Senior Finance and Budget Assistant

Org. Setting and ReportingThe United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. The Corporate Services Division (CSD) is the guardian of UNEP's corporate interest, mitigating its exposure to risk and supporting the organization with management tools, plans and related capacity building. It oversees UNEP's efficient and effective management, in line with UNEP's accountability requirements, rules, regulations and UN core values. This position is located in UNEP’s Programme and Budget Unit, Corporate Services Division in Nairobi. Under the supervision of the Head of the Programme and Budget Unit, the Senior Finance & Budget Assistant will be responsible for the following duties: ResponsibilitiesBudget: • Acts as Certifying Officer for the Corporate Services Division and client offices such as the Executive Office. • Reviews, analyses and assists in the finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals in terms of staff and non-staff requirements, including programmatic aspects; ensures compliance with UNEP’s Programme of Work and other legislative mandates. • Provides support to managers with respect to the elaboration of resource requirements and assist in the preparation and submission of the budget proposals and allocations for the Regular Budget, Environment Fund, and Programme Support Cost (PSC). • Provides support in the preparation and monitoring of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) budget and funding status. • Undertakes research and provides support to higher level Finance and Budget Officers with respect to budget reviews of relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies. • Provides input into the preparation of allotments, including redeployment of funds when necessary, ensuring appropriate expenditures. • Monitors budget implementation/expenditures and recommends reallocation of funds as necessary. • Reviews requisitions for goods and services to ensure correct objects of expenditure have been charged and availability of funds. • Monitors extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures. • Assists in the preparation of budget performance submissions as well as periodic and ad-hoc reports including monthly budget dashboard reports to senior management, Programme Performance Reports (PPR) to UNEP Senior Management as well as to the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR). • Assists in the finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures. • Monitors integrity of various financial databases. • Verifies accuracy of input data, ensuring consistency of data in previous allotments to new allotments issued. • Co-ordinates with other finance and budget staff on related issues during preparation of budget reports. General: • 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. • Drafts or prepares correspondence to respond to enquiries in respect to relevant financial and budget matters. • Provides guidance, training and daily supervision to other general service staff in the area of responsibility. • Assists with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations, briefing notes and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision-making. • Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures. • Assists in receiving and responding to auditing, inspection and evaluation requests from the Board of Auditors (BOA), the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other bodies. • Performs other related duties, as assigned. CompetenciesPROFESSIONALISM: Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of financial, budgetary and administrative rules, regulations and procedures. Knowledge of the UN legislative machinery and procedures. Knowledge, skills and ability to extract, interpret, analyse and format data across the full range of finance and budget functions, including programme development and database management, claims and treasury operations. Ability to identify and resolve data discrepancies and operational problems. The ability to perform analysis, modelling and interpretation of data in support of decision-making. 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. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work. COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. 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. EducationHigh school diploma or equivalent. Job - Specific QualificationSupplemental training in accounting, finance and budget or related fields is desirable. Work ExperienceA minimum of ten (10) years of progressive experience in administration, budgetary and financial operations, procedures and practices is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to eight (8) years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience working with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, such as Umoja, in finance and budget modules is required. Experience in the application of financial rules and regulations of the United Nations or similar international organization is required. Experience with the preparation of financial, budgetary and management reports is required. Two (2) or more years of experience in data analytics, including using Business Intelligence reports, MS Excel and Power BI is desirable. Experience with the UN Common System or a comparable international organization in the development and administration of complex assessed and extrabudgetary resources and the service of intergovernmental bodies (e.g. Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), 5th Committee, Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC)) is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable. NOTE: ''Fluency'' equals a rating of ''fluent'' in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and ''Knowledge of'' equals a rating of ''confident'' in two of the four areas. AssessmentEvaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Special NoticeAppointment against this position is for an initial period of one (1) year and may be subject to legislative body funding availability. External candidate selected for this position will be granted a fixed-term appointment limited (“FTA-limited”) in accordance with section 2.2 (b) of administrative instruction ST/AI/2013/1 on Administration of fixed-term appointments. Renewal of appointment is contingent upon continued existence of mandate and availability of funding. If this position is discontinued, the incumbent will be separated from service. United Nations Secretariat staff members who meet the definition of \"internal candidate\" in staff rule 4.10 who are selected for this position subject to limitation will retain their current appointment status and will be reassigned or transferred to the position, without a lien to their parent position. This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for positions in the General Service and related categories must be authorized to work for the United Nations in the duty station where the position is located. Eligible applicants selected from outside the duty station are responsible for any expenses in connection with their relocation to the duty station. Staff members subject to local recruitment are not eligible for allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. When completing the PHP, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. 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. All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira \"Contact Us\" link. United Nations ConsiderationsAccording 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. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date. No FeeTHE 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.