
• Monitors expenditures and compares with approved budget; prepares adjustments as necessary.
• Assists in preparation of budget performance submissions and finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
• Verifies accuracy of input data, ensuring consistency of data in previous allotments/appropriations to new allotments/appropriations issued.
• Co-ordinates with other finance and budget staff on related issues during preparation of budget reports and during internal and external audits.
• Prepares requests to Controller’s Office and OUSG/DMSPC on budgetary and liquidity proposals, as well as movement of funds.

Finance:

• Scrutinizes source documents for completeness, accuracy and validity of charges
• Communicate with UN entities regarding missing documentation or any other issues related to discrepancies between their accounts and those maintained at Headquarters.
• Reconcile and reviews accounts and ensures proper clearance procedures have been followed.
• Extract details of income, expenditure, assets and liability from accounting analyze and verify accuracy and validity.
• Reviews and consolidates data into financial statements.
• Assist with the monitoring of expenditures to ensures they remain within authorized levels.
• Reviews various accounting transactions, e.g., payroll, education grants, final payments, income tax returns, travel claims, etc., to ensure correctness of disbursements and adherence to relevant staff rules, financial regulations and rules, ST/AI issuances or practices.
• Drafts/prepares memoranda and/or cables to offices, departments and other duty stations to respond to enquiries in respect to relevant financial audit, treasury and financial policy matters.

General:

• Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to programme, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures.
• Accompanies Deputy Controller/Finance Director to intergovernmental hearings and meetings, as appropriate, to ensure timely follow up action.
• Maintain and keep up-to-date files stored in filing systems on important budget, financial audit and policy, human resources-related and treasury records in the Office of the Deputy Controller/Finance Director.
• May be responsible for providing guidance and, training and daily supervision to other general service staff in the area of responsibility.
• Reviews routine correspondence, including the inbox of the Office of the Finance Director, to coordinate responses to enquiries in respect to relevant budget, finance, financial policy and audit matters.
• Coordinates extensively with OPPFB service units and liaises frequently with internal team members at Headquarters and in the field, as well as UN system-wide entities and other third parties on finance-related issues
• Assists in the coordination and preparation of background material for talking points, briefing notes and presentations, as well as recruitment taskings, as requested by the Deputy Controller/Finance Director.
• Assists with the collection and analysis of data, as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making.
• Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven years of experience in finance, budget, accounting, administrative services or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience in the use of information technology programs related to spreadsheets, databases and word processing, is required. Experience in the use of enterprise resource planning systems (such as SAP) is desirable. Experience working with the United Nations or large international organization systems and procedures as they relate to the Financial Regulations, Rules and procedures is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/241202?language=en