Chief of Service (Chief, Financial Operations Service)

The Chief of Service (Financial Operations Service) oversees the global payroll function, accounts payable, income tax unit, commercial insurance section, and financial monitoring within the Common Administrative Platform at UN Headquarters. The role involves strategic coordination, operational leadership, policy interpretation, data-driven decision-making, and staff management to ensure compliance with the Organization's Regulatory Framework.

Responsibilities

• Manages the Financial Operations Service which comprises various service and benefit oriented functions namely, global Payroll, Income Tax and Travel claims and Vendor Invoice Processing and commercial insurance.
• Provides guidance to senior officials on policy matters related to insurance, benefits, payroll and other service areas and ensuring that relevant policies and procedures are formulated and implemented.
• Functions as Risk Manager for property and casualty insurance of the United Nations which entails working closely with and/or coordinating with various UN entities and Offices and Departments within the United Nations to develop risk assessments and related coverage requirements, and arrange for property/liability coverage as appropriate.
• Oversees the development and/or enhancement of systems and procedures to ensure delivery of good client service and appropriate accounting of disbursements and other transactions.
• Provides policy guidance and ensuring that payrolls, claims and awards in the Income Tax Unit and Travel and Vendor Processing Unit are appropriately processed on a timely basis.
• Exercises authority delegated by Director of Administration, maintaining relationships with internal and external auditors.
• Participates in meetings of committees; and performs ad hoc assignments as required by the Director.
• Leads, supervises and carries out the work programme of the Service (Financial Operations Service) under his/her responsibility.
• Co-ordinates the work carried out by different work units under the Service; provides programmatic/substantive reviews of the drafts prepared by others.
• Co-ordinates and oversees the preparation of reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, Committee for Programme Coordination, Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate.
• Reports to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports.
• Ensures that the outputs produced by the Service maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data.
• Ensures that all outputs produced by the Sections and Units under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.
• Assists the Director in preparing the work programme of the Service, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
• Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Service, including preparation of budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance (e-performance), interviews of candidates for job openings, evaluation of candidates and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting.
• Recruits staff, taking due account of geographical balance.
• Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision.
• Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Service and across organizational boundaries.
• Leads and supervises the organization of meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive issues.
• Manages the substantive preparation and organization of such meetings or seminars.
• Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue, or holds programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.
• Represents the Division at international, regional or national meetings.

Requirements

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business or public administration, finance, accounting, law, social sciences or related area is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A minimum of fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible experience in finance, accounting, payroll, administration, financial management, budget or related field is required.
• A minimum of five (5) years of experience in leading teams related to two or more of the areas of responsibility of the Service (global payroll, income tax, travel claims, vendor invoice processing or commercial insurance) is required.
• Experience in the deployment, maintenance and adaptation of global payroll software, HR and payroll systems, and data analytics tools to process payments and addressing complex payroll issues, such as currency conversion problems or local regulatory changes is required.
• Experience in leading change management, business improvement initiatives or innovation projects in the operational financial management area is required.
• Experience in managing commercial insurance programmes and exposure to the worldwide liability/property insurance markets are desirable.
• Experience in managing teams across different time zones and cultures is desirable.
• Experience in senior positions in the United Nations system or similar international organizations overseeing the implementation of administrative policies and procedures is desirable.
• Experience with international labor laws, tax regulations, and social security systems, is desirable.
• English is required at UN Level III proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking.
• French is desirable at UN Level II proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Skills

• Finance Management
• Payroll Management
• Payroll Software
• HR Systems and Databases
• Data Analytics
• Currency Conversion
• Regulatory Compliance
• Business Improvement
• Change Management
• Team Leadership
• Budget Management
• Accounts payable
• Income Tax Management
• Corporate Insurance Management
• Operational Financial Management
• Policy Interpretation
• Staff Management
• International Labor Law
• Tax regulations
• Social Security Systems

Languages

English, French