Job Opening

The 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.

At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for sustainable development. A key agreement opened for signature at Rio was the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Convention has three objectives: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.

The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) is located in Montreal, Canada, and is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme. This post is located in the Convention on Biological Diversity, Administration Division, Finance and Budget Unit. Under the overall supervision of the Acting Executing Secretary, Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) the incumbent will perform the following duties:

Responsibilities

A. Programme of Work: a) Plans, organizes and manages the preparation of the program of work and its revisions on the basis of divisions/units’ submissions, taking into account recommendations and decisions of the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary bodies. b) Proactively supports relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies in the review of the medium-term plan and its revisions; secures approval from the Conference of the Parties. c) Ensures legislative mandates are accurately translated into programme budgets. B. Budget Preparation: a) Plans and co-ordinates review of budget submissions. b) Reviews, analyses and finalizes cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements from Divisions at the Secretariat, including programmatic aspects; c) Ensures compliance with the medium-term plan and other legislative mandates. d) Co-ordinates the preparation of budget submissions from managers. e) Reviews, analyses and finalizes programme budget/financial implications to the Conference of the Parties statements in light of additional mandates. f) Provides substantive support and guidance to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies in their budget review; secures approval from the Conference of the Parties. C. Budget Administration: a) Manages/issues allotments, authorizes sub-allotments, including redeployment of funds when necessary, ensuring appropriate expenditures. b) Monitors expenditures to ensure that they remain within authorized levels. c) Administers and monitors extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures. d) Oversees the review and finalization of budget performance reports; monitors variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures. e) Provides advice and support to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies in review of budget performance reports; secures approval from the Conference of the Parties. D. General: a) Provides advice and guidance, including training, to the Secretariat staff on budgetary and financial policies and procedures, including results-based budgeting. b) Participates in Secretariat and UNEP-wide meetings and/or technical survey missions on matters related to resource requirements, programming and budgetary issues. c) 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. d) Prepares / finalizes reports for intergovernmental bodies and for management on budgetary issues, and correspondence, including guidelines, instructions. e) Calculates the assessed contributions for the Convention and its Protocols; Liaises with Governments of the Parties to the Convention and the Protocols on issues related to contributions. f) Reviews and analyses budgetary policies and procedures, makes recommendations for changes and/or modifications. g) Acts as Certifying Officer under Financial Rule 110.4 to ensure that proposed obligations and expenditures are in accordance with budgets and established regulations and rules. h) Ensures the integrity of financial and management systems and the controls that underpin them. i) Represents the Executive Secretary of the Convention in meetings of the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary bodies. j) Plans, organizes and manages staff and work programme; plans and discusses individual work programmes with staff and evaluates their performance. k) Leads team members efforts to collect and analyze data and provides insight to identify trends or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. Ensures that everyone can discover, access, integrate and share the data they need. l) Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Demonstrated expertise in applying contemporary principles and practices to financial management and resource planning, accounting, financial reporting and financial operations in a complex organizational setting. Ability to develop and implement new policies, procedures and other improvement initiatives to promote cost-effective resource management and strengthen financial stewardship and control. The ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. 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. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.

PLANNING AND ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies, vision and programs; Identifies priority activities and assignments and 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.

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.

MANAGING PERFORMANCE: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority. Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member. Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills. Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines. Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff. Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative. Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff. Appraises performance fairly.

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.

Education

An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, management, economics, or a related field is required.

A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA) or equivalent is desirable.

Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in budgeting and financial management is required.

Out of these ten (10) years, five (5) years of experience in the administration of complex assessed and extrabudgetary budgets in a large international organization, is required.

Experience with the United Nations or other similar international Organizations in an administrative capacity is required.

Experience supporting the presentation of budget proposal to intergovernmental bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions (ACBCQ), the General Assembly (GA) or other policy-making organs is required.

Experience working with multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) in general administration, financial and human resources is desirable.

Experience with Business Intelligence Reporting within an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System such as SAP is desirable.

Experience in working with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) is desirable

Experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English is required. Fluency in French 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.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

This position is temporarily available for a period of 364 days. 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.

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.

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.

Internal Applicants – When completing the Candidate Profile form, 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.

Individual Contractors and Consultants who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for or be appointed to any professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions, within six months of the end of their current or most recent service. For such positions, at least six months need to have elapsed between the end of a consultancy or individual contract and the time of application and consideration for an appointment as a staff member under the Staff Rules and Regulations of the United Nations.

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.

On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. 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. 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 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.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

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.