This position is located in El Fasher within the African Union/United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur. The Budget and Finance Assistant reports to the Chief Budget and Finance Section.

Responsibilities

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

Accounts
•Analyze complex/unusual accounting transactions and difficult claims for travel, invoices and entitlement matters, etc. and make recommendations to the Chief of Unit/Section on appropriate follow-up procedures.
•Review and reconcile various clearing accounts and open items and investigate erroneous/invalid entries to take appropriate corrective accounting action.
•Prepare invoice/payment documents to staff and vendors for goods and services, including checking payments for accuracy and correcting any discrepancies.
•Create fund commitments in Umoja ECC.
•Respond to queries from staff members and third parties.

Budget
•Review, analyse and prepare cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements, including programmatic aspects.
•Assist managers in the justification of resource requirements for budget submissions; coordinate with other finance and budget staff on related issues during preparation of the budget reports.
•Monitor budget implementation/expenditures and assist with the reallocation of funds as necessary.
•Review requisitions for goods and services to ensure (a) correct commitment items of expenditure have been charged, and (b) availability of funds.
•Monitor extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures.
•Assist in preparation of budget performance submissions and finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
•Verify accuracy of input data, ensuring consistency of data in previous allotments to new allotments issued.
•Provide inputs into the preparation of allotments and prepare redeployment requests.

Treasury/Cashier
•Review incoming payment instructions with regard to banking details and sources of funds.
•Prepare and disburse manual EFT payments/cheques.
•Assist in cash management, including preparing cash flow forecasts.
•Coordinate replenishment requests from UNHQ to provide operational support to Mission in managing local house banks.
•Make cash disbursements from the Cashier’s Unit.
•Monitors cheque stock and cash receipt vouchers and requests for new stock as required.
•Monitor/review methods used to remit payments.
•Coordinates filing and archiving as required.

General
•Keep up-to-date on guidelines that have bearing on matters related to programme/ peacekeeping budgets, ensuring compliance with United Nations policies and procedures.
•Draft or prepare correspondence to respond to enquiries in respect to financial and budget matters.
•Provide guidance and training (including preparation of training materials) to junior staff with respect to transaction processing and the use of Umoja.
•Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Competencies

Competencies:

•Professionalism: Knowledge of United Nations Financial Regulation, Rules and Administrative instructions; knowledge of United Nations peacekeeping budget and performance process. 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.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent. Technical or vocational certificate in accounting, finance, budget or related fields is a requirement.

Work Experience

At least 8 years of progressively responsible experience within the United Nations system or in the private sector at the national or international level in accounting, budgeting or financial management.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an informal interview

Special Notice

• This position is temporarily available until 31/03/2020 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.

• 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.

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.

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.

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.