Section Head (Budget) / Deputy Head (BUDFIN)

Post Context

ACT contributes to preserving the peace, security and territorial integrity of Alliance member states by leading, at Strategic Command level, Warfare Development required to enhance NATO’s posture, military structures, forces, capabilities and doctrines.

The Command Group provides general support, coordination, management, administrative service and specialist advice to SACT, DSACT and COS.

Chief of Staff (COS) is responsible to SACT and DSACT for the staff activity necessary to execute ACT’s mission. It is the focal point for the implementation of the Commander’s direction and guidance as well as the initiation and co-ordination of all ACT staff efforts.

The Staff Advisory Group (SAG) is comprised of different competencies grouped into several offices (Political Advisor, Legal Advisor, Gender Advisor, Financial Controller, Command Auditor, Communication Branch and Pentagon Liaison). It works under the direction and guidance of COS and provides general staff support, coordination, management, administrative service, and specialists’ advice to SACT.

As part of the Staff Advisory Group, the Office of Budget and Finance (BUDFIN) is the executive agent for ACT in all matters of budget and finance policy and execution including that of purchasing and contracting. Responsibility includes all matters pertaining to Budget and Finance at HQ SACT, JALLC, JWC, JFTC, JATEC and subordinate SACT elements (STRE and SEE).

The Section Head (Budget) will serve as the ACT Budget Officer and principal advisor to the ACT Financial Controller on all matters relating to ACT budget policy and financial planning.  Responsible for the development of budget guidance, the development and preparation of budgets and the financial advice in the development of the Military Plan and Medium Term Resource Plan. Responsible for screening all ACT budgets for NATO Financial Regulations (NFR) compliance and defending budgets to the Budget Committee.  Responsible for the development of Periodic and Annual Finance Reports and for monitoring of in-year financial execution.

Principal Duties:

The incumbent's duties are:

• To deputise for the Financial Controller/Head, Budget and Finance (BUDFIN) (TSC GSBX 0010) in their absence and to act as Deputy Branch Head.
• Develop policies, plans and procedures related to the management of budgetary matters within ACT.  Maintain automated budget systems. Arrange for promulgation of documents specifying the policies, procedures and guidance to be followed by ACT commands.  Monitor the application of budgetary policies and procedures and report deviation from them to the Financial Controller. Develop and prepare budget guidance for Headquarters and subordinate commands and agencies using direction received from higher authority (e.g. Military Committee (MC), Resource Policy and Planning Board (RPPB), Budget Committee (BC), NATO Office of Resources (NOR) etc.) and ACT policy.
• Responsible for the development and preparation of the ACT annual budget submissions for ACT Programmes of Work (Output) and HQ SACT budgets. Liaise with ACT Chief Accountant on budget execution, and with Workforce Branch for staffing authorisations.  Monitor progress in the NATO budgetary process.
• Coordinate all Operations & Maintenance (O&M) and workforce implications on NATO Security Investment Programme/Capability Programme Plans within the ACT Budget Group 200 Series with Material Solutions Infrastructure and Facilities (MSIF) Branch.
• Submit all ACT O&M implications on NATO Security Investment Programme/Capability Programme Plans including eligibility and affordability to NATO Finance Committees.  Assist in the resolution of disagreements.
• Coordinate with Strategic Management Branch on the development of Direction and Guidance for In-Year Management and Financial Planning/Programming issues.  Coordinate actions with respect to prioritization of in-year requirements, unfunded and emergent requirements and other budget related responsibilities.
• Review and pre-screen the budgets and all Working Group of National Technical Experts (WGNTE) submissions of HQ SACT and subordinate commands/activities (JALLC, JATEC, JFTC and JWC).  Represent the Financial Controller in these meetings.
• Prepare the ACT Commander’s Impact Statements for the ACT budgets in coordination with Strategic Management Branch and others.
• Support the Financial Controller in the defence of the annual Headquarters and ACT budgets during the Budget Committee annual screenings.  Assist the subordinate commands in defence of their Budget Committee screenings.
• Act as the ACT representative in the Military Committee Joint Standardisation Board Financial Working Group.
• Provide technical budgetary guidance and assistance to Headquarters and ACT commands.  Make recommendations covering budget execution at Headquarters and ACT commands.
• Serve as the primary technical budgetary advisor to the ACT Board Structure.
• Coordinate with non-ACT training entities, Centres of Excellence and other Transformational commands to crosslink and coordinate resource cost sharing as applicable.
• Coordinate the production of financial periodic performance reports in support of the ACT Management Board structure liaising with DCOS and Entity Commander representatives as required.
• Coordinate the production of monthly commitment forecasts across the Command and generate monthly financial execution reports.  Perform financial analysis of financial records and make recommendations on the execution of Headquarters and subordinate budgets.
• Act as signatory to operating account and treasury account disbursement when tasked.
• Coordinates BUDFIN action on Budget Committee and HQ SACT Tasker Tracker Tasking.
• Authority to execute Budget Transfers in accordance with NATO Financial Regulations up to EFL Level E.

