UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Org. Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the Strategic Planning, Budget and Finance Section (SPBFS), Executive Office (EO) of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in New York. OCHA is the part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response efforts. OCHA’s mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention and facilitate sustainable solutions.
The Finance and Budget Officer will report to the Chief, SPBFS.
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Finance & Budget Officer will be responsible for the following duties:
Budget preparation:
•Reviews and analyses data with respect to the finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements from (offices at Headquarters and in the field, including programmatic aspects.
•Provides support to managers with respect to the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submissions.
•Reviews, analyses and provides input into finalization of programme budget/financial implications to the Security Council statements in light of additional mandates.
•Provides substantive support to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies in their budget review; assists in securing approval from the General Assembly.
Budget administration:
•Issues allotments, including redeployment of funds when necessary, ensuring appropriate expenditures.
•Monitors budget implementation and determines/recommends reallocation of funds when necessary.
•Monitors expenditures to ensure that they remain within authorized levels.
•Administers and monitors extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures.
•Prepares relevant documentation with respect to budget performance submissions.
•Reviews and makes appropriate recommendations with respect to the finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
Provides substantive support to intergovernmental and legislative bodies.
General:
•Uses information systems and analytical tools such as Excel/Access to prepare and monitor budget plans and undertake financial transactions.
•Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines related to Umoja, participates in development and liaises with the technical team.
•Reviews project documents and budgets, ensuring compliance with United Nations policies and procedures. Acts as a certifying officer to approve the reports submitted by implementing partner and UN agencies.
•Monitors and supervises the work of subordinate staff as required.
•Acts as the alternate Umoja SLO (Security Liaison Officer) for role mapping, setting up department organizational structure, and enforcing SOD (Segregation of Duties) policy.
Competencies
•Professionalism: Knowledge of financial principles and practices. Ability to independently conduct research and analysis, formulate options and present conclusions and recommendations. 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.
•Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
•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.
Education
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, finance, or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Job – Specific Qualification
Relevant training in Umoja Security Liaison Officer is desirable.
Work Experience
A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in finance, administration, budget, business administration or related area is required.
A minimum of two years of experience in the development, review and monitoring of budget implementation of complex budget proposals is required.
Experience in use of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems is required.
Experience in working with complex Excel spreadsheets is desirable.
Experience in independently conducting research and analysis, formulating options and presenting written conclusions and recommendations, interpreting and implementing complex legislative financial rules and regulations is desirable.
Experience with the operations of inter-governmental or other legislative machinery and advising senior management on budget related matters is desirable.
Experience as Umoja Security Liaison Officer or similar function in a comparable international organization is desirable.
Two (2) years in the last five (5) years of relevant international field experience in the context of complex and or natural disaster preparedness and response 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 another UN official language is desirable.
Assessment
The evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview.
Special Notice
This post is funded for a period of one year. Extension of the appointment is subject to extension of the mandate and/or the availability of the funds.
An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential.
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.
United Nations Considerations
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.
No Fee
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.