Budget and Finance Assistant (Temporary), G6

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of Programme Management Officer responsible for budget and finance, and overall guidance of the Deputy Director of the Office.

For more information on UNOOSA, please visit https://www.unoosa.org

Responsibilities

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

• Assist in the development of resource requirements for budget submissions and support the preparation of budget performance submissions.
• Assist in the preparation of supporting documents (narrative and supporting tables) with respect to the finalization of cost estimates, and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements.
• Assist in the preparation of budget performance submissions and finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures; finalize drafts for submission in line with changes requested by management.
• Co-ordinate with finance, budget and programme staff on related issues during preparation of budget reports; assist with data input for budget preparation across sections of the Office.
• Consolidate data and provide support with respect to budget reviews of relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies.
• Verify accuracy of input data, ensuring consistency of data in previous released budgets and new release requests.
• Cross-check consistency of figures in tables with the text of the reports, and verify references to other reports and documents, bringing errors to the attention of concerned Officers.
• Assist with preparing visualizations and keeping these regularly updated for budgetary and financial information.
• Assist in preparing redeployment requests for management approval and review staffing tables to confirm funding availability.
• Organize budgetary meetings, prepare supporting documentation, including coordinating the preparation briefing notes and answers to be provided to budgetary bodies.
• Support the Deputy Director in extracting information and generating expenditure reports from computerized information system databases; assist in preliminary analyses of the extracted information and the reports generated, and highlight areas of concern for the attention of the Deputy Director and Programme Management Officer.
• Coordinate and prepare first draft responses for financial audits, support annual internal controls process, and assist with enterprise risk management actions.
• May act as Certifying Officer on behalf of and in the absence of programme management officer for limited expenditures.
• Monitor status of programme/project proposals and receipt of relevant documentation for review and approval.
• Assist in the financial backstopping of trust funds, including monitoring the status of voluntary contributions, generating expenditure reports from the in-house SAP database, UMOJA, monitoring donor reporting requirements, and reviewing requisitions for goods and services to ensure (a) correct objects of expenditure have been charged, and (b) availability of funds
• Compile, summarize, and present basic information/data on budget, specific programmes/project and related topics or issues. Assist with analysis of data as and preparation of data presentations on budgetary and financial matters.
• Review project documents, especially cost plans/budgets, for completeness and compliance with relevant rules and procedures prior to submission for final approval and signature; identify inconsistencies; distribute project documents to relevant parties upon approval.
• Compile, summarize and enter data on project delivery; draft related status reports, identifying shortfalls in delivery, budget overruns, and bring to the attention of management. Maintain and keep up-to-date budget and finance files, records, documents and related guidelines that have a bearing on programme matters, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as United Nations policies and procedures.
• Draft or prepare correspondence to respond to enquiries in respect to relevant financial and budget matters.
• May be responsible for providing guidance, training and daily supervision to other general service staff in the area of responsibility.
• Assist with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making.
• Assist with visualizations and updating of budget and finance information materials to be included on web pages or brochures.
• Perform other work-related duties, as assigned.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge of, and ability to apply financial rules, regulations and procedures in the United Nations environment. Knowledge, skills and ability to use integrated planning, budgeting, monitoring and reporting systems. Ability to extract, interpret, analyze and transfer information from budgetary documents and funding agreements to programme/project management systems. Ability to identify and resolve data discrepancies and operational problems. 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. Ability to perform analysis, modelling and interpretation of data in support of decision-making.
• 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.
• 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

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible work experience in budget, finance, accounting, administrative services or related areas is required. The minimum years of relevant experience are reduced to five (5) for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher.

Work experience in preparing budget documents, briefing notes, statements, presentations and excel deliverables for senior management is required.

Work experience in using an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system for programme planning, budgeting, monitoring and reporting, including one year or more of experience in analytics, is required.

Work experience in using an SAP system (such as Umoja) is desirable.

Experience in the United Nations Common System or in a similar international organization is desirable.

Experience with dashboard reporting and financial modelling 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

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 10 month. Filling of this position is subject to funding availability, extension of the appointment is subject to extension of the mandate and/or the availability of funds. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection may be administered as a temporary assignment.

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, staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their career in accordance with established rules and procedures.

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.

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.

The movement of staff members from the General Service and related categories to the Professional category in the United Nations Secretariat is exclusively allowed through the Young Professionals Programme competitive examinations. Only few staff members pass the competitive examinations. Passing the competitive examinations does not guarantee movement to the Professional category. For further information, please visit https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=GP

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.