Current Opportunities at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Duties and Responsibilities:

UNEP's Communication Division is looking for a dynamic self-starter as science editor. Under the supervision of the Head Writer, and working closely with the Head of Publishing, Lead Publications Editor, publication managers/authors, the science editor will be responsible for the effective and efficient performance of the following duties:

• Provide science editing services for UNEP publications as assigned.
• Provide copy-editing services to policy briefs from Executive Office and Office of the Chief Scientist on politically sensitive topics.
• Support for launch assets including key messages for policymakers, copy for social media assets, video scripts and press releases.

Qualifications/special skills

• First level University degree in journalism, communication, social sciences or other related field is required.
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in scientific editing, technical writing, proofreading, and publishing is required.
• Excellent command of advanced and technical English language, scientific terminologies and conventions, editorial principles, and great attention to detail and accuracy, is required.
• Proven editorial skills, including research, writing, substantive editing, copy-editing, and proofreading of science publications on environmental topics, oral and writing communication skills is required.
• Experience with editorial practices and documentation procedures of UNEP or comparable international organizations is desirable.
• Experience in a field related to the environment, sustainable development, and science is an added advantage.

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Responsibilities
Medium-term plan: 

• Reviews, analyses and finalizes the preparation of UNEP’s medium-term strategy and its revisions on the basis of departmental submissions, taking into account recommendations and decisions of specialized intergovernmental bodies including UNEA and the General Assembly.  
• Provides substantive support to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies in their review of the medium-term strategy and its revisions, and secures approval from UNEA and the General Assembly.  Ensure legislative mandates are accurately translated into programme budgets.  

Budget preparation:  

• Reviews, analyses and finalizes cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements from; (a) the divisions and regional offices, including programmatic aspects;  (b) ensure compliance with the medium-term strategy and other legislative mandates.  
• Supports the development of the resource requirements section in the Programme of Work.  Provides detailed inputs with respect to resource requirements for budget submissions.  
• Reviews, analyzes and finalizes programme budget/financial implications to the governing bodies statements in light of additional mandates.  
• Provides substantive support to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies in their budget review and assists in securing approval from UNEA and the General Assembly.  
• Lead the yearly allocation process for core financial resources and their deliberations through the Budget Steering Committee.  

Budget administration:  

• Issues allotments, authorizes sub-allotments, including redeployment of funds when necessary, ensuring appropriate expenditures.  Manages and monitors budget implementation and recommends reallocation of funds as 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.  
• Administers and monitors extra-budgetary resources pertaining to Thematic Funds and Programme Cooperation Agreements (Norway, SIDA, China and other corporate agreements as assigned by the Director of Corporate Services Division).  
• Reviews draft agreements and cost plans, support the allocation of the yearly contributions, ensures allotments are recorded in the ERP system against approved projects and initiatives, monitor and follow up on expenditures including monthly review of outstanding commitments, timely closure of the associated grants, reporting the financial reports to the donors, while ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures.  
• Reviews and makes appropriate recommendations with respect to the finalization of budget performance reports, analyzing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.  
• Prepare periodic and ad-hoc reports, including monthly budget dashboard reports to senior management, Programme Performance Reports (PPR) to UNEP Senior Management, as well as to the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR).  
• Manage approved staffing table for Corporate Services Division, Executive Office, and Evaluation Office, and other assigned client offices.  
• Prepare monthly post incumbency reports and update the positions' cost distribution in Umoja Organization Management to ensure correct coding blocks are charged.
• Prepare/review relevant financial and/or budgetary reports needed for IPSAS financial statement purposes.  
• Provides substantive support to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies.  

General:  

• Provides advice and guidance, including training, to headquarters and field staff and team members on budgetary and financial policies and procedures, including results-based budgeting.  
• Participates in inter-departmental meetings and/or technical survey missions 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 the United Nations policies and procedures.  
• Drafts reports for intergovernmental bodies and for management on budgetary issues, and correspondence.  
• Undertakes research and analysis of budgetary policies and procedures, makes recommendations for changes and/or modifications.  
• Acts as Certifying Officer under Financial Rule 110.4 to ensure that proposed obligations and expenditures are in accordance with approved budgets and established regulations and rules.
• Ensures the integrity of financial and management systems and the controls that underpin them.  
• May plan, organize, manage and supervise the work of the subordinates assigned.
• Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. 
• Incumbent may be asked to perform other related duties.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of financial and budgetary principles and practices, budget development and financial administration of resources. Ability to develop budgetary policies, procedures and new programmes. Ability to formulate new strategies and technical approaches to budgetary matters. 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. The ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management.  
• 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.  
• ACCOUNTABILITY: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours 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.
• LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow; empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvement, does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.

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 two years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.  
• Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible work experience in budget, finance, administration, business administration or a related area, is required.    
• Proven working experience with the financial and budgetary functions in Enterprise Resource Platform (ERP) systems (e.g., Umoja) is required.    
• Experience in conducting qualitative research and analysis is desirable.    
• Experience using data analytical tools such as MS Excel and Power BI is desirable.    
• Experience with the preparation of financial, budgetary and management reports, use of reports in Business Intelligence, and the reporting of budgetary information in accordance with the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) is desirable.    
• Experience in results-based budgeting (RBB) is desirable.    
• Experience in applying the policies and practices of cost recovery is desirable.    
• Experience with the UN Common System or a comparable international organization in the development and administration of complex assessed and extrabudgetary resources and the service of intergovernmental bodies (e.g.  Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), 5th Committee, Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC) is desirable.    
• 2 years or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Deadline : May 21, 2024