Org. Setting and Reporting

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. The Corporate Services Division (CSD) is the guardian of UNEP’s corporate interest, mitigating the organization’s exposure to risk and supporting it with up-to-date management tools, guidelines and capacity building. CSD oversees UNEP’s efficient and effective management as well as adherence to the core values of the UN in line with relevant accountability requirements, rules and regulations. This position is located in UNEP’s Corporate Services Division (CSD) at the Nairobi duty station. Under the overall supervision of the CSD Deputy Director and immediate supervision of the Head of the Financial Management Services Section, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

Responsibilities

A) Budget preparation and administration • Issues allotments, authorizes sub-allotments, including redeployment of funds when necessary, ensuring appropriate expenditures. • Monitors expenditures to ensure that they remain within authorized levels. • Administers and monitors extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures. • Oversees the review and finalization of budget performance reports, monitors variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures. • Prepares/finalizes reports for intergovernmental bodies and for management on budgetary issues, and correspondence, including guidelines, instructions. • Acts as Certifying Officer under Financial Rules to ensure that proposed obligations and expenditures are in accordance with budgets and established regulations and rules. • Manages and monitors budget implementation and recommends reallocation of funds as necessary. • Prepares budget performance submissions. • Reviews and finalizes budget performance reports, analyzing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures. • Provides substantive support to relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies. B) Finance & Accounting • Monitors the financial function of the Organization which includes a number of different and diverse operations and interrelated accounts of the financial system. The incumbent is expected to review the operational objectives and related financial policies and procedures affecting the Organization’s accounting and financial systems. S/he also takes the lead in implementing required changes. • Reviews and ensures that UNEP’s financial statements are International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) compliant. • Supports the agile implementation of upgrades to the various modules the system. • Keeps up to date with new IPSAS policies and implements in conjunction with UNON. • Liaises with UNON, Administrative/Fund Management Officers (A/FMOs), and auditors as required to identify and resolve finance issues. Provide support and guidance on financial aspects of legal agreements. C) Project closure • Provides operational guidance for closing expired projects in the UNEP Divisions/Offices, particularly in support of the newly established Climate Change Division. • Liaises with UNEP Finance Staff and Project Managers, Implementing Partners and government representatives to gather historical information on project implementation. • Performs in-dept analysis in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to determine final balances of grants. • Monitors progress of the project closure exercise, hold regular progress meetings, report to CSD Senior Management on the project closure exercise and take proactive measures to mitigate against potential risks. • Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of financial and budgetary principles and practices, budget management and financial administration of resources. Proven analytical skills and ability to provide technical advice in budget management to managers. Ability to manage a programme in a field operation and formulate new strategies and approaches to budget management issues. 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; Ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. 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. 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.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, finance, accounting or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable.

Job – Specific Qualification

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

Work Experience

A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in finance, administration, programme management, business administration or related area is required. A minimum of five (5) years relevant experience in implementing, applying, and contributing to development of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) is required. A minimum of five (5) years of hands-on, practical experience with preparing annual financial statements for large international organizations involving multiple sources of funds is required. A minimum five (5) years of supervising and managing a team of accounting professionals involved in each of the following areas: resource mobilization, implementing partners management, grant management, certifying officer responsibilities is required. A minimum of three (3) years relevant experience in conceptualizing, preparing, and defending policy and administrative decisions/guidance to diverse inter-governmental bodies in support of negotiations and international environmental agreements is required. A minimum of five (5) years of experience in reviewing and advising on financial implications of terms and conditions of legal agreements with host countries, donors and UN Agencies is desirable. Experience with use of finance modules in an ERP system, , including analysis of accounting data and creation of management reports using Business Intelligence tools, is desirable. A minimum of two (2) years experience in developing, building capacity and delivery of training on financial and legal arrangements with project implementing partners is desirable. Experience in performing analysis, reviewing, and designing tailored donor reports is desirable. A minimum of two (2) years or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language 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 for this position may include a substantive assessment which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Appointment against this post is for a period of 364 days and may be subject to extension. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. Staff Members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staffs are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. The United Nations is Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. When completing the PHP, 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. 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. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail 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 “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. 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.