Posting Title: CHIEF, BUDGET AND PROJECT FINANCE SECTION
Job Code Title: SENIOR FINANCE AND BUDGET OFFICER
Department/Office: UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT
Duty Station: GENEVA
Posting Period: 06 January 2017 - 19 February 2017
Job Opening Number: 17-Finance-TD-68400-R-Geneva (R)
Job Code Title: SENIOR FINANCE AND BUDGET OFFICER
Department/Office: UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT
Duty Station: GENEVA
Posting Period: 06 January 2017 - 19 February 2017
Job Opening Number: 17-Finance-TD-68400-R-Geneva (R)
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.
Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfill the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover note.
Org. Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the Resource Management Service (RMS), in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Geneva. The incumbent reports directly to the Chief of RMS.
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Section Chief, Budget and Project Finance Section will be responsible for the following duties:
•Plans, organizes and manages the preparation of the strategic framework and its revisions on the basis of departmental submissions, taking into account recommendations and decisions of specialized intergovernmental bodies.
• Ensures legislative mandates are accurately translated into programme budgets.
•Supervise preparation and defense of regular budget submissions, including programmatic aspects, in close coordination with program managers and Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts (OPPBA) with a view to obtaining approval by the General Assembly.
•Reviews, analyses and finalizes cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements from UNCTAD offices, including programmatic aspects; ensures compliance with the strategic framework and other legislative mandates.
•Reviews, analyses and finalizes programme budget/financial implications to OPPBA in light of revised or additional mandates.
•Provides substantive support to OPPBA and relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies in their budget review; secures approval from the General Assembly.
•Manages/issues allotments, authorizes sub-allotments, including redeployment of funds when necessary, ensuring appropriate expenditures.
•Monitors expenditures to ensure that they remain within authorized levels.
•Exercises delegated authority for extra-budgetary resources: administers and monitors extra-budgetary resources, including review and clearance of agreements and cost plans, accepts contributions; issues allotments, allocations and grants; manages special account for programme support costs; clears host country agreements and manages related special accounts; clears NRL agreements ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures.
•Oversees the review and finalization of budget performance reports; monitors variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
•Provides substantive advice and support to UNCTAD management, intergovernmental and expert bodies in review of budget performance reports; secure approval from the General Assembly.
•Provides advice and guidance to UNCTAD staff on budgetary and financial policies and procedures, including results-based budgeting.
•Participates in inter-departmental meetings on matters related to resource requirements, programming and budgetary issues.
•Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to programme budgets, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures.
•Prepares/finalizes reports for intergovernmental bodies and for management on budgetary issues, and correspondence, including guidelines, instructions.
•Ensures effective and efficient monitoring and control of budgetary resources and the use of posts, review and analyse expenditures, maintains budget discipline.
•Identifies trends and problems, develops and undertakes corrective measures.
•Reviews and analyses budgetary policies and procedures, makes recommendations for changes and/or modifications.
•Acts as Certifying Officer under Financial Rule 105.5 to ensure that proposed obligations and expenditures are in accordance with budgets and established regulations and rules.
•Serves on UNCTAD's Grants Committee.
•Ensures the integrity of financial and management systems and the controls that underpin them.
•Prepares replies to audit observations, ensure follow-up and implementation of recommendations.
•Coordinates workflow and procedures with substantive divisions of UNCTAD, administrative services at UNOG and UNHQ, and UNDP.
•Represents UNCTAD in meetings of legislative and expert organs as required, including the Fifth Committee and Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ).
•Acts as IPSAS and ERP focal point at UNCTAD, coordinates Umoja implementation activities.
•Represents UNCTAD in inter and intra-departmental meetings.
•Plans, organizes and manages staff and work programme; plans and discusses individual work programmes with staff and evaluates their performance.
•Performs other related duties, as assigned.
Competencies
•Professionalism: Knowledge of financial and budgetary principles and practices, budget management and financial administration of resources. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines. Knowledge of IPSAS and ERP systems, such as Umoja. Excellent computer skills and knowledge of office applications, such as Excel, Powerpoint, etc. Proven analytical skills and ability to provide technical advice to managers on budget formulation and management, including as it relates to regular budget, projects or the establishment of operations in the field. Ability to formulate new strategies and approaches to budget and financial management issues. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas 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.
•Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.
•Judgement/Decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.
Education
Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in business administration, public administration, accounting, finance or related field. A first-level university degree in any of these fields, in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Professional accounting qualification (CPA, CMA, CA) would be an advantage.
