Background

This position is located in the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Office in Abuja, Nigeria (CONIG). The  incumbent will be responsible for providing overall financial, budget and accounting support to the Country Office in relation to European Union funded projects. . S /he will provide support on the financial aspects of the 3 projects, as shall be deemed expedient. The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the CONIG Finance Officer, and the overall guidance of the Operations Manager.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Finance & Budget Associate will perform the following tasks:-

• Assist in preparing requisitions for office related procurement
• Assist in the monitoring and management of technical contracts for the provision of support services.
• Participate in the final review of project budgets, and project budget revisions
• Scrutinize source documents for completeness, accuracy and validity of charges;
• Investigate errouneous charges and takes appropriate corrective accounting actions;
• Communicates with the project teams regarding  missing documentation or any other issues related to discrepancies in their accounts;
• Extracts details of income, expenditure, assets and liability from accounting  system in order to analyse and verify accuracy and validity;
• Assists with the monitoring of expenditures to ensure they remain within authorized levels;
• Audits various accounting transactions to ensure correctness of disbursements and adherence to relevant staff rules, financial regulations and rules
• Provides guidance and training to project colleagues as required.
• Respond to queries from project staff on European Union reporting
• Initiate processes leading to procurement, maintenance and disposal of assets;
• Assist in ensuring accurate and complete accounting and reporting of project expenditures;
• Assist in ensuring that internal financial targets and budgets are fully consistent with the projects strategic plans through continuous liaison with Finance Officers and Project Coordinators on budgeting, expenditure and adherence to financial and programme policies and guidelines.
• Assist in review of delivery operations, including liaison with counterpart agencies and the European Union, at appropriate levels,  to ensure cooperation/coordination of project activities and alerting supervisors on problems and opportunities arising during project implementation
• Establish and maintain a proper filing system.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Competencies

Professionalism:

• Demonstrated professional competence and mastery of UN financial regulations and rules as well as accounting policies and priorities; ability to extract, interprete and analyse a wide variety of data and to resolve data discrepancies and other problems;
  
• Ability to map out potential risks and make contingencies, as required; shows pride in work and in achievements; Conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; and remains calm in stressful situations.

Accountability:

• Takes ownership of 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;
• Takes responsibility for delegated assignments;
  
• Takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

Teamwork:

• Proven interpersonal skills and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity. Works collaboratively with colleagues within and outside UNODC;
  
• 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.

Planning & Organizing:

• Able to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor work while prioritizing competing demands;
• Able to work on tight deadlines;
• Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning;
• Monitors and adjusts plans and projects as necessary;
  
• Uses time efficiently.

Client Orientation:

• Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view;
• Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect;
  
• Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions;
• Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems;
  
• Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks;
• Meets time lines for delivery of goods, transportation requests, or services to client.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary Education, with specialized certification in Accounting and Finance. University Degree in Finance, Business or Public Administration desirable, but it is not a  requirement. Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, Access, Power Point MS Publisher, etc) is required.

Experience

• A minimum of 7 years of relevant administrative/financial experience at national or international levels is required.  Experience in the UN ATLAS, FOML and ProFi systems will be considered a plus. Work experience in the United Nations System or European Union-funded projects would be an asset .

Language;

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in English, with excellent drafting skills, is essential. Knowledge of other main languages in Nigeria would be an advantage

The UN is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.