Finance and Budget Officer
Organizational Context
This position is within the Financial Reporting and Analytic Service of the UN Secretariat's Finance Division, Office of Programme Planning, Finance and Budget. The Division is responsible for accounting and reporting on UN financial resources, with the Service focused on IPSAS-compliant financial statements and accounting sustainability. The role supports reporting for various assets and contributes to a strong enterprise resource planning system.
Job Purpose
The Finance & Budget Officer plays a crucial role in managing and reporting on UN financial resources. This involves preparing and finalizing programme plans and budgets, ensuring alignment with legislative mandates and departmental submissions. The role encompasses budget administration, including issuing allotments, monitoring expenditures, and managing extra-budgetary resources. It also involves comprehensive financial operations, approving expenditures, preparing financial statements, and producing complex financial reports with trend and forecast analysis. The officer provides guidance, training, and support on financial policies and procedures, contributes to system improvements, and analyzes data for informed decision-making, ensuring the integrity of financial systems and controls.
Responsibilities
The Finance & Budget Officer is responsible for programme planning, including reviewing and finalizing programme plans and revisions, and providing support to intergovernmental bodies. Key duties include budget preparation, analyzing cost estimates, and ensuring compliance with mandates. In budget administration, the role involves issuing allotments, managing budget implementation, monitoring expenditures, and administering extra-budgetary resources. The officer authorizes payments for claims and prepares budget performance reports. In finance, responsibilities include managing financial operations, approving expenditures, preparing financial reports, ensuring accurate accounting and internal controls, and consolidating financial statements. The role also involves data analysis for reporting, coordinating finance projects, and providing guidance and training to staff. General duties include participating in meetings, staying updated on financial policies, drafting reports, and undertaking research for policy improvements.
Work Experience
Requires a minimum of seven years of progressive experience in accounting, finance, and budget administration. Essential experience includes applying accounting standards (IFRS/IPSAS), preparing financial statements, and working with ERP systems for financial transactions and reporting. Four years of experience with financial reporting and data analytics tools, and two years analyzing audit observations are also required. Experience in developing accounting policies or supporting new system implementations is necessary.
Skills
Professionalism in accounting principles and procedures; analytical and evaluative skills; research and analysis capabilities; data interpretation for decision-making; planning and organizing; time management; commitment to continuous learning; effective communication.