Finance and Budget Assistant

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (UNEP/ROAP) helps to implement its global programmes in the regions by initiating, coordinating, and catalyzing regional and sub-regional cooperation and action in response to environmental problems and emergencies.

This position is in UNEP’s Climate Change Division, Mitigation Branch, Global Environment Facility (GEF), Climate Mitigation Unit at the Bangkok Duty station.

Under the direct supervision of Administrative Office, the UNV Finance and Budget Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

Budget:

• Assists in the review of review of cost estimates and budgets for project proposals.
• Assists in review of expenditure reports submitted by Executing Agencies (EAs) of ongoing projects, including PPG work, and support finalization of approvals to ensure (a) correct amounts have been charged; (b) expenditures are aligned with project deliverables and thus acceptable; (c) expenditure is not exceeding the budget line allocations and overall budget. Send feedback emails to EAs to complete the document correctly.
• Assists in reviewing the final financial and audit reports from Executing Agencies and making recommendations.
• Assists in financial closure of projects.
• Researches/compiles data and other information required by the Finance Budget Officer(s) in the review and analysis of expenditures for projects.
• Assists the Administrative/Finance/Budget Officer(s) in the preparation/finalization of budget revisions, performing preliminary analysis of variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures of project.
• Prepares pre-commitments and commitments in UMOJA and review them to ensure that funds are available and the correct account has been used.
• Assists the Administrative /Finance/Budget Officer(s) in the issuance of allotments.
• Verifies accuracy of input data, ensuring consistency of data in previous allotments to new allotments issued.
• Reviews draft reports, verifying overall accuracy, consistency and uniformity in the presentation, and ensuring comprehensiveness and compliance with the format prescribed by the GEF Secretariat for projects in Asia Pacific portfolio;

General:

• Organize and schedule meetings, consultations, as required, and prepare briefing notes, minutes, follow up where required;
• Support administrative tasks, such as procurement, payment processing, hiring, travel arrangements, etc. for work related to Asia Pacific Portfolio;
• Prepare project agreements (including budget and implementation plans) and oversee HR processes (i.e. recruitment of consultants, payments, etc.) for the development of assigned projects.
• Drafts routine correspondence with respect to enquiries related to relevant financial and budget matters.
• Maintains and keep up-to-date files.
• Upload GEF-8 endorsement document packages to the GEF Secretariat portal.
• Assists in developing draft legal agreements for new projects and project extensions;
• Assists in preparing documents for UNEP project internalization and revision processes and provide inputs to ensure completed UNEP clearance and approval processes.
• Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Payments:

• Assists in review and finalization of cash advance requests for payments to the EAs. Provide guidance to EAs in order for them to complete the document correctly.
• Verifies and prepares less complex payments to third parties, commercial entities, and individuals.

Treasury:

• Reviews incoming payment instructions with regard to banking details and sources of funds.
• Prepares payments for final disbursement by Cashier.
• Dispatches payment instructions to UNON Treasury and provides remittance advices to Executing Agencies.
• Notifies payees of status of payments.
• Assists staff members, consultants, executing agencies, the GEF Secretariat and the GEF Coordination Office, UNEP regarding queries on payment/funding issues
• Files and archives electronically documentation as required.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day)
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country
• Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Results/expected outputs:

• As an active UNEP team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNEP and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions.
• Accurate project finance data maintained
• All financial reports of all projects assigned which are due to be completed within the duration of the UNV contract are finalized.
• Executing agency partners receive timely guidance on completing financial reports.
• All executing agency partners receive responses to their queries within five working days.
• The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counterparts, including Implementing Partners (IPs);
• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed