Senior Budget & Administrative Associate, GS-7, Education Outcomes Fund (EOF), REQ# 534806

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, an education…

The Education Commission and the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment came together to create the Education Outcomes Fund for Africa and the Middle East (EOF),  an initiative to improve the education of 10 million children and young people.  EOF aims to pool $1 billion in aid and philanthropic funds, to support governments to pay for results in education and youth employment over the next decade.  It will partner with governments across the MEA region to strengthen education systems, harnessing the capacity and capability of non-state actors to improve the effectiveness of expenditure and help deliver on the promise of quality education for all. 

EOF is hosted by UNICEF. The Fund is administered under UNICEF’s financial, human resources and administrative rules and regulations, while operations are run by the Fund’s own independent governance structure that provides strategic guidance and oversight to its investments. EOF’s day-to-day activities are carried out by a Secretariat under the direction of the EOF CEO.

The position will report to the Operations Specialist, EOF, for all day to day activities.

How can you make a difference?

The Senior Budget and Admin Associate will provide the financial management, governance support, administrative and logistical support services to the Secretariat.

They will ensure efficient and cost-effective administrative and financial support services, working closely with operations colleagues in UNICEF HQ to ensure that the Secretariat’s administrative and financial operations and services follow the organization’s administrative policy, procedures, rules and regulations. They are accountable for budget and expenditure monitoring operations, procedural administrative services and specialized functions related to donor and financial reporting.

The Senior Budget and Admin Associate will provide shared operational support to the EOF Secretariat, will be responsible for overseeing all EOF financial transactions and processes, and will be expected to provide high-quality senior-level administrative support to the Secretariat.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Financial and budget management
2. Administration and governance support
3. Information sharing, implementation, and management
4. Office management and administrative support

Financial and budget management:

• Provides support for review, analysis and preparation of the budget plans and its revisions; prepares and reviews financial records for reconciliation of expenditures, balances, payments, statements and other data for day-to-day transactions and reports of funds utilization proactively highlighting areas for action (e.g. expiring grants), including, managing the overall commitment, expenditures and liquidation of funds in accordance with the corporate procedures and timelines; takes necessary action to ensure optimum use of funds;
• Prepares a budget and cash flow for the Secretariat in consultation with the COS and other staff members; provides advice to management and ensures that budget estimates and allocations follow budget guidelines; establishes internal budgetary controls, ensures accuracy and appropriateness of budget matters.
• Produces periodic reports and analysis of budget performance and enters data from a wide variety of documents, verifying and ensuring accuracy by checking sources, making necessary calculations and assuring inclusion of all relevant data.
• Oversees the processes related to PCAs and MoUs, advises on the appropriate course of action and follows up with partner organizations and other departments as needed.
• Verifies and processes payment requests in accordance with established guidelines. Carries out transactions in VISION pertaining to grants for his/her section such as registering grant allotments and tracking expiring programme grants.
• Briefs supervisor on whether donor conditions are met on grants expenditure and funds are fully utilized before grant expiry.
• Advises and assists international staff, experts and consultants on financial matters, and calculates and authorizes payments due for claims and services.

Administrative and Governance Support

• Supports the overall administration of the Secretariat by providing substantive administrative and budget support in managing priorities and work flow of the Secretariat;
• Supports the recruitment process for new staff, including EOF on-boarding.
• Provides assistance in planning and coordination of administrative and financing activities of the Secretariat.
• Effective liaison maintained with relevant Divisions in UNICEF, HQ and with implementers in support of the above and to ensure compliance with established rules and procedures.
• Support the development of EOF institutional assets, such as standard operating procedure and processes.
• Work closely with the COS to coordinate meetings of the Secretariat, including collating
• Background papers and presentations, supporting logistics, reporting on outcomes and ensuring follow-up of actions.

Information sharing, implementation, and management

• Supports the Secretariat in presentations on administrative and financial matters for internal and external meetings; researches issues, supports the development of briefing notes, slides and subject files and gathering relevant documentation;
• Manages, updates and further develops internal databases, customer relationship systems and contact lists.
• Manages EOF office email inbox to ensