Budget Specialist (Polio) at UNICEF

The Budget Specialist will support the RRT and countries offices in managing polio campaign resources provided by donors including the development of a consolidated outbreak budget for the outbreak response activities as per the outbreak SOPs. The Budget Specialist will also provide active support for budgetary monitoring, compliance with donors’ conditionalities and internal UNICEF rules and processes and other functions as required.

• Support to financial planning and management
• Support the country team to develop consolidated outbreak budget for polio SIA rounds 0-2, as per the polio outbreak SOPs.
• Assist RRT and ESARO in the collation of data and analysis of Polio Grant/s and Progress Reports.
• Support RRT and ESARO in maintaining the Polio Grants overview table of project with income and expenditure/ disbursement, undisbursed balance vs. the grant age.
• Serve as the focal person for contribution management in all matters relating to the multiple number of contributions received by ESAR and RRT for Polio.
• Support to financial Monitoring and Reporting
• Ensure preparation of accurate, complete and timely financial reports (including reconciliations); co-ordinate internal financial reporting deadlines and requirements for the programme. This will include planning deadlines, formats for information and consolidation of financial data for timely and quality reports submission with donors.
• Ensure compliance of project financial arrangements and reporting in line with UNICEF's and relevant donor regulations.
• Monitor project budgets versus actual expenditure; ensure that expenditure recorded meets donor requirements for eligible expenditure items and that the level of documentation meets their specified requirements and advice on budget performance and, if applicable, suggest budget revisions.
• Control of Accounts
• Examine transactions (transfer, adjustments, reconciliations, reprogramming and liquidation) supporting documents to ensure the expenditure is reasonable and in accordance with policy
• Monthly review of terms of expenditure charged to the ESARO Polio Grants ensuring coding is correct and that any discrepancies are investigated and resolved.
• Verify and quality control of the reprogramming, extension and pull back cash requests submitted by teams and Countries Offices through UNICEF ESARO.
• Plan and monitor disbursements and control of appropriate use of Polio Grants (financial, administrative and other assets) confirming compliance with organizational rules, donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity and ensuring timely reporting and liquidation of resources.
• Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
• Keep up to date all polio grants income and expenditure budgets and supporting documents for each project component.
• Ensure compliance with the closure of projects, including final financial reporting, external audit, and updating UNICEF financial accounts.
• Periodically visit UNICEF COs to provide on-site face-to-face support to country colleagues and partners where required.
• Facilitate efficient communication and coordination between the COs, RO, and HQ finance teams.

Contribute to capacity building of country colleagues and partners and strengthen their management capacity by facilitating training, following the growth in the staffing structure and partners, providing one-on-one follow-up support and knowledge sharing

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

Education

• An advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in Business Administration or Finance/Accounts Management; or a first university degree with a relevant combination of academic qualifications and 2 additional years of minimum experience.

Experience

• At least five years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in in Finance and Budget Management and the development of donor reports and proposals.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is required.
• Experience in Polio Budget and Grant reporting would be an asset.
• Knowledge of Polio Donors procedures (USAID, Rotary, CDC, BMGF, NpT) would be an asset.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of a second UN and/or local working language of the duty station an asset