Org. Setting and Reporting

These posts are located throughout the United Nations Secretariat Offices, Departments, and Field Operations. The Finance and Budget Officer usually report to the Head of the Unit or to a Senior Finance & Budget Officer/Section Chief.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Finance & Budget Officer will be responsible for the following duties: Budget preparation: • Reviews and analyses data with respect to the finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements. • Provides support to managers with respect to the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submissions. • Reviews, analyses, and provides input into the finalization of programme budget proposals and financial implications, ensuring alignment with mandates, donor requirements, and organizational financial policies. • Provides substantive support and assistance during the budget review to relevant intergovernmental, expert and oversight bodies. Budget administration: • Monitors budget implementation and determines/recommends reallocation and reprioritization of funds when necessary. • Monitors expenditures to ensure that they remain within authorized levels while flagging deviations for financial performance reporting. • Administers and monitors extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures. • Monitors the implementation of approved budgets, comparing actuals against planned allocations, and preparing variance analyses. • Prepares relevant documentation with respect to budget performance submissions. • Reviews and makes appropriate recommendations with respect to the finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures. • Provides substantive support to intergovernmental and legislative bodies. Finance: • Analyses accounts and reviews/evaluates regular financial reports to assess accuracy, consistency and compliance with financial policies. Identifies problematic transactions and irregularities in related accounts and resolves them in a timely and effective manner. • Reviews and reconciles various clearing accounts and complex General Ledger accounts to ensure accurate balances. Investigates erroneous/invalid entries and takes appropriate corrective accounting action. • Approves/Confirms that proposed obligations or expenditures, are in accordance with the Financial Regulations and Rules of the UN, relevant appropriations, staffing tables and corresponding approved allotments/appropriations. • Ensures that accurate, complete, and reliable accounting, reporting, and internal control systems are in place and that all relevant records are properly maintained. • Assists in the preparation and consolidation of financial statements for inclusion in the UN Financial Statements to be audited and responds to internal and external audit observations. • Provides training, advice, and other guidance concerning the United Nations’ Financial Regulations and Rules, finance processes, and Accounting Instructions. • Provides interpretation of requirements for processing transactions and monitors, analyzes entries recorded in the accounting system. • Collects, reviews, and interprets financial data to support monitoring, forecasting, and reporting. • Provides timely and accurate information to support responses to audit findings and financial performance reviews. General: • Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to programme and/or peacekeeping budgets, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures. • Keeps up-to-date on current financial regulations/professional publications and accepted principles. • Identifies opportunities for process improvement and recommend changes for increased effectiveness and efficiency. • Monitors and supervises the work of staff as required. • Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of accounting principles, procedures and standards. Ability to apply conceptual, analytical and evaluative skills in accounting operations. Ability to conduct independent research and analysis, identify issues, formulate options and make conclusions and recommendations. 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. 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.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, finance, accounting, or related field is required. A first-level university degree (Bachelor's degree or equivalent) in combination with two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional experience in accounting, finance, budget, financial analysis and reporting, business administration or a related area is required. Experience in data analytics or related area is required.

Languages

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a structured interview.

Special Notice

The United Nations Secretariat maintains rosters of qualified and available candidates to fill anticipated job openings in the United Nations Secretariat. The purpose of this job opening is to generate a list of qualified candidates for inclusion in the Finance and Budget Officer P3 roster. The entire assessment process takes an average of four months; all applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application (whether successful or unsuccessful) within 14 days of the conclusion of the process. Successful candidates will be placed on the roster and subsequently will be invited to apply for field mission vacancies open only to roster members. Roster membership does not guarantee selection. 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. 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. All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. Online applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an email acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira "Need Help?" link. For this roster exercise, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or under-represented in the UN Secretariat as of as of 31 July 2025 are strongly encouraged to apply: Brunei Darussalam, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Grenada, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Sao Tome and Principe, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Andorra, Angola, Belize, China, Cuba, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Turkmenistan and United States of America. Eligibility Notice: - As per revision of ST/AI on Staff Selection System (ST/AI/2010/3/Rev.3), a six-month break in service from the end of their current or former service with United Nations Secretariat still applies to interns, consultants, individual contractors, and gratis personnel before being eligible to apply to a position in the professional and higher categories and at the FS-6 and FS-7 levels. - As per revision of ST/AI on Staff Selection System (ST/AI/2010/3/Rev.3), a staff member in the General Service category and Field Service category at the FS-5 level and below employed by United Nations Secretariat are required to pass the G to P examination in order to be eligible to be considered for positions in the professional and higher categories.

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.