Finance And Budget Assistant

Org. Setting and Reporting

The 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. The overall objective of UNEP’s Climate Change Division is to deliver effective strategic guidance and high-impact action in support of the transition towards climate stability. Its work is guided by ambition, innovation, credible science, and alignment to global climate goals and needs of individual countries.

The Climate Change Division works with Members States and Partners to accelerate and support a just transition by addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation through enhancing implementation capacity, provision of data information and knowledge, access to finance and technology, and building resilience. It promotes sustainable development and effective policies for climate stability; support action so that countries progress on decarbonization, dematerialization, and resilience pathways in line with their climate commitments, aspirations, and needs; and foster transparency in reporting.

This post is in UNEP’s Climate Change Division, Mitigation Branch, Global Environment Facility (GEF) Climate Mitigation Unit, in the Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire duty station. Under the overall supervision of the Head of the GEF, Climate Mitigation Unit (CMU) and the direct supervision of the GEF Administrative Officer, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

Responsibilities

Budget:

• Provides support with respect to the review, analyses and preparation of the medium term 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 managers in the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submissions.
• Undertakes research and provides support to higher level Finance & Budget Officers with respect to budget reviews of relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies.
• Monitors expenditures and compares with approved budget; prepares adjustments as necessary.
• Reviews requisitions for goods and services to ensure (a) correct objects of expenditure have been charged, and (b) availability of funds.
• Assists in preparation of budget performance submissions and finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
• Monitors integrity of various financial databases.
• Verifies accuracy of input data, ensuring consistency of data in previous allotments to new allotments issued.
• Co-ordinates with other finance and budget staff on related issues during preparation of budget reports.

Treasury:

• Reviews incoming payment instructions with regard to banking details and sources of funds.
• Prepares payments for final disbursement by the cashier.
• Notifies payees on status of payments.
• Assists staff members, Fund Management officers, Administrative Officers and donors regarding queries on payment and deposit related issues.

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.
• Drafts/prepares correspondence in response to enquiries in respect to relevant financial and budget matters.
• Maintains and keeps up-to-date files.
• May be responsible for providing guidance, training, and daily supervision to other general service staff in the area of responsibility.
• 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.
• Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures.
• Performs other related duties, as assigned

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent.

Job – Specific Qualification

• A professional qualification in an accounting or finance related subject is required.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven years of experience in Administration/ Finance , Budget, Accounting or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five (5) years for candidates who possess a first level University degree.
• Experience in Global Environment Facility (GEF) project/grant management, budgeting, accounting, and financial management is desirable. Proven Experience working with Enterprise Resource Platform (ERP) such as UMOJA is required. Experience in the budgeting process and analyzing financial data and reports is desirable.
• Experience in the UN (or similar international organization) financial rules and regulations and the IPSAS accounting standards is desirable. Work experience of one (1) year or more in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English and French is required. NOTE: “Fluency equals a rating of “fluent” in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and ” Knowledge of” equals a rating of ” confident” in two of the four areas.

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/248254?language=en