Senior Budget Officer, P4, Pretoria

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Senior Budget Officer provides substantive resource management guidance to the Senior Management in its geographic area of responsibility. Under the direct supervision of the Regional Controller, and in coordination with DFAM¿s Programme Budget Service, the incumbent is responsible for guiding, monitoring, advising on, and supporting budget management.

With the objective of constantly improving UNHCR budget management and cost-efficiency in all areas, the incumbent establishes and maintains effective budget management mechanisms to ensure compliance with ¿UN financial regulations and UNHCR¿s rules, policies and procedures including, and not limited to, accuracy in postings and use of chartfield combinations, up-to-date OL and AOL figures, assessment of budget submissions, and checking/validation of submissions for position changes and requests for Temporary Assistance.

The incumbent may have frequent contacts with UNHCR offices and counterparts in other organizations. He/she supports the work of the Regional Controller with authority to discuss problems and seek common ground on which to recommend solutions based on predetermined guidelines provided by higher authority.

The incumbent may directly supervise professional and general service staff.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR¿s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties

– Develop and maintain in-depth understanding of the geographical area of responsibility to facilitate the analysis of budget management and budget submissions. – Analyse budget and resource management and devise innovative practical ways to improve the efficient use of resources by maximizing opportunities and developing and monitoring context-specific KPIs and benchmarks to complement corporate-level indicators. – Provide advice on budget management throughout the programme cycle following-up as required to ensure best practices are observed, resources are used in a cost-effective manner and that adequate controls are in place, anticipating, preventing and proposing solutions to problems and issues that arise. – Coordinate with Regional Controller or the Office of the Controller, as applicable, regarding the interpretation of policies and procedures and provide advice on their practical application. – Coordinate the planning for financial requirements, providing useful analysis of past year trends and future projections, in relation to the strategic directions and planned activities, reviewing and ensuring the quality, coherence, consistency and completeness of budget submissions for the initial allocation and subsequent reallocations of resources during the programme year, so that the use of available resources is prioritised and optimised. – Disseminate Budget Committee decisions and ensure timely and accurate implementation of decisions. – Undertake, throughout the entire budget cycle, financial monitoring and analysis of all financial operations as well as analysis of progress towards financial objectives, ensuring consistency with approved budget, strategy and organizational guidelines and proposing corrective action if necessary. – Support and monitor the management of grants from donors, including the appropriate financial reporting considering earmarking limitations. – Contribute with analysis, documentation, or any other relevant input the preparation of notes and answer to audit queries; ensure the implementation of budget-related audit recommendations. – Assist data quality processes to ensure accurate and meaningful reporting. – Participate in the recruitment of local budget-related personnel. – Check budget impact of position change requests (creations, discontinuations, upgrades). – Check funding source of requests for Temporary Assistance (sufficient ABOD or vacant position). – Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level For P4/NOD – 9 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 8 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 7 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education Business Administration; Economics; Management; or other relevant field. (Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Certificates and/or Licenses Not specified. (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential At least 5 years in total should be in an international capacity directly relevant to the current position that should include exposure to field operations at hardship duty stations. Excellent knowledge and experience in budget management, including position budget management, budget allocation and planning and budgeting in an International organisation, preferably within the UN system. Excellent computer skills and working knowledge of MS Office software Highly developed drafting skills.

Desirable Exposure to UNHCR or humanitarian field operations. Working knowledge of PeopleSoft ERP, and RBM Software – Focus. Exposure to UNHCR specific learning/training activities (i.e. UNHCR Management Learning Programme).