1. SUMMARY
The BICES Group Executive (BGX), a NATO entity, is the executive body of the BICES Group (BG). The BG exists to enable the sharing and exchange of Intelligence and Information between and amongst the NATO nations, with NATO, and with other non-NATO nations and Organizations. The BGX, under the leadership of the Director, is comprised of the following pillars: Intelligence and Enterprise Services (IES) Division, Programmes, Engineering and Maintenance (PEM) Division, Operations and Security Services (OSS) Division and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Cell.
Under the leadership of the Financial Controller and Head of Administration, the Financial Management Office (FMO) constitutes one of the two pillars of the Office of the Director, the other being the Administrative Office. The FMO is responsible for the financial operations from planning to disbursement. In particular, the FMO prepares the annual budget, the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) and the Preliminary Plan for BGX and ISR. Additionally the FMO assesses and collects contributions; manages cash, financial assets and investments; procures goods and services; pays invoices, salaries, pensions, travel and other liabilities; generates financial and procurement reports and monitors the corresponding internal control system.
Under the supervision of the Financial Officer, the incumbent is responsible for tasks related to finance, cash management and procurement activities The incumbent supports the Financial Officer in the preparation of budget estimates, budget execution and control of the administrative budget. The incumbent is responsible for financial controls, including asset management, that support the production and preparation of financial statements.
2. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Essential
The incumbent must:
possess/have a higher secondary education and at least 3 years of experience in economics, accounting, business administration, finance, or related discipline;
have a sound knowledge of financial rules and procedures that govern international and multinational organisations;
have experience of budget preparation and control in the public sector or in an International Organisation;
have experience of assisting the preparation of financial statements in accordance with relevant accounting standards;
have experience of working in a financial management office that handles day-to-day finance transactions such as payments, invoices, receipts, expenses and financial records;
have practical experience in maintaining accounting records;
have experience in the use of Enterprise Resource Planning systems (ERPs) and working knowledge of office word processing, spreadsheet, graphics presentations and database software;
possess English Level V (Advanced).
Desirable
The following would be considered an advantage:
a degree or equivalent professional qualification in economics, accounting, business administration, finance, or related discipline;
good knowledge of, and experience in the application of, International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS);
knowledge and experience of NATO Financial Regulations (NFR);
experience with Oracle E-Business Suite;
experience of working in an international or multinational environment.
possess French Level II (Elementary).
3. MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES
Expertise Development
Contribute to the effective functioning of the Financial Management Office. Liaise with other colleagues to leverage knowledge. Proactively develop skills in areas such as planning and organising, new technology, languages, effective communication and in particular, Office and data analytics software. Engage with stakeholders in the areas of finance in order to improve the related procedures and practices within the BGX. Prioritize work and process tasks timely and efficiently.
Financial Management
Preparation of regular budget execution reports highlighting areas of attention for management. Coordinate with procurement and contracting officers to ensure funds are available for ordering goods and services. Process requests for payment, compare invoice amount with commitment and taking action when required to resolve inconsistencies.
Information Management
Collect, categorise, and track relevant information required for various tasks and projects. Maintain well-structured paper and electronic filing systems. Ensure. document and version control on documents produced at project and programme levels and archive old versions. Type and format all kinds of documents, including tables of figures requiring careful presentation using the standard software packages used by NATO (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and the ERP System. Maintain records of authorizations, commitments and payments for each Self-Funding Entities (SFE) and provide the SFE with required documents upon completion of projects.
Knowledge Management
Support the preparation of the Financial Statements and contribute, where required, to the annual audit performed by the IBAN. Provide assistance in preparation of financial status reports as required.
Organisational Efficiencies
Find ways to be faster, better and more effective in managing information and using office tools. Contribute to the continuous improvement of financial management tools and processes for the Office. Provide constructive suggestions to improve office procedures.
Planning and Execution
Support the financial team to execute the BGX budget. Liaise with Project Managers in regards to management of funds relating to BIGES programmes. Check credits are available to meet proposed commitments, and proposing transfers where necessary. Prepare appropriate commitments of funds for approval, purchase orders/contracts and ensure payments are within the committed amounts. Perform financial and procurement activities in support of procurement on behalf of third parties including ensuring approval for proposed procurement is granted and that funds are received prior to procurement. Process commitments, purchase orders, contracts and payments in accordance with the BGX Financial Rules and Procedures (FRPs). Responsible for the integrity of accounting records including, but not limited to, ensuring smooth transactional workflows and the reconciliation of balance sheet accounts.
Project Management
Assist in Treasury and disbursing functions and activities related to contributions from nations, where necessary. Support project completion activities as needed.
