Company Description

THE OECD – Who we are, what we do

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organisation comprised of 38 member countries, that works to build better policies for better lives. Our mission is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.  Together with governments, policy makers and citizens, we work on establishing evidence-based international standards, and finding solutions to a range of social, economic and environmental challenges. From improving economic performance and creating jobs to fostering strong education and fighting international tax evasion, we provide a unique forum and knowledge hub for data and analysis, exchange of experiences, best-practice sharing, and advice on public policies and international standard-setting.

THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORATE (EXD)

The Executive Directorate (EXD) is the steward of OECD resources, on behalf of the Secretary-General. Our focus is on people and their wellbeing; the effective and efficient management of the budget; the safety and security of staff, Delegations, visitors, and of the OECD’s data; maintaining and sustaining physical and digital infrastructure; and enabling the convening power of the OECD through conferences, meetings and events, whether virtual, physical or hybrid.  As well as providing corporate services, functions and management support to our staff and Members, we provide integrated, strategic and expert advice on corporate policies and management issues to the Secretary-General, to Council and to Standing Committees, to which we regularly report on corporate matters. We also provide compliance and risk management functions (for management areas under our purview). Ours is a fast-paced environment focused on delivering management excellence across all of our functions.

THE PROGRAMME, BUDGET AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE (EXD/PBF)

Within the Executive Directorate (EXD), the Programme, Budget and Financial Management Service (EXD/PBF), employs a workforce of approximately 115 staff who provide stewardship of the Organisation’s financial resources on behalf of the Secretary-General. The service is composed of six main business units: Accounting & Financial Support Division; Corporate Procurement Group; Engagement and Strategic Transformation Division; Programme of Work Management Division; Resource Management Systems Division; and Voluntary Contribution Management Group.

Within EXD/PBF, the Voluntary Contributions Management Group (VCM) leads the end-to-end voluntary contributions management process. It provides support and advice for the acceptance, administration, control and reporting of voluntary contributions and grants offered to the Organisation. The VCM Group has two teams: the Review, Acceptance and Administration (RAA) Team and the Reporting, Control & Compliance (RCC) Team.

The RAA Team manages the review, acceptance and administration of voluntary contributions and grants; co-manages auditor (external and internal) requests; assists Directorates with negotiations with Donors; provides guidance / best practices to Directorates on these areas; is responsible for reporting on VCs to Members and major stakeholders; and performs analysis of dashboards statistics with the aim to assist stakeholders and increase visibility on these work streams.

Job Description

EXD/PBF is looking for a Head of the RAA Team who will report to the Head of the VCM Group.

Main Responsibilities

Management of VC operations, financial risk assessment and control

• Oversee, plan and review the daily operations of the RAA team, take decisions on prioritisation, workflow management and on any other matters as necessary.
• Identify, establish and reinforce controls as necessary and implement any required financial risk mitigation measures.
• Oversee and ensure the timely review and acceptance of all VCs, ensuring compliance with the OECD financial rules, regulations and the VC management framework.
• Oversee and monitor the VC pipeline from negotiation to acceptance and take the necessary steps to ensure that information is always accurate.
• Oversee and ensure the timely invoicing and donor debtor collection.
• Provide expert advice to the Head of the VCM Group, on managing internal or external audit requests; collaborate with RCC team to ensure all necessary documentation and records are readily available and maintained.
• Under the guidance of the Head of VCM Group, take the lead in the annual closing of accounts on VC related matters in liaison with the Accounting and Financial Support (AFS) Division.
• Provide expert advice on financial matters related to VCs to policy Directorates and the Office of the Secretary-General (OSG) on the management of strategic VC related initiatives such as the annual TSI Framework Cycle (DG REFORM).
• Develop VC procedures and identify any policy gaps and monitor trends and advise on future VC business needs.
• Provide regular updates to the Head of the VCM Group on the workplan of the unit.
• Provide expert advice and collaborate as needed with the RCC Unit in relation to VC financial reporting, and with the Financial Systems & Project Analyst in terms of improvement projects, VC accounts and donor portals.

