Finance and Budget Assistant

The Finance and Budget Assistant supports budget and finance functions within the United Nations Office at Nairobi, including budget preparation, expenditure monitoring, accounting transactions, payroll analysis, and financial reporting. The role involves ensuring compliance with UN financial rules and providing guidance and training to junior staff.

Responsibilities

• May act as Certifying Officer on behalf of and in the absence of programme managers at offices outside of headquarters.
• Provides support with respect to the review, analyses and preparation of the medium-term plan and its revisions.
• Prepares supporting documents (narrative and supporting tables) with respect to finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements.
• Assists managers in the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submissions.
• Undertakes research and provides support to higher level Finance & Budget Officers with respect to budget reviews of relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies.
• Monitors expenditures and compares with approved budget; prepares adjustments as necessary.
• Reviews requisitions for goods and services to ensure correct objects of expenditure have been charged and availability of funds.
• Assists in preparation of budget performance submissions and finalization of budget performance reports, analyzing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
• Monitors integrity of various financial databases.
• Verifies accuracy of input data, ensuring consistency of data in previous allotments to new allotments issued.
• Co-ordinates with other finance and budget staff on related issues during preparation of budget reports.
• Prepares, processes, and reviews complex and non‑routine accounting transactions independently, ensuring accuracy and compliance with applicable financial rules, regulations, and procedures.
• Investigates erroneous, incomplete, or rejected transactions and implements appropriate corrective accounting actions; initiates and processes journal vouchers to clear discrepancies and aged open items in Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP).
• Processes accounting adjustments and corrections in line with requests submitted by Clients and approved by the Supervisor.
• Conducts in‑depth analysis and reconciliation of suspense, clearing, payroll, and other general ledger accounts, ensuring timely clearance supported by complete documentation.
• Performs payroll analysis and data validation of simulation runs; and prepares payroll data for monthly mass upload files, including direct payroll deductions and payments of staff entitlements and benefits.
• Audits payroll payments and other financial transactions to verify accuracy of payments and adherence to staff rules, financial regulations, and relevant administrative issuances.
• Serves as approving officer for disbursements of staff entitlements and claims within delegated authority.
• Resolves routine and complex inquiries from clients independently and explains applicable procedures and requirements; provides authoritative information on pension contributions; and liaises with counterparts in finance, human resources, and insurance to ensure the accurate and timely resolution of issues.
• Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to programme, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures.
• Drafts or prepares correspondence to respond to enquiries in respect to relevant financial and budget matters.
• Provide guidance, training and daily supervision to other general service staff in the area of responsibility.
• Assists 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.
• Assists with visualizations and the updating of information material.
• Provides supervision and on‑the‑job guidance, technical advice, and training to junior staff and new team members.
• Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• Supplemental courses/ training in finance, administration, project management or related field is desirable.
• A recognized accountancy qualification (e.g. Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants (CIPFA)) is desirable.
• A minimum of seven (7) years of experience in finance, budget, accounting, or related area is required.
• The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five (5) years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher.
• Experience in the use of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems is required.
• A minimum of three (3) years of experience focused on transaction-based payroll activities, or the administering of staff benefits and entitlements, including auditing staff earnings, deductions and separations is desirable.
• Knowledge and experience of Staff Rules and Regulations and Financial Regulations, Rules and procedures of the United Nations or similar international organizations is desirable.
• Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principle (GAAP), IFRS, IPSAS, and experience in Financial Statement Analysis is desirable.
• English is required at UN Level III for reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

Skills

• Budget Preparation
• Expenditure Monitoring
• Accounting Transactions
• Payroll Processing
• Staff Benefits Administration
• Financial Reporting
• Enterprise Resource Planning
• Financial Regulations
• Staff Rules Knowledge
• Financial statement analysis
• Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
• International Financial Reporting Standards
• International Public Sector Accounting Standards
• Audit of Staff Earnings
• Payroll Audit Support
• Training Delivery
• Project Management
• Certified Public Accountant
• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
• Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants

Languages

English