Finance and Budget Assistant

Org. Setting and ReportingThis position is located in the Financial Reporting and Contributions Service, Finance Division, Office of Programme Planning, Finance and Budget (OPPFB), Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance (DMSPC). The Finance & Budget Assistant reports to the Head of the Unit or to a Finance & Budget Officer. The Financial Reporting Service is mainly responsible for the preparation of IPSAS compliant financial statements for all funding sources and ensures the sustainability of IPSAS-compliant accounting and reporting, as well as global bank reconciliation, global asset and inventory accounting, and integrated finance support. The Finance and Budget Assistant reports to the Head of the Unit or to a Finance and Budget Officer. ResponsibilitiesWithin delegated authority, the Finance & Budget Assistant will be responsible for the following duties: (These duties are generic and may not be carried out by all Finance & Budget Assistants.) 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 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/appropriations to new allotments/appropriations issued. • Co-ordinates with other finance and budget staff on related issues during preparation of budget reports. • Prepare request to Controller’s Office on redeployment of funds and to Finance section on movement of funds. Finance: • Scrutinizes source documents for completeness, accuracy and validity of charges. • Investigates erroneous charges and takes appropriate corrective accounting actions. • Communicates with field offices regarding missing documentation or any other issues related to discrepancies between their accounts and those maintained at Headquarters. • Reconciles and reviews suspense accounts and ensure proper clearance procedures have been followed. • Extracts details of income, expenditure, assets and liability from accounting system in order to analyze and verify accuracy and validity. • Consolidates data into financial statements. • Assists with the monitoring of expenditures to ensures they remain within authorized levels. Examines the validity of requests for increases in imprest levels; prepares disbursement vouchers to replenish imprest accounts. • Prepares worksheets and assists with the preparation of financial statements. • Audits 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. • Serves as Approving Officer for disbursements up to an authorized level. • Provides guidance and training to colleagues as required. • Supervises other General Service staff as required. • Drafts/prepares memoranda and/or cables to various offices, departments and overseas offices. • Responds to queries from staff members and third parties. 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 or prepares correspondence to respond to enquiries in respect to relevant financial and budget matters. • Maintain and keep 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 and brochures. • Performs other related duties, as assigned. CompetenciesProfessionalism: Knowledge of, and ability to apply financial rules, regulations and procedures in the UN environment. Knowledge, skills and ability to extract, interpret, analyse and format data across the full range of finance and budget functions, including programme development and database management, claims and treasury operations. Ability to identify and resolve data discrepancies and operational problems. The ability to perform analysis, modeling and interpretation of data in support of decision-making. Shows pride in work and in achievements. Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns. Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work. Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments. Delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards. Operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules. Supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments. Takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable. Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view. Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect. Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions. Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems. Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects. Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client. EducationHigh school diploma or equivalent is required. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceA 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 5 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. A minimum of five years experience using an enterprise resource planning system in accounting or finance is required. One year or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable. Experience with the application of Financial Regulations and Rules and staff rules of the United Nations or similar international organization is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).