Finance Assistant

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Finance and Budget Unit of the Executive Office serving the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) and Peace Operations (DPO). The position reports to the Finance & Budget Officer. The Executive Office is part of the Office for Coordination and Shared Services which enables, directs and coordinates departmental efforts to ensure the effective integration and management of both Departments. The Department of Peace Operations (DPO) serves as a center of excellence for peace operations, responsible for preventing, responding to and managing conflict and sustaining peace in countries where peace operations under its purview are deployed, and provides support to other entities on peace and security issues. The Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) focuses primarily on five action areas in international peace and security, ensuring sound analysis and early warning, preventing conflict and engaging in peacemaking, managing political crises and violent conflicts, sustaining peace, and enhancing partnerships. The Department’s mandate is to prevent and resolve conflict through inclusive political solutions.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Finance & Budget Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

Budget and Finance:

• Provides support with respect to the review, analyses and preparation of cost estimates ensuring compliance with the medium-term plan and other legislative mandates.
• Prepares supporting documents (narrative and supporting tables) with respect to finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements.
• Assists managers in the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submissions.
• Undertakes research using Umoja and Business Intelligence reporting tools and provides support to the Finance & Budget Officers with respect to budget reviews of relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies.
• Prepares expenditure and status of allotment report.
• Monitors expenditures and compares with approved budget; prepares adjustments as necessary.
• Reviews requisitions for goods and services to ensure (a) correct objects of expenditure have been charged, and (b) availability of funds.
• Assists in preparation of budget performance submissions and finalization of budget performance reports, analyzing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
• Monitors the accuracy of postings in the various UMOJA modules for records pertaining to budgets administered by DPPA-DPO Executive Office.
• Verifies accuracy of input data, ensuring consistency of data in previous allotments to new allotments issued.
• Coordinates with other finance and budget staff on related issues during preparation of budget reports.
• Periodic reconciliation of accounts using UMOJA reporting tools.
• Processes redeployment of funds through the Finance Management Module in UMOJA
• Prepares request to Controller’s Office on redeployment of funds and to Finance section on movement of funds
• Reviews data on monthly staffing complement
• Processes appropriation received from PPBD/FOFD and input allotment in UMOJA per commitment classes.
• Act as certifying officer for obligating documents within the Delegation of Authority granted.

General:

• Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to programme, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures.
• Drafts or prepares correspondence to respond to enquiries in respect to relevant financial and budget matters.
• Maintains and keeps up-to-date files.
• May be responsible for providing guidance, training and daily supervision to other general service staff in the area of responsibility.
• Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven years of experience in finance, budget, accounting, administrative services or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to 5 for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience in the preparation of budget and performance report is required. Experience being a local process expert in travel or sources to acquire is desirable. Experience using Microsoft Excel is desirable. Experience in a Finance Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system such as the Umoja Finance module is desirable.

Languages

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

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/246195?language=en