Team management

• Manage and motivate the RAA team staff, set objectives, assign and prioritise work and provide feedback and coaching as necessary; and identify any training needs for individual team members or for the team as a whole. Identify workload management indicators as necessary.
• Develop long-term strategies to improve skills and increase performance, thereby securing an agile and multi-skilled workforce.
• Ensure a healthy work environment that is transparent and focused on empowerment and development of Team members.

Communication, strategy, training and analysis.

• Provide strategic input to the VCM Group, identifying areas for improvement, enhancement or policy gaps in the management of VCs.
• Develop VC guidance and relevant training for Directorates and support in complex negotiations with Donors.
• Ensure regular communication to the Financial Community (FC) and support / collaborate with the Head of RCC in leading the FC VC Working Group.
• Prepare the Annual VC acceptance report and supervise the preparation of the quarterly VC Payables BC report.
• Provide regular reporting and analysis on VCs to the Head of the VCM Group.
• Support the Head of the VCM Group in preparing presentations, briefing material and other necessary documents.
• Collaborate closely with other EXD/PBF teams to ensure a holistic financial view of Directorates’ and the Organisation’s funding.

Qualifications

Academic Background

• Advanced university degree (preferred master’s degree) or equivalent in accounting, financial management, business administration or other relevant field.

Professional Background

• At least five years’ practical and relevant experience in either financial management, budget management, or voluntary contributions/grants management.
• At least three years’ experience managing teams of up to ten people.
• Proven experience in managing, negotiating and administering VCs and an in-depth understanding of processes, systems, regulations and financial and legal issues.
• Proven experience in conducting analyses of financial data and developing related reports and presentations and documents for varied audiences.
• Proven experience in providing guidance and drafting correspondence of a financial nature to audiences of varied backgrounds.
• Experience developing, revising, interpreting and/or implementing financial policies, instructions and procedures.
• Experience demonstrating flexibility and ability to cope with conflicting requests and strict deadlines.
• Experience working with IPSAS, result-based management processes would be an advantage.
• Experience working with business management, automated, robotised systems, data visualization and/or machine learning.
• Experience in working in an international environment would be an advantage.

Tools

• Excellent command of Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint).
• Knowledge of SAP (reporting and accounting) and BO (Business Objects) and SAP budget reporting systems (and other ERP) would be an advantage.

Languages

• Fluency in one of the two OECD official languages (English and French) and a knowledge of, or a willingness to learn, the other.
• Knowledge of other languages would be an asset.

Core Competencies

• OECD staff are expected to demonstrate behaviours aligned to six core competencies which will be assessed as part of this hiring processes: Vision and Strategy (Level 2); Enable People (Level 2); Ethics and Integrity (Level 3); Collaboration and Horizontality (Level 3); Achieve Results (Level 3); Innovate and Embrace Change (Level 2).
• There are three possible levels for each competency. The level for each competency is determined according to the specific needs of each job role and its associated grade.
• To learn more about the definitions for each competency for levels 1-3, please refer to OECD Core Competencies.

Additional Information

Contract Duration

• Two-year fixed term appointment, with the possibility of renewal.

What the OECD offers

• Monthly full-time base salary starting from 8 984EUR plus allowances subject to eligibility, exempt of French income tax.
• Please note that the appointment may be made at a lower grade based on the qualifications and professional experience of the selected applicant. 
• Click here to learn more about what we offer and why the OECD is a great place to work.
• Click here to browse our People Management Guidebook and learn more about all aspects relating to people at the OECD, our workplace environment and many other policies supporting staff in their daily life.

Selection Process

For retained candidates, written tests/video-recorded interviews are foreseen in May and panel interviews are planned for June.

Please note that our Rules and Regulations stipulate that the mandatory retirement age is 65.

The OECD is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes the applications of all qualified candidates who are nationals of OECD member countries, irrespective of their racial or ethnic origin, opinions or beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, health or disabilities.

The OECD promotes an optimal use of resources in order to improve its efficiency and effectiveness. Staff members are encouraged to actively contribute to this goal.

Closing Date

• This vacancy will be filled as soon as possible, and applications should reach us no later than 23:59 (CET France local time) on 28 April 2024.