Senior Finance and Budget Assistant at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Responsibilities
Budget:  

• Acts as Certifying Officers under Financial Rule 110.4 to ensure that proposed obligations and expenditures are in accordance with approved budgets and established regulations and rules.  
• Undertakes reviews, analyses and preparation of the medium-term plan and its revisions.  
• Reviews, analyses, and assists in the finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements, including programmatic aspects; ensures compliance with Global Environment Facility (GEF) and UNEP’s regulations, rules, and policies.  
• Assists managers in the elaboration of resource requirements for project documents.  
• Undertakes research and provides support to higher level Finance & Budget Officers with respect to project portfolio management, evaluation, audit, and other reviews.  
• Monitor receipt of contributions for relevant projects to ensure timely application of funds.  
• Prepares allotments, including redeployment of funds when necessary, ensuring appropriate expenditures and availability of cash.  
• Monitors budget implementation/expenditures and recommends reallocation of funds as necessary.  
• Reviews requisitions for goods and services to ensure (a) correct objects of expenditure have been charged, and (b) availability of funds and cash.  
• Reviews donor and implementing agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures.  
• Reviews periodically open items (including outstanding obligations and receivable documents) and recommends actions for liquidation and clearance.  
• Assists in the preparation of budget performance submissions.  
• Assists in finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.  
• Monitors integrity of various financial databases.  
• Verifies accuracy of input data, ensuring consistency of data in previous  allotments to new allotments issued.  
• Undertakes research and analysis of budgetary policies and procedures and makes recommendations for changes and/or modifications.  

Payments and accounting:  

• Reviews, analyses, and processes expenditure reports from partners, vendor invoices and other related documents and initiates payments (including cash advances) to third parties, commercial entities, and individuals.  
• Prepares financial statements for projects to donors when requested.   Assists in the year-end closing activities.  

General:  

• 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.  
• Drafts or prepares correspondence to respond to enquiries in respect to relevant financial and budget matters.  
• Provides guidance, training, and daily supervision to other general service staff in the area of responsibility.  
• Drafts reports for intergovernmental bodies and for management on budgetary issues, and correspondence.  
• Assists with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making.  
• Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures.  
• Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Competencies

• 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. Ability to perform analysis, modelling and interpretation of data in support of decision-making.  
• COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors' language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.  
• 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.

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job - Specific Qualification

• Supplemental training in administration, finance or related field is desirable.    

Work Experience

• A minimum of ten (10) years of work experience in finance, budget, accounting, or related area is required. The minimum years’ of relevant experience is reduced to eight (8) for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher.    
• Experience working with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as Systems, Applications and Products (SAP), e.g., UN Umoja, in grants management, funds management and financial management modules is required.    
• Experience with Global funds such as Global Environment Facility (GEF), Adaptation Fund (AF) and/or Green Climate Fund (GCF) is desirable.    
• One (1) year or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.    
• Experience in an international organization such as the United Nations is desirable.