Org. Setting and Reporting

Those who are successful in the Young Professionals Programme (YPP) examination process will be placed on a roster used to fill appropriate vacancies. Candidates may be selected from the roster as relevant vacancies become available across the UN Secretariat. The roster is valid and used to fill positions, for a period of three years. It is important to understand that placement on the roster does not guarantee an offer of employment. Candidates selected from the roster will be offered a two-year fixed term contract at the start of their Professional career with the UN. After two years, and subject to satisfactory performance, they may be granted a continuing contract. YPP placements are at either a P-1/P-2 level (entry level professional). Positions may become available at various UN Secretariat offices, including, but not limited to: Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Beirut, Geneva, Nairobi, New York, Santiago, Vienna. Successful candidates must be willing to be placed in a position at any UN duty station or field operation. Please be sure to carefully read the Special Notice section below and visit careers.un.org/ypp for more information. These positions are located primarily in the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance (DMSPC) and the Department of Operational Support (DOS) in NY HQ, the Divisions of Administration at Offices Away from Headquarters, similar Services/Sections in Offices in the Field, or any Office in need of one of the included profiles. Associate Officers typically report to a senior officer, i.e. a unit chief or section chief.

Responsibilities

The Young Professionals Programme examination in Finance & Budget covers a range of positions in the areas of accounting, payroll/accounts payable, finance, budget, and procurement. Some of the key responsibilities of an Associate Officer in these job families would be (These duties are generic and may not be carried out by all Associate Officers): • Accounting: review, approve, reconcile and process a range of accounting transactions on a regular and recurring basis; approve/confirm that proposed commitments or expenses for goods and services, as well as those pertaining to personnel, are in accordance with the UN Financial Regulations and Rules, relevant appropriations and staffing tables and corresponding approved allotments; assist with the preparation of cash-flow statements for multiple accounts on a monthly basis ; • Payroll/accounts payable: maintain payroll operations by following policies and procedures; administer and approve payroll payments in enterprise resource planning systems ; prepare summary reports of earnings and deductions; balance accounts by investigating and resolving payroll discrepancies; complete payments by verifying and approving vendor invoices; charge expenses to appropriate cost centers and record corresponding entries. • Finance: review, analyse and assist in the finalization of budgets and resource justification of project proposals, ensuring compliance with the financial policies, procedures, rules and regulations of the United Nations; check monthly/quarterly and yearly mission accounts, accounts receivables and payables for submission to UN Headquarters; review and reconcile various clearing accounts and investigate erroneous/invalid entries to take appropriate corrective accounting action; record bank charges, revaluation, exchange rates between the bank and UN rates and other transactions; perform bank reconciliation on a daily basis. • Budget: forecast resource requirements and prepare and monitor budgets for departments and offices; analyse expenditures and give recommendations on appropriation of funds and optimal utilization of resources. • Procurement: plan procurement action, review and analyse requirements; identify potential sources of supply; conduct due diligence review of suppliers' capability and qualification; solicit and evaluate bids, proposals and quotations to ensure overall competitiveness and conformity to specified requirements; authorise purchases in line with delegated authority or recommend approval of awards in accordance with the Financial Regulations and Rules, established policy and procedures; participate in negotiations and prepare a variety of reports, correspondences and documents on procurement related matters. • Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. • 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 in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client. • PLANNING AND 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.

Education

At least a first-level university degree (i.e., Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent degree of at least three years) in one of the following areas (to be selected from the “Main Course of Study” dropdown menu): - Business & Administration - Mathematics & Statistics - Social & Behavioural Science Important: when preparing your application in Inspira, if you do not see your exact degree listed, please choose the field of study that is closest to your degree, from the “Field of Study” and “Main Course of Study” dropdown menus; then type the exact title in original language as well as its translation in English or French in the additional comment boxes.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

No work experience is required. Relevant work experience may be taken into consideration as an additional screening criteria when more than 60 candidates from the same country apply to the same exam area.

Languages

Fluency (speaking, reading, writing, understanding fluently) in one of the working languages of the UN Secretariat, English or French, is required; knowledge of the other is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

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