Chief of Section, Audit Job at United Nations

Special Notice

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.

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. This vacancy is being advertised due to the anticipated retirement of the current incumbent, the selected candidate would not be expected to take up the post prior to 1 July 2017. This position is funded for a finite period of one year. Extension of the appointment is subject to the extension of the mandate and/or the availability of funds.

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the UNHCR Audit Service, Internal Audit Division (IAD) of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) in Nairobi. Audits and assignments will be undertaken in the areas of finance, administration and operations. The incumbent reports to the Chief of Service, IAD UNHCR.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, under the supervision of the Chief of Service, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

• Develops and implements the Section’s medium and long-term goals and objectives, and related annual audit and work plans.
• Plans, organizes, directs and coordinates the activities of multiple teams and resources of the Section.
• Defines the broad objectives and scope for each audit/review.
• Provides direction and leadership with respect to all phases of each audit/review with a view to ensuring that OIOS standards are complied with and that audit/review objectives are achieved within budget.
• Reviews working papers and related audit/review communications (e.g., audit reports).
• Provides guidance to audit staff on technical and administrative matters.
• Leads audits/reviews of a sensitive and complex nature.
• Analyses guidelines and standards for internal audit activities in the course of ensuring consistency of approach and adequacy of practice of subordinate auditors.
• Coordinates and recommends improvements in, or reviews proposed changes to, the financial rules of the Organization.
• Monitors the status of audit/review recommendations.
• Liaises with internal audit functions of other United Nations organizations.
• Empowers/challenges staff to assume more responsibility.
• Establishes and maintains a positive relationship with auditees.
• Carries out other tasks as may be assigned by the Chief of Service or Director of IAD.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge of auditing standards and practices, risk assessment, knowledge of applicable financial rules and procedures. Ability to identify issues, formulate opinions and present conclusions and recommendations. Has knowledge of specialized IT audit applications, such as IDEA, ACL, and TeamMate. 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. 
• 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.

Managerial Competencies

• 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 improvements; 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.
• 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, finance, accounting or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA), and Certified International Auditor (CIA), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) or equivalent is desirable.

Work Experience

• A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible professional experience in audit, finance, accounting, administration, statistics, computer science or related area is required. Experience in supervisory functions is desirable. Experience in public sector auditing is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

Assessment

• Evaluation of qualified candidates ma include an assessment exercise, which may be followed by a competency-based interview.