Essential Qualifications / Experience:

• University Degree  in finance, accounting, business administration, economics, public administration or related discipline  and 6 years post related experience, or Higher Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training  in that discipline leading to a professional qualification or professional accreditation with 6 years post related and 2 years function related experience.
• Minimum of 8 years experience at a senior financial level in Budgeting, Accounting or Financial Management.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively represent and defend budget submissions.
• Familiarity with international public sector accounting and auditing standards.
• Knowledge of governmental budgeting and accounting procedures and practice.
• A minimum of 4 years’ experience as a Team Leader in a finance function.
• Demonstrated ability in financial analysis and problem solving
• Minimum of 6 years' experience at a large business or military Head Office/HQ, is required. Wide experience in office communication and information systems. High level of organisational, coordination and communication skills.

Language:

• English - SLP 3333 - (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)

Desirable Qualifications / Experience:

• An understanding of the organisation, composition and operation of NATO military organisations.
• Knowledge of the NATO budgetary and control processes and NATO financial accounting systems.
• Experience in Oracle Financial/Planning applications.
• Master’s degree or equivalent in Business Administration with concentration in Budgeting, Accounting or Finance.
• Chartered status in an Accounting discipline.
• French  - SLP 2222 - (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)

Attributes/Competencies:

Personal Attributes:

Ability to act on his/her own as the ACT Budget Officer in the establishment of all SACT/ACT resource planning and budgetary matters within the Financial Controller’s office. Ability to maintain clear thought, sound judgment in performance of these duties. Must be flexible to adapt to the changing environment of budgetary requirements as well as display tact in dealings with all staffs in which he will come into contact within the performance of his duties. Must present him/herself well in the numerous internal/external meetings, working groups and committee meetings in which his/her assignments require mature, effective and persuasive verbal expression skills.

Professional Contacts:

Internal contacts include working with multinational staffs at all levels. Flag/A-7 grade level, including the DSACT, COS, Deputy and Assistant Chiefs of Staff, Management Boards as well as Branch Heads (OF-5/A-5 level). Developed in order to prepare for ACT Management Boards as well as other staff meetings needed in the establishment of budget and financial planning controls, prioritization of emergent and unfunded requirements and financial performance reporting. External contacts include, aside from the CMB, the commands’ Financial Controllers, finance staff, as well as peers in SHAPE, IMS and NCIA in negotiating and coordinating budgetary guidance and controls. Sharing of NATO assigned resource allocation figures also require support from the incumbent during deliberations with the senior NMAs. Also must come in contact with all BC and MCWG members in defending the ACT Budgets. Contact with all resource staff members of the IMS and NOR at NATO Headquarters as necessary in the performance of his duties.

Contribution To Objectives:

This post is critically important to the financial well being of ACT in terms of justifying and obtaining required O&M funding and is required per the NFRs.

Security Clearance

The successful applicant will be required to apply for and receive a NATO SECRET Security Clearance prior to final confirmation of contract and commencement of employment.

Contract

Serving NATO International Civilian staff will be offered a contract in accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations.  Newly recruited staff will be offered a three year definite duration contract.

Notes for Candidates

The HQ SACT web site gives full details on the eligibility criteria and application processes to be adopted by all candidates.  However, candidates should particularly note:

Please answer each of the pre-screening questions completely in English. Expressions such as: “please see attached CV, please see annex, please see enclosed document, etc” are not acceptable; this is a cause of immediate rejection of the application. 
Particular attention should be given to Education and Experience section of your application form, which should be populated with details of your career to date and educational achievements and certifications as they relate to your application.

The candidature of NATO redundant staff at grade G20 will be considered with priority.

NATO will not accept any phase of the recruitment and selection prepared, in whole or in part, by means of generative artificial-intelligence (AI) tools, including and without limitation to chatbots, such as Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (Chat GPT), or other language generating tools. NATO reserves the right to screen applications to identify the use of such tools. All applications prepared, in whole or in part, by means of such generative or creative AI applications may be rejected without further consideration at NATO’s sole discretion, and NATO reserves the right to take further steps in such cases as appropriate.

NATO is committed to diversity and inclusion, and strives to provide equal access to employment, advancement and retention, independent of gender, age, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, cultural background, sexual orientation, and disability. NATO welcomes applications of nationals from all member Nations, and strongly encourages women to apply.

This vacancy will close on 30 November @ 17:59hrs (EST) / 23:59hrs (CET).