Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Office of the Director (OD), Division for Operations (DO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in Vienna, Austria. The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the Programme Officer, OD, Division for Operations and the overall guidance of the Deputy Director, OD, Division for Operations. For more information on UNODC please visit www.unodc.org.

Responsibilities

Within limits of delegated authority, the Senior Programme Assistant will deliver functions with a high level of expertise and independence, and will be responsible for the following duties:

• Support the overall management of all divisional financial resources including regular budget and voluntary contributions (extrabudgetary funds). Provide independent advice and assistance to senior management on complex programme and capacity delivery by each of the Regional/Country/Programme field offices.
• Independently provide assistance in support of programme/project management and implementation at all phases of the programme/project cycle for UNODC, seeking guidance from relevant Programme Officers/divisions when necessary.
• Provide backstopping services to the DO Programmes by researching, compiling, analysing, summarizing and presenting information on a wide range of the programme/projects activities and implementation, highlighting noteworthy issues/trends for consideration by senior management.
• Support the review, appraise, prepare and revise, as necessary, relevant programme/project submissions, ensuring compliance with guidelines and programme/project objectives; identify problems/issues; seek clarification from divisions/branches and prepare a summary for the responsible Officer and with suggestions for further action.
• Review, analyse and assist in the finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals for the highly complex DO programme budgets, including headquarters, the field office network, individual regional/country level budget segments and DO global programmes.
• Review and interpret budget guidelines and instructions; review and coordinate submissions of programme proposals and budget estimates, ensuring that requisite information is included and justified in terms of proposed activities; propose adjustments as necessary; prepare reports and ensure that outputs/services are properly categorized.
• Assist the Programme Officers and DO management in the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submissions, in the monitoring of the use of all funds, and in ensuring compliance with UN financial rules and regulations and established policies and procedures.
• Monitor and evaluate programme and country-level segments; categorize, update, track and analyse data related to the implementation of the various programmes and projects; identify issues and initiate requisite follow-up actions.
• Prepare annual and biennium budget plans; revise budget estimates; perform various budget implementation reports, verify availability of funds; and ensure necessary approval and entry in Umoja.
• Monitor budget implementation/expenditures and recommend reallocation of funds as necessary.
• Review requisitions for goods and services to ensure the correct source of funding and availability of funds.
• Manage allotments, spending and transactions in accordance with available funds and cost plans; ensure that available resources are properly utilized; liaise and guide field office staff on administrative and financial issues; determine whether adjustments are necessary and ensure that these have been accurately processed. Prepare financial reports from Umoja, Integrated Planning, Management and Reporting (IPMR) system.
• Perform variance analysis between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
• Coordinate effective measures to allow the efficient management of grants.
• Provide guidance and training to programme managers, on reporting expenses by pledges/grants and by activities in different regions.
• Draft or prepare correspondence to respond to inquiries with respect to relevant financial and budget matters received from donors, field offices and other relevant stakeholders.
• Provide advice to Programme Officers on various financial matters.
• Act as a certifying officer for DO and in the absence of other DO certifying officers.
• Act as Security Liaison User for Umoja user access provisioning and manage Delegations of Authority for DO staff.
• Review and revise funding information for Human Resources Action Requests (HRARs) and Review of Appointments (RoAs) for accuracy and propose solutions as needed.
• Follow-up on audit recommendations and contribute to inter-divisional working group related to financial management and funding model review.
• 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 information material, etc.
• Perform other work-related duties, as assigned. Competencies
• Professionalism: Has knowledge of, and ability to apply financial rules, regulations and procedures in the United Nations environment. Has knowledge, skills and ability to extract, interpret, analyse and format data across the full range of finance and budget functions, including programme development and database management, claims and treasury operations. Is able to identify and resolve data discrepancies and operational problems. Has knowledge of processes and procedures relating to technical cooperation programme/project administration, implementation, programming and budgeting. Has ability to perform analysis, modeling, and interpretation of data in support of decision-making. 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.
• Planning& 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 High school diploma or equivalent is required. Completion of trainings in finance or budgeting related modules of an ERP system (such as SAP/Umoja) is required. Completion of trainings in Umojas Integrated Planning, Management and Reporting (IPMR) system is desirable. Job – Specific Qualification Completion of trainings in finance or budgeting related modules of an ERP system (such as SAP/Umoja) is required. Completion of trainings in Umojas Integrated Planning, Management and Reporting (IPMR) system is desirable. Work Experience A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible working experience in the field of programme or project administration, accounting and budgeting, or related field is required. The minimum number of years of relevant experience is reduced to eight (8) for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Direct work experience with funds verification, budget monitoring, requisition review, allotment management, review of funding information for Human Resources is required. Work experience with an ERP system (such as SAP/Umoja) is required. Work experience with Umojas Integrated Planning, Management and Reporting (IPMR) is desirable. Work experience as a certifying officer in the United Nations Common System organizations or a similar international organization is desirable. Work experience and knowledge of financial rules and regulations, budget modules, and Business Intelligence reports within the United Nations Common System or a similar international organization is desirable. Direct work experience with grants, projects and fund management, is desirable. Work experience with managing Delegation of Authority 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 Language Reading Writing Listening Speaking English UN Level II UN Level II UN Level II UN Level II Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Special Notice This position is funded from extra budgetary resources. Filling of this position is subject to funding availability, and the initial appointment will be for a period of one year. Extension of the appointment will be subject to the availability of funds. 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…