Finance and Budget Assistant
Organizational Context
The Finance and Budget Assistant role is within the Financial Reporting Service of the UN Secretariat's Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance. This service is responsible for preparing IPSAS-compliant financial statements and ensuring the sustainability of accounting and reporting practices. The Assistant reports to the Head of the Unit or a Finance and Budget Officer.
Job Purpose
The Finance and Budget Assistant provides crucial support in financial reporting and budget management for the UN Secretariat. This role involves assisting in the preparation of programme plans, cost estimates, and budget proposals, as well as monitoring expenditures against approved budgets. The Assistant scrutinizes financial documents, investigates discrepancies, reconciles accounts, and contributes to the preparation of financial statements. They also play a role in ensuring compliance with financial regulations and rules, and may provide guidance to colleagues. The position is key to maintaining accurate financial records and supporting effective resource management within the department.
Responsibilities
The Finance and Budget Assistant is responsible for supporting budget processes, including reviewing programme plans, preparing supporting documents for cost estimates and budget proposals, and assisting managers with resource requirements. They monitor expenditures, review requisitions for accuracy and fund availability, and assist in preparing budget performance reports by analyzing variances. In finance, the role involves scrutinizing source documents, investigating and correcting erroneous charges, communicating with field offices on discrepancies, and reconciling suspense accounts. The Assistant extracts and analyzes financial data, consolidates information for financial statements, and monitors expenditures. They also audit various accounting transactions, serve as an Approving Officer for disbursements, and may provide guidance and supervision to other staff. General duties include staying updated on financial guidelines, responding to queries, maintaining files, and assisting with data presentations.
Work Experience
A minimum of seven years of experience in finance, budget, accounting, or administrative services is required. This is reduced to five years for candidates with a first-level university degree. Experience with spreadsheets, databases, data analysis, and an enterprise resource planning system is mandatory. Experience in data analytics and with UN financial regulations is desirable.
Skills
Professionalism, Accountability, Client Orientation, knowledge of financial rules and regulations, data extraction and analysis, problem-solving, attention to detail, ability to work under pressure, and commitment to gender equality.