The post is located in the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) based in Geneva. The incumbent will report to the Chief of the Staff.
The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research is an autonomous institution within the framework of the United Nations, established by the General Assembly for the purpose of undertaking independent research on disarmament and related problems, particularly international security issues. Under General Assembly resolution 39/148, the Institute is mandated to: (a) Provide the international community with more diversified and complete data on problems relating to international security, the armaments race and disarmament in all fields, particularly in the nuclear field, so as to facilitate progress, through negotiations, towards greater security for all States and towards the economic and social development of all peoples; (b) Promote informed participation by all States in disarmament efforts; (c) Assist ongoing negotiations on disarmament and continuing efforts to ensure greater international security at a progressively lower level of armaments, particularly nuclear armaments, by means of objective and factual studies and analyses; (d) Carry out more in-depth, forward-looking and long-term research on disarmament, so as to provide a general insight into the problems involved, and stimulating new initiatives for new negotiations.
Within delegated authority, the incumbent will be responsble for the following duties:
Planning and advice
•Carries out strategic financial planning and management of UNIDIR financial resources in accordance with UNIDIR vision and UN financial rules.
•Reviews, analyses and finalizes the preparation of plans and their revisions, taking into account recommendations and decisions of specialized intergovernmental bodies, such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions.
•Provides expert advice in the area of finance, budget and grant management to the UNIDIR Director, Chief of Staff and other senior colleagues.
•Provides advice and guidance, including training, to staff on budgetary and financial policies and procedures, including results-based budgeting.
•Participates in inter-departmental meetings on matters related to resource requirements, programming and budgetary issues.
•Reviews the operational objectives and related financial policies and procedures affecting UNIDIR’s financial, budget and grant management systems; makes recommendations for changes and/or modifications; takes the lead in designing and implementing required changes.
Budget preparation:
•Reviews, analyses and finalizes cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements; ensure compliance with plans and other legislative mandates.
•Provides detailed input with respect to resource requirements for budget submissions.
•Provides substantive support to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies (General Assembly, Fifth Committee, Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions) in their review of budgets and plans; assists in securing approval from the General Assembly.
Budget administration:
•Acts as Certifying Officer under Financial Rule 110.4 to ensure that proposed obligations and expenditures are in accordance with approved budgets and established regulations and rules.
•Issues allotments, authorizes sub-allotments, including redeployment of funds when necessary, ensuring appropriate expenditures.
•Manages and monitors budget implementation and recommends reallocation of funds as necessary.
•Monitors expenditures to ensure that they remain within authorized levels.
•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 budget performance submissions.
•Reviews and finalizes budget performance reports, analyzing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
Grant Management
•Supports the preparation of budgets for programmes, projects and donor proposals.
•Supports the development and submits final funding agreements to donors.
•Supervises creation and closure of UNIDIR grants in UMOJA.
•Oversees and/or coordinates the submission of interim and final reports (narrative and financial) to donors (ensuring accurate financial information is provided).
•Drafts official documentation to donors.
General
•Plans, organizes, manages and supervises the work of the Finance, Budget and Grant Management capacity.
•Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to programme budgets, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures.
•Ensures the integrity of financial and management systems and controls.
•Represents the Chief of Staff and serves as Office in Charge of UNIDIR’s administrative team as required.
•Performs other duties as required.
Professionalism: Extensive knowledge of finance, budget and grant management disciplines, including best practices both in and beyond the United Nations. Expert knowledge of UN financial rules and regulations, administrative instructions, including guidance on the administration of UN Trust Funds, travel, human resources, and procurement. Highly organized, keen attention to detail while maintaining a strategic approach. Ability to manage complex tasks and projects independently, prioritize quickly in rapidly changing environments and to multi-task. Excellent judgement and initiative, resourcefulness, energy and tact. Proven project development skills, including competency with RBB methodology, logframes, and Gantt charts. 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.
Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals. Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others. Places team agenda before personal agenda. Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position. Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
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.
Judgement/decision making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly. Gathers relevant information before making a decision. Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them. Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization. Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information. Checks assumptions against facts. Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision. Makes tough decisions when necessary.
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in business administration, finance, or 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 minimum of seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in finance, administration, budget, business administration or related area is required.
Experience with budgetary policies and practices, financial regulations and rules is required.
Experience in preparing reports for intergovernmental or expert bodies is required.
Experience in the use of information technology tools for financial analysis and monitoring of budgets is required.
Experience in preparing and drafting written reports, including financial, budgetary, and donor (proposals, agreements, interim, final) is required.
Experience in results-based approaches to budgeting is desirable.
Experience with financial systems/finance modules or enterprise resource planning (ERP) is desirable.
Experience with the operations of inter-governmental and legislative machinery is desirable.
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
The appointment against this position is limited to UNIDIR.
The appointment or assignment and renewal thereof are subject to the availability of the post or funds, budgetary approval or extension of the mandate.
The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.
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.