Org. Setting and Reporting

The position is located in the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UNOHRLLS). Subprogramme 1 of the Office is mandated to mobilize and coordinate international support and resources for the effective implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries, enhance its monitoring and follow-up and raise awareness and advocate with respect to the special needs of least developed countries. The incumbent reports to the Senior Economic Affairs Officer, Subprogramme 1, under the overall guidance of the Chief. For more information see: http: //un.org/ohrlls

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Finance and Budget Officer will be responsible for the following duties: Annual Programme plan: • Reviews, analyses and finalizes the preparation of the annual programme plan and its revisions on the basis of departmental submissions, taking into account recommendations and decisions of specialized intergovernmental bodies. • Provides substantive support to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies in their review of the annual programme plan and its revisions; secures approval from the General Assembly • Ensure legislative mandates are accurately translated into program budgets. Budget preparation: • Reviews, analyses and finalizes cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements from (a) Departments/offices at headquarters and in the field, including programmatic aspects; (b); ensure compliance with the annual programme plan and other legislative mandates. • Provides detailed input with respect to resource requirements for budget submissions. • Reviews, analyzes and finalizes program budget/financial statements in light of additional mandates. • Collaborate with the Finance Division to ensure timely issuance of certified financial statements for projects and programmes funded through voluntary contributions • Provides substantive support to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies in their budget review; assists in securing approval from the General Assembly. Budget administration: • 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. • Provide monthly financial reports and, when needed, assist in the preparation of ad hoc financial reports; • Ensure compliance with UN regulations and rules with regard to processing of official travel, procurement of good and services in collaboration with the Department of Operational Support (DOS), hiring of consultants, individual and institutional contractors, processing of claims; • Provides substantive support to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies. General • Provides advice and guidance, including training, to office staff on budgetary and financial policies and procedures, including results-based budgeting. • Participates in inter-departmental meetings and/or technical survey missions on matters related to resource requirements, programming and budgetary issues. • Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to program budgets, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures. • Drafts reports for intergovernmental bodies and for management on budgetary issues, and correspondence. • Undertakes research and analysis of budgetary policies and procedures, makes recommendations for changes and/or modifications. • 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. • Ensures the integrity of financial and management systems and the controls that underpin them. • As needed, assist in the review of host country agreements in collaboration with EO and OLA, related to donor financial agreements, cost estimates, travel authorizations, contracts and requisitions. • Assist in reviewing voluntary contribution agreements, including the exchange of letters with prospective donors; and facilitate the establishment of grants to ensure alignment with organizational objectives. • Support the logistical arrangements for the preparation of the conferences, such as certification of travel requests and claims, handling of Conference Paymaster processing and settlement, disbursement of DSA (on-site or EFT) and procurement of related goods and services. • Represents the Office in inter and intra-departmental meetings. • Plan, organize, manage and supervise the work of the Unit/Section assigned. • Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. • Perform other related duties as assigned.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge of financial and budgetary principles and practices, budget development and financial administration of resources. Ability to develop budgetary policies, procedures and new programmes. Ability to formulate new strategies and technical approaches to budgetary matters. 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. Able to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. • Planning& 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.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, finance, accounting, or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is an advantage.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in finance, administration, budget, business administration or related area is required. Experience in preparing programme plan and budget, and coordinating activities related to budget and funding (programme/project preparation and submissions, progress reports, financial statements) is required. Experience as a user of an Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP), or similar system, is required. Experience in management of extra budgetary resources is desirable. 2 years or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable. Experience in preparation of related documents/reports on work programme is desirable. Experience in human resource management is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).

Required Languages

Language	Reading	Writing	Listening	Speaking
English	UN Level II	UN Level II	UN Level II	UN Level II

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This position is funded through extrabudgetary resources. The appointment or assignment against this position is for an initial period of one year. The appointment or assignment and renewal will be subject to the availability of the position and funds, budgetary approval or extension of the mandate. Staff member of other United Nations system organizations who are signatories of the inter-organization agreement concerning transfer, secondment or loan of staff who are selected for this position will be reassigned to the position on secondment arrangements only. United Nations Secretariat staff members who meet the definition of "internal candidate" in staff rule 4.10 who are selected for this position will be reassigned or transferred to the position, without a lien to their parent position. 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. 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.

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. 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. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. 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.

Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

Finance and Budget Officer, P4