FINANCE AND BUDGET ASSISTANT

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. The position is in the Programme Development Branch of the Global Solutions Division of UN-Habitat.

The Global Solutions Division (GSD) is responsible for providing programmatic direction for UN-Habitat and is responsible and accountable for the programmatic delivery of the Strategic Plan. The Division leads the tools and methodology production and the integration of the various substantive competencies towards effective delivery of the Strategic Plan and the mandate of UN-Habitat. It provides Substantive training to staff members and supports capacity development of Member States and partners.

The Programme Development Branch (PDB) is responsible for the overall coordination of programme development. It brings together normative and operational expertise supporting high-quality integrated programmes that maximize results across the outcomes and the domains of change in the Strategic Plan. It builds on concrete demands of national and local governments, strengthening the capacity of government and urban stakeholders at all levels to address the social, economic, environmental and crisis dimensions of sustainable urbanization. The Branch also focuses on supporting global programme development to strengthen normative capacity and knowledge generation to increase impact and influence, through strategic partnerships.

Under the direct supervision and guidance of Programme Management Officer, the incumbent will perform the following duties:

BUDGET AND FINANCE:

• Assists in the preparation of supporting documents (narrative and supporting tables) with respect to finalization of extra-budgetary resources in terms of staff and non-staff requirements;
• Supports the Programme Management Officer(s) extracting information and generating expenditures, donor income, and other relevant grants/project reports from computerized information system databases (Umoja/IMIS, etc);
• Assists in preliminary analyses of the extracted information and the reports generated, and highlights areas of concern for the attention of the Programme Management Officer(s);
• Researches/compiles data and other information required by the Programme Management Officer(s) in the review and analysis of relevant budget proposals; Consolidates data and provides support to Programme Management Officer(s) with respect to budget and expenditures review relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies and donors;
• Assists the Programme Management Officer (s) in the preparation/finalization of budget performance reports, performing preliminary analysis of variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures and also with the donor's approved budget/agreements;
• Prepares pre-commitment, commitments, purchase orders, etc. and review them to ensure the funds are available, and the correct account has been used and availability of funds;
• Assists in the financial backstopping of trust funds, including monitoring the status of donors' contributions, generating expenditures report from UMOJA/IMIS etc and monitoring reporting requirements by donors;
• Assists the Programme Management Officer(s) in the issuance of Grant budget/allotment; and related staffing table;
• Verifies accuracy of input data, ensuring consistency of data in previous allotments to new allotments issued and Grant cash availability and compliance with the donors' agreements;
• Review outstanding commitments including the advances and expenditures reporting by the implementing partners and ensure payments/liquidation, services entry sheets are raised in time and close unused balances on timely manner;
• Support Programme Management Officer (s) in data cleansing and grant closure processes and draft final report to the donors.

General:

• Keeps up to date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to extra-budgetary budgets, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decision as well as with United Nations policies and procedures and donors' agreements;
• Draft routine correspondence with respect to enquiries related to relevant financial and budget matters;
• Maintains and keeps up-to-date files;
• Provides administrative support to the Substantive Officer(s) and Programme Management Officer(s) as required;
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

PROFESSIONALISM: 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.

PLANNING & 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.

ACCOUNTABILITY: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honors 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.

High school diploma or equivalent is required. Supplementary training in administration, finance, budget, accounting or related fields is desirable.

Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Services and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat. Successful passing of the Administrative Support Assessment Test (ASAT) in English at the United Nations Headquarters (UNHQ), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Economic and Social Commission for Eastern Asia (ESCWA), United Nations Office at Geneva.

A minimum of seven (7) years of progressive responsible experience in finance, budget, accounting, or related area is required.
At least three (3) years of experience tracking and updating data in an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is required.
Two years of experience in extracting and analyzing data is desirable.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

NOTE: "fluency equals a rating of "fluent" in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and " Knowledge of" equals a rating of " confident" in two of the four areas.

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

This is a project post. Appointment against this post is for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension. The position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

Internal Applicants – when completing the PHP, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you.

All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira "Need Help?" link.

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.