Budget Officer

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The Accounts and Finance Management Unit (AFM) provides budget and finance management services to WHO programmes and administration, as well as provide support to the management of fixed assets of the Organizationin the African Region. The scope of work includes award management, labour distribution planning and control, imprest and other accounts management, treasury, expenditures management and staff health insurance.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the supervision of the Unit Head, Accounts and Finance Management (AFM), the incumbent will perform the following functions in support of Programme Budget management in the Region:

1) Analyze budget, expenditure and variances.

2) Conduct periodic reviews of HR plans, standard and actual costs and provide reports to and work closely with, Budget Centers to update the costing information in management systems.

3) Analyze HR planned costs to identify any variances and take necessary corrective actions with budget centers.

4) Manage the GMC cluster workplans from operational planning through implementation, analyze projected needs in consultation with Unit chiefs, and ensure all awards fully distributed.

5) Build capacity and consolidate use of standard costing variance analysis in the Region to progressively improve the quality of budget and planned costs in Budget Centers.

6) Respond to audit queries and recommendations on financial aspects of programme management.

7) Provide critical analysis on current policies and procedures in the context of continuous business improvement; propose changes to, or additional standard operating procedures (SOP) to facilitate improved finance management in Budget Centers.

8) Keep abreast of all developments in WHO rules, regulations, policies, procedures and systems related to the areas of work. Ensure that relevant changes are disseminated to appropriate stakeholders.

9) Support the continuous improvement of rules and regulations around areas of work through identification of current and emerging issues and make recommendations on the development and enhancement of policies, procedures, guidelines, tools to manage issues.

10) Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: University degree in Accounting Management sciences, Business or Public Administration or Finance. For WHO staff only, equivalent professional training or self-study/work experience.
Desirable: An advanced university degree (Masters level or above) in business administration, finance, accounting, public administration, or related field. Professional qualification or licensure in Accounting/Accountancy, certification as CPA or Chartered Accountant will be an advantage.

Experience

Essential: Five (5) years professional experience at national or international level in finance, programme planning and/or budget/accounting activities. Demonstrated experience in accounting and consolidation of financial data using ERP systems or similar packages.
Desirable: Experience in WHO, other UN agencies, international or multinational organizations.

Skills

• Ability to plan, organize, coordinate and implement inputs from several sources; to express ideas clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Create synthetized reports and monitor trends in account balances and the ledger at the highest level.
• To interpret financial rules and regulations and develop standard operating procedures.
• To establish and maintain effective working relationship with people of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds; have supervisory skills to coach and mentor team members.
• Thorough knowledge of accounting and budgetary principles and their application.
• Excellent understanding of accounting practices and procedures, including the application of IPSAS in the country office setting.
• Advanced knowledge of relevant financial computer applications preferably Oracle Enterprise resource planning (ERP) or similar packages.
• Strong analytical, communication and problem-solving skills.
• Knowledge of WHO rules, regulations, policies and practices would be an asset.

WHO Competencies

• Teamwork
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication
• Producing results
• Ensuring the effective use of resources
• Creating an empowering and motivating environment

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Intermediate knowledge of English. Expert knowledge of French.
Desirable: The above language requirements are interchangeable.

REMUNERATION

WHO salaries for staff in the Professional category are calculated in US dollars. The remuneration for the above position comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 64,121 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable), a variable post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station, and currently amounts to USD 2960 per month for the duty station indicated above. Other benefits include 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

• A written test and/or an asynchronous video assessment may be used as a form of screening.

• In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.

• 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. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.

• Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.

• The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.

• The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its staff. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply.

• Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int

• An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.

• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.

• Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with WHO and an underlying premise of the international civil service. Candidates appointed to an international post with WHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.

• WHO also offers wide range of benefits to staff, including parental leave and attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work-life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully.

• The statutory retirement age for staff appointments is 65 years. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered.

• Please note that WHO's contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.

• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

• For WHO General Service staff who do not meet the minimum educational qualifications, please see e-Manual III.4.1, para 220.

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