ASSOCIATE FINANCE AND BUDGET OFFICER, New York, United States

 

Organizational Setting and Reporting

The position is located in the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UN Partnerships). The incumbent will support all initiatives of the UN Partnerships and report to the Executive Director of UN Partnerships, and work closely with other members of the team. Guided by the priorities of the UN Secretary-General, UN Partnerships is the gateway to the UN system to connect and co-create partnerships to deliver solutions to reach everyone, everywhere. In its role as a connector, UN Partnerships proactively engages, convenes and leverages stakeholders, initiatives and solutions in support of the Decade of Action to keep the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). UN Partnerships oversees the SDG Advocates programme, the UN Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP), and the UN Democracy Fund.(UNDEF).

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Associate Finance & Budget Officer will be responsible for the following duties: Medium-term plan:

  • Reviews, analyses and finalizes the preparation of the medium-term plan and its revisions on the basis of UN Partnerships’ submissions, taking into account recommendations and decisions of specialized intergovernmental bodies.
  • Provides advice and support to the Executive Director and Senior Programme Officer on correct procedures, interpretation of Financial Rules and Regulations, as well as to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies in their review of the medium-term plan and its revisions; assists in securing approval from the General Assembly.
  • Ensures legislative mandates are accurately translated into programme budgets. Budget preparation:
  • Reviews, analyses and assists in the finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements from (a) UN Partnerships, including programmatic aspects; (b) smaller-sized peacekeeping operations; ensure compliance with the medium-term plan and other legislative mandates.
  • Reviews and analyses programme budget/financial implications in light of UN Partnerships’ mandates.
  • Assists managers in the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submissions.
  • Provides support to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies in their budget review; assists in securing approval from the General Assembly. Budget administration:
  • Prepares allotments, including redeployment of funds when necessary, ensuring appropriate expenditures and prepares annual year-end financial reporting.
  • Monitors budget implementation and recommends reallocation of funds as necessary.
  • Monitors expenditures to ensure that they remain within authorized levels.
  • Reviews requisitions generated by the Reality system for goods and services to ensure (a) correct objects of expenditure have been charged, and (b)availability of funds.
  • Administers and monitors extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures. prepares and reviews financial reports to donors on use of funds.
  • Assists in the preparation of budget performance submissions and prepares relevant documentation and responses with respect to audit submissions and SG reports.
  • Reviews and assists in finalization of budget performance reports, analyzing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures, prepares status of allotments; monitor obligations/expenditures and review unliquidated obligations.
  • Assists in providing substantive support to intergovernmental and expert bodies. General:
  • Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to programme and/or peacekeeping budgets, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures.
  • Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Competencies

  • Professionalism: Ability to identify and resolve budgetary problems and identify sources for data collection. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
  • Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.
  • 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.

Education

An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in business administration, finance or a 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. A first-level university degree and no experience will be accepted for candidates who have passed the United Nations Young Professionals Programme Examination (YPP), the United Nations National Competitive Recruitment Examination (NCRE) or the General Service to Professional Examination (G to P).

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of two years of progressively responsible experience in finance, administration, budget, business administration or related area is required. No experience is required for candidates who have passed the Young Professionals Programme Examination/United Nations National Competitive Recruitment Examination (NCRE) or the General Service to Professional Examination (G to P). Experience in preparing audit reports and responding to internal and external auditor and budget committee inquiries is required. Experience in engaging with inter-governmental bodies in preparation for donor reports and Advisory Board meetings is required. Experience in drafting and developing funding proposals for donors and partners is required. Experience in reviewing and certifying in Implementing Partner Management module such as funds certification and payment requests is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).

Required Languages

Language Reading Writing Listening Speaking
English UN Level II UN Level II UN Level II UN Level II

Assessment

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

Special Notice

This position is temporarily available for three (3) months. Appointment against this position is subject to availability of funding. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. While this temporary job opening may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station. This temporary job opening may be limited to “internal candidates,” who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15. Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation. Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. Education qualification exceeding the specified requirement of this job opening including university degrees and certificates shall not give rise to additional entitlements or benefits, or facilitate a move to the Professional category. The movement of staff members from the General Service and related categories to the Professional category in the United Nations Secretariat is exclusively allowed through the Young Professionals Programme competitive examinations. Only a few staff members pass the competitive examinations. Passing the competitive examinations does not guarantee movement to the Professional category. For further information, please visit https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=GP Pursuant to section 7.11 of ST/AI/2012/2/Rev.1, candidates recruited through the young professionals programme who have not served for a minimum of two years in the position of their initial assignment are not eligible to apply to this position. A current staff member who holds a fixed-term, permanent or continuing appointment may apply for temporary positions no more than one level above his or her current grade. However, a current staff member who holds an appointment at the G-6 or G-7 level may also apply to temporary positions in the Professional category up to and including the P-3 level, subject to meeting all eligibility and other requirements for the position. In accordance with ST/AI/1999/17 section 2.3, an SPA may only be granted to one level higher than the personal level of the staff member assigned to higher-level functions in his or her own category, whether the higher-level functions are one or several levels higher than the personal level of the staff member. Staff in the General Service and related categories temporarily placed against a post at the Professional level may receive an SPA to the P-1 or P-2 level. A staff member holding a temporary appointment shall be regarded as an external candidate when applying for other positions, and may apply for other temporary positions at any level, subject to section 5.7 of ST/AI/2010/4 Rev. 1. below and staff rule 4.16 (b) (ii). For full information on eligibility requirements, please refer to section 5 of ST/AI/2010/4Rev.1 on Temporary Appointments. For information on special post allowance, please refer to ST/AI/1999/17. For more details on the administration of temporary appointments please refer to ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.1. While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. An external candidate selected for this position is bound by the prevailing condition of the staff selection system under ST/AI/2010/3, as amended, and ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.1. A staff member holding a temporary appointment who is recruited in the Professional and above categories on a temporary appointment, and placed on a position authorized for one year or longer may not apply for or be reappointed to his/her current position within six months of the end of his/her current service. This provision does not apply to staff members holding temporary appointments and placed on positions authorized for one year or more in duty stations authorized for peacekeeping operations or special political missions.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

Skills
Financial Analysis
Budget Preparation
English
Audit Reporting
Stakeholder Engagement
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