This position is located in Dakar, Senegal. This position involves a variety of tasks which include the complete and homogeneous management of the Mission’s financial system, including planning, preparation, monitoring and reporting on all programme submissions, fund redeployments, and the overall Mission budget. Additional tasks also include the coordination of effective financial services with the Regional Service Center, Entebbe (RSCE). These functions cover both UNOWAS and CNMC. The Finance and Budget Officer who acts as Head of the Finance and Budget Unit reports to the Chief of Mission Support for United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) and the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission (CNMC).
Within the delegated authority, the Finance and Budget Officer will be responsible for the following duties:
•Prepares cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of mission's resourcing requirements such as a staff and non-staff requirements, including programmatic aspects; reviews, analyses and revises data with respect to the finalization of budget proposal as well as Result Based Budgeting inputs.
•Provides support to programme/fund centre managers (Substantive and Support Sections) with respect to the elaboration of resources requirements for budget submissions.
•Administers and monitors extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures. •Administrates the mission's allotments in accordance with the established procedures including redeployment/reallocation of funds.
•Ensures the sufficient and effective use of budgetary resources through robust monitoring of budget utilization to the approved budget and timely provision of information to the Mission
management for decision making; Provides support and guidance to fund centre/programme managers on budget implementation and corrective actions were necessary.
•Prepares the budget performance report of the mission and ensures that correct and accurate data and information are provided by various programme/fund centre managers in compliance with the Controller's instructions. Reviews and finalizes the performance report ensuring valid and adequate variance explanations between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
•Analyses complex/unusual accounting transactions and open items in the accounting system and implements corrective actions.
•Reviews and reconciles various clearing accounts, investigates erroneous/invalid entries and takes appropriate corrective accounting action.
•Advises and ensures that only valid year-end budget commitments confirming with established procedures are valid for carrying forward.
•Reviews and verifies that appropriate relevant supporting documents have been provided for the processing of payment for goods and services received.
•Reviews and approves monthly and year-end financial statements, ensuring the reports are accurate and submitted to UNHQ as per the deadline
•Manages cash flow requirements of the mission; verify imprest documentation and prepares imprest statements.
•Acts as Approving Officer under Financial Rule 105.4 in adherence with the UN Regulations and Rules.
•Provide advice, financial interpretations, adaptations and corrective actions in response to audits and other queries to ensure adherence to the UN Financial Regulations and Rules, Staff Rules, Administrative Instructions, Bulletins and Circulars.
•Coordinate and supervise the work of Finance and Budget Section ensuring clear guidelines are given to the staff and ensuring full compliance with UN Financial Rules and Regulations and deadlines are met.
•Performs other duties as assigned
Results Expected: Applies specialised expertise in providing accurate and complete accounting/financial and budget information. Successfully manages a complete accounting
operation. Ensures strong internal control mechanisms in place in support of the stewardship of the mission’s resources in adherence to the UN Regulations and Rules.
Professionalism: Knowledge of accounting principles, procedures and standards. Ability to apply conceptual, analytical and evaluative skills in accounting operations. Ability to
conduct independent research and analysis, identify issues, formulate options and make conclusions and recommendations.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 and 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.
Managing performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority. Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member. Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills. Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines. Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff. Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative. Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff. Appraises performance fairly.
An advanced university degree (Master’s or Doctorate degree, or equivalent) in business administration, finance, accounting or related fields is required. A first-level degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in the specified fields of studies with two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience in accounting, finance and budget. Strong experience in budgetary functions and cost recovery within UN system is desirable. Other Skills: Working knowledge of UMOJA and UN IPSAS policies is required.
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required; and knowledge of French is desirable.
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
• This position is temporarily available until 31 January 2020. 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 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.
• 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.
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.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side 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.
Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.
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.