Stakeholder Management
Work closely with BGX Project/Band Managers and with al BGX Divisions' members. Liaise with national representatives of the Board of Directors/Financial Committee, NATO HQ and NATO Communication and Information Agency as necessary. Maintain contacts with suppliers.
Perform other duty as required.
4. INTERRELATIONSHIPS
The incumbent reports to the Financial Officer. S/He coordinates and interacts with other BGX staff as required.
Direct reports: N/A
Indirect reports: N/A
5. COMPETENCIES
Achievement: Works to meet standards. Works to meet expected performance at standards set by others (management or customers). Executes duties in a timely, efficient and accountable fashion and meets objectives within target dates. May express frustration at waste or inefficiency.
Clarity and Accuracy: Monitors others' work for clarity. Monitors quality of others' work. Checks to see that procedures are followed.
Customer Service Orientation: Takes personal responsibility for correcting problems. Takes ownership of the correction of customer-service problems. Corrects problems promptly, efficiently and without becoming defensive. Monitors client satisfaction.
Empathy: Reads non-verbal cues and understands meanings. Recognizes emotion by reading body language, facial expression or tone of voice. Demonstrates an understanding of others, notices others' responses. Seeks to understand the concerns and interests of others.
Flexibility: Acts with flexibility. Works effectively in a changing environment. Adapts to change by actively revising own behaviours, methods and priorities. Applies procedures flexibly, where context allows, in order to get a job done or to meet agreed objectives (e.g. alters normal procedures to fit a specific situation and to meet a client's needs).
Initiative: Is decisive in a time-sensitive situation. Acts quickly and decisively in a crisis or other time-sensitive situation. Is unafraid to propose and/or take action when the norm would be to wait, study the situation and hope the problem will resolve itself.
Organizational Awareness: Understands organisational climate and culture. Is aware of the unspoken limitations of the Organization, what is and is not possible at certain times or in certain situations. Adapts one's approach to the Organization's culture in order to bring about the optimal result.
Teamwork: Solicits inputs and encourages others. Displays willingness to learn from others, including subordinates and peers. Solicits ideas and opinions to shape specific decisions or plans. Publicly credits the team rather than taking credit for self.
6. CONTRACT
In accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations, the successful candidate will receive a definite duration contract of three years.
7. USEFUL INFORMATION REGARDING APPLICATION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Please note that we can only accept applications from nationals of NATO member countries. Applications must be submitted using e-recruitment system, as applicable:
For NATO civilian staff members only: please apply via the internal recruitment portal (link);
For all other applications: www.nato.int/recruitment
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More information about the recruitment process and conditions of employment, can be found at our website (http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/recruit-hq-e.htm)
Appointment will be subject to receipt of a security clearance (provided by the national Authorities of the selected candidate), approval of the candidate’s medical file by the NATO Medical Adviser, verification of your study(ies) and work experience, and the successful completion of the accreditation and notification process by the relevant authorities.
NATO will not accept any phase of the recruitment and selection prepared, in whole or in part, by means of reference documents without proper quotes (plagiarism), or any tools available on internet, including but not limited to translation facilities, or generative artificial-intelligence (AI) tools. NATO reserves the right to screen applications to identify the use of such tools. All applications prepared, in whole or in part, by means of such tools will be rejected without further consideration, and NATO reserves the right to take further steps in such cases as appropriate.
8. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
NATO is committed to diversity and inclusion, and strives to provide equal access to employment, advancement and retention, independent of gender, age, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, cultural background, sexual orientation, and disability. NATO welcomes applications of nationals from all member Nations, and strongly encourages women to apply.
NATO is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible working environment, where all candidates living with disabilities can fully participate in the recruitment and selection process. If you require reasonable accommodation, please inform us during your selection process.
Candidates will be required to provide documented medical evidence to support their request for accommodation.
Building Integrity is a key element of NATO’s core tasks. As an employer, NATO values commitment to the principles of integrity, transparency and accountability in accordance with international norms and practices established for the defence and related security sector. Selected candidates are expected to be role models of integrity, and to promote good governance through ongoing efforts in their work.
Due to the broad interest in NATO and the large number of potential candidates, telephone or e-mail enquiries cannot be dealt with.
Applicants who are not successful in this competition may be offered an appointment to another post of a similar nature, albeit at the same or a lower grade, provided they meet the necessary requirements.
The nature of this position may require the staff member at times to be called upon to travel for work and/or to work outside normal office hours.
The organization offers several work-life policies including Teleworking and Flexible Working arrangements (Flexitime) subject to business requirements.
Please note that the International Staff at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium is a non-smoking environment.
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