Senior Finance and Budget Assistant

Org. Setting and ReportingThis position is in the Budget and Finance Section in the Executive Office supporting the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Office of the Special Adviser for Africa (OSAA), Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS), and the Chief Executives Board (CEB) Secretariat New York Office. The incumbent works under the overall supervision of the Senior Finance and Budget Officer. ResponsibilitiesWithin delegated authority, the Senior Finance & Budget Assistant will be responsible for the following duties: Budget and Finance: • Acts as Certifying Officers for travel and other commitments. • Undertakes reviews, analyses and preparation of the annual programme budget and its revisions. • Reviews, analyses and assists in the finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements, including programmatic aspects; ensures compliance with the annual programme plan and other legislative mandates. • Assists managers in the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submissions. • Undertakes research and provides support to Senior Finance & Budget Officer with respect to budget reviews of relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies. • Provides input into the preparation of allotments, including redeployment of funds when necessary, ensuring appropriate expenditures. • Monitors budget implementation/expenditures and recommends reallocation of funds as necessary. • Reviews and processes requisitions for goods and services, including consultants/ individual contractors and travel requests, to ensure (a) correct objects of expenditure have been charged, (b) availability of funds; and (c) relevant administrative instructions. • Monitors extrabudgetary resources, including review of contribution agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures. • Assists in the preparation of budget performance submissions. • Assists in finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures. • Monitors integrity of various financial data. • 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. General: • Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines on financial and budgetary matters, 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 budgetary matters. • Provides 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 the review and drafting of Host Country Agreements, Contribution Agreements and Memorandums of Understanding, to ensure compliance with relevant legal requirements and adherence to the established standards of format. • Assists with the review of the departmental service level agreements and coordinates with the respective information and communication technology counterparts. • Supports management during audits and reviews by oversight bodies. • 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. 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. Able to perform analysis, modeling and interpretation of data in support of decision-making. Planning and organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required. Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work. Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning. Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary. Uses time efficiently. Technological Awareness: Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology. EducationHigh school diploma or equivalent is required. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceA minimum of ten years of experience in finance, budget, accounting, administrative services or related area is required. Experience in using financial functions in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, such as Umoja, and other relevant software packages is required. Experience working in an Executive Office within the United Nations system is required. Experience in managing trust funds is required. Experience in reviewing and certifying travel requests 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).