Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Finance and Budget Section, United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The Finance and Budget Officer will be based in Kabul. The Finance and Budget Officer will report to the Chief of Unit, Finance and Budget.

Responsibilities

Under the general supervision of the Chief of Unit, Finance and Budget, the Finance and Budget Officer will perform the following tasks: Budget: • Prepares cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of Mission’s resourcing requirements such as staff and non-staff requirements, including programmatic aspects. • Analyses and revises data with justification for resource requirements for budget submissions in coordination with relevant Sections/Units on related issues during preparation of the budget proposals as well as Result Based Budgeting inputs. • Monitors budget implementation/expenditures and assists with the reallocation and re-deployment of funds as necessary. • Administers and monitors extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures. • Provides support to programme/fund center managers (Substantive and Support Sections/Units) with respect to the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submission. • Verifies accuracy of input data, ensuring consistency of data in previous allotments to new allotments issued; processes fund distributions received from HQ and inputs allotment advice in ECC. • Prepares budget performance submissions and finalization of budget performance reports, analyzing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures, compiles responses to the questions from FOFD, ACABQ, and 5th Committee. • Reviews pre-commitments for goods and services to ensure (a) correct commitment item have been charged, and (b) availability of funds. • Ensures efficient and effective use of budgetary resources through robust monitoring of budget utilization to the approved budget and timely provision of information to Mission management for decision making. • Provides support and guidance to fund center/programme managers on budget implementation and corrective actions where necessary. Co-ordinates with other finance and budget staff on related issues during preparation of budget reports. Accounting: • Performs monthly and yearly closing of accounts procedures in Enterprise Resource Programme (Umoja). • Analyses complex/unusual accounting transactions and all open items in the accounting system ERP (Umoja) for corrective actions. • Reviews and reconciles various clearing accounts and investigates erroneous/invalid entries to take appropriate corrective accounting action. • Processes incoming/outgoing interoffice vouchers (IOVs), interoffice billings (IOBs) and intermission billings (IMBs) from/to HQs, agencies, funds, programs, and other field missions. • Ensures compliance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) in all financial transactions. • Reviews current budget period commitments to ensure their validity to carry them forward and follows up on cancelation of outstanding commitments which were not valid. • Prepares bank reconciliation for the Mission house bank. • Undertakes research and provides support to higher level with respect to IPSAS, accounts and policy analysis. Account Payable and Receivable: • Reviews and verifies that relevant supporting documents have been provided, confirming that goods and services have been received in accordance with the contract, agreement, purchase order or other form of undertaking by which they were ordered and that they have been certified by a duly designated certifying officer before vouchers are processed and/or submitted for approval. • Acts as an Approving Officer under Financial Rule 105.4 in adherence with the UN Regulations and Rules. • Advises and ensures that only valid year-end budget commitments confirming with established criteria are valid for carrying forward. • Provides guidance, training, and support to colleagues. • Prepares staff members’ entitlements including daily subsistence allowance, travel claims, vendor invoices, agencies, etc., to ensure conformity and adherence to applicable United Nations policies e.g., applicable staff rules, financial regulations and rules, ST/AI issuances or practices, International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) policy framework etc. Treasury: • Manages cash flow requirements of the Mission, verifies imprest documentation, and prepares imprest statements. • Makes sure cash in vault is replenished timely to avoid shortage of cash. General Duties: • Keeps up to date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to programme budgets, accounts, and cash management, ensures 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 financial and budget matters. • Collects and analyses data to identify trends or patterns and provides insights through graphs, charts, tables, and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation, and reporting. • Ensures that requirements and background information used for data analysis are documented. • Performs other related duties as required.

Professionalism: Knowledge of, and ability to apply financial rules, regulations, and procedures in the UN environment. Ability to maintain accurate records, review and interpret a wide variety of data. 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. Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Job – Specific Qualification

A technical or vocational certificate in accounting, finance, budget, or related fields is required.

Work Experience

At least ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in accounting, budgeting and financial management or related field is required. The minimum years of relevant experience are reduced to five (5) years of experience for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience with Enterprise Resource Programme (ERP) system especially System Applications and Products (SAP) is desirable. Experience in UN internal applications, IPSAS accounting system, UMOJA, is desirable.

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

Assessment

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

This job opening is advertised to fill a temporarily vacant position during the absence of the regular incumbent for a period of one year or longer. The regular incumbent is entitled to return to this position at the expiry of the temporary vacancy period. If the regular incumbent exercises the right to return, the appointment or temporary assignment or promotion of the candidate selected for this job opening will not be renewed or extended. The selection process for this job opening will be conducted pursuant to ST/AI/2010/3 on the “Staff Selection System” and include the compliance review process by a review body described in staff rule 4.15. In case of selection, a staff member of the United Nations Secretariat who meets the definition of “internal candidate” in staff rule 4.10 will be placed on a temporary assignment if he or she holds the same grade as the job opening; and a temporary promotion if he or she holds a lower grade than the job opening. If the regular incumbent vacates the position during such temporary assignment or promotion, the selected staff member will be laterally assigned, promoted or transferred to the position without further selection process under ST/AI/2010/3.

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. 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.