Finance and Budget Assistant

Org. Setting and Reporting

These positions are located in the Trust Funds Management Section (TFMS), Finance Division (FD), Office of Programme Planning, Finance and Budget (OPPFB), Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance (DMSPC). The Finance & Budget Assistant usually reports to the Head of the unit or to a Finance/Budget Officer. The Trust Funds Management Section is responsible for the financial management of voluntary contributions received and the use of these funds, including global support for extra-budgetary entities worldwide. The Section prepares various financial reports, including IPSAS financial statements, certified financial statements for donors and managerial reports related to trust funds and programme support funds. The Section supports the analysis of various accounts and monitors over 140 trust funds’ revenue, expenditures and cashflows. Further, the Section provides support related to inter-agency processes, including UNDP Service Clearing Accounts (SCA), as well as funding to Implementing Partners (IPs). The Section is also responsible for production support for the SAP system in relation to the Grants Management Module, as well as contributing to the establishment of financial policy, formulating training content and working on projects as requested by the Controller’s Office.

Responsibilities

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

Budget:

• Assists in the preparation of supporting documents (narrative and supporting tables) with respect to the finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals in terms of staff and non-staff requirements.
• Supports the Finance/Budget Officers(s) in extracting information and generating expenditure reports from computerized information system databases; assists in preliminary analyses of the extracted information and the reports generated, and highlights areas of concern for the attention of the Finance/Budget Officer(s).
• Assists in the development of resource requirements for budget submissions and the preparation of budget performance submissions.
• Researches/compiles data and other information required by the Finance Budget Officer(s) in the review and analysis of relevant proposals.
• Consolidates data and provides support to Finance/Budget Officer(s) with respect to budget reviews of relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies.
• Assists the Finance/Budget Officer(s) in the preparation/finalization of budget performance reports, performing preliminary analysis of variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
• Prepares pre-encumbrances and obligations in SAP and reviews them to ensure that funds are available and the correct account has been used.
• Assists in the financial backstopping of trust funds, including monitoring the status of voluntary contributions, generating expenditure reports and monitoring reporting requirements by donors.
• Assists the Finance/Budget Officer(s) in the issuance of allocations/allotments and related staffing table authorizations.
• Verifies accuracy of input data, ensuring consistency of data in previous allocations/allotments to new allocations/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 Editorial and Documents control of GACM; cross-checks consistency of figures in tables with the text of the reports, and verifies references to other reports and documents, bringing errors to the attention of the Finance/Budget Officers(s) concerned; ensures that all necessary corrections are incorporated in the reports; co-ordinates with other finance and budget staff on related issues during preparation of budget reports.

Claims:

• Verifies and prepares less complex payments to third parties, commercial entities, and individuals, with respect to settlement of certified death and disability, contingent-owned equipment, stores, pay and allowances, and letters of assist claims.

Finance:

• Records and reconciles more complex accounting transactions.
• Examines and records financial transactions of Offices-away-from-Headquarters/Peacekeeping Missions/other UN organisations and prepares remittances for disbursement.
• Reconciles more complex bank accounts in various currencies.
• Assists in the processing of payments to governments and vendors for good and services. This includes, amongst other things, calculating, inputting, and checking payments for correctness and communicating discrepancies to supervisors.
• Drafts/prepares memoranda and/or faxes to various offices, departments and overseas offices.
• Responds to queries from staff members and third parties.

General:

• 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.
• Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to programme budgets, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures.
• Drafts routine correspondence with respect to enquiries related to relevant financial and budget matters.
• Maintains and keep up-to-date files.
• Provides administrative support to the Head of the organizational unit and/or Finance/Budget Officer(s), as required.
• Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Work Experience

• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional experience in accounting, finance, or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to three (3) years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience with finance and budget modules of enterprise resource planning (ERP) system such as SAP, Oracle or similar system is required. Experience using Microsoft Excel and Excel-related formulas and advance function is required. One year or more of experience in data analytics or related areas is desirable. Experience in processing, monitoring and reconciling accounts receivables and accounts payables 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 an advantage.

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/238710?language=en