Work Experience
A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in budget, finance, accounting, business administration or related area is required. Out of these, five years of experience in the budget and financial management of large programmes, including programmes of technical assistance nature and in an international organization is desirable. A minimum of three years of experience leading a budget/finance team is desirable. Experience with ERP systems, such as UMOJA, is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required; knowledge of French is desirable.
Assessment
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by competency-based interview.
Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfill the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover note.
Org. Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the Resource Management Service (RMS), in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Geneva. The incumbent reports directly to the Chief of RMS.
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Section Chief, Budget and Project Finance Section will be responsible for the following duties:
•Plans, organizes and manages the preparation of the strategic framework and its revisions on the basis of departmental submissions, taking into account recommendations and decisions of specialized intergovernmental bodies.
• Ensures legislative mandates are accurately translated into programme budgets.
•Supervise preparation and defense of regular budget submissions, including programmatic aspects, in close coordination with program managers and Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts (OPPBA) with a view to obtaining approval by the General Assembly.
•Reviews, analyses and finalizes cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements from UNCTAD offices, including programmatic aspects; ensures compliance with the strategic framework and other legislative mandates.
•Reviews, analyses and finalizes programme budget/financial implications to OPPBA in light of revised or additional mandates.
•Provides substantive support to OPPBA and relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies in their budget review; secures approval from the General Assembly.
•Manages/issues allotments, authorizes sub-allotments, including redeployment of funds when necessary, ensuring appropriate expenditures.
•Monitors expenditures to ensure that they remain within authorized levels.
•Exercises delegated authority for extra-budgetary resources: administers and monitors extra-budgetary resources, including review and clearance of agreements and cost plans, accepts contributions; issues allotments, allocations and grants; manages special account for programme support costs; clears host country agreements and manages related special accounts; clears NRL agreements ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures.
•Oversees the review and finalization of budget performance reports; monitors variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
•Provides substantive advice and support to UNCTAD management, intergovernmental and expert bodies in review of budget performance reports; secure approval from the General Assembly.
•Provides advice and guidance to UNCTAD staff on budgetary and financial policies and procedures, including results-based budgeting.
•Participates in inter-departmental meetings on matters related to resource requirements, programming and budgetary issues.
•Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to programme budgets, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures.
•Prepares/finalizes reports for intergovernmental bodies and for management on budgetary issues, and correspondence, including guidelines, instructions.
•Ensures effective and efficient monitoring and control of budgetary resources and the use of posts, review and analyse expenditures, maintains budget discipline.
•Identifies trends and problems, develops and undertakes corrective measures.
•Reviews and analyses budgetary policies and procedures, makes recommendations for changes and/or modifications.
•Acts as Certifying Officer under Financial Rule 105.5 to ensure that proposed obligations and expenditures are in accordance with budgets and established regulations and rules.
•Serves on UNCTAD's Grants Committee.
•Ensures the integrity of financial and management systems and the controls that underpin them.
•Prepares replies to audit observations, ensure follow-up and implementation of recommendations.
•Coordinates workflow and procedures with substantive divisions of UNCTAD, administrative services at UNOG and UNHQ, and UNDP.
•Represents UNCTAD in meetings of legislative and expert organs as required, including the Fifth Committee and Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ).
•Acts as IPSAS and ERP focal point at UNCTAD, coordinates Umoja implementation activities.
•Represents UNCTAD in inter and intra-departmental meetings.
•Plans, organizes and manages staff and work programme; plans and discusses individual work programmes with staff and evaluates their performance.
•Performs other related duties, as assigned.
Competencies
•Professionalism: Knowledge of financial and budgetary principles and practices, budget management and financial administration of resources. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines. Knowledge of IPSAS and ERP systems, such as Umoja. Excellent computer skills and knowledge of office applications, such as Excel, Powerpoint, etc. Proven analytical skills and ability to provide technical advice to managers on budget formulation and management, including as it relates to regular budget, projects or the establishment of operations in the field. Ability to formulate new strategies and approaches to budget and financial management issues. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas 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.
•Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.
•Judgement/Decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.
Education
Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in business administration, public administration, accounting, finance or related field. A first-level university degree in any of these fields, in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Professional accounting qualification (CPA, CMA, CA) would be an advantage.
Work Experience
A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in budget, finance, accounting, business administration or related area is required. Out of these, five years of experience in the budget and financial management of large programmes, including programmes of technical assistance nature and in an international organization is desirable. A minimum of three years of experience leading a budget/finance team is desirable. Experience with ERP systems, such as UMOJA, is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required; knowledge of French is desirable.
Assessment
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by competency-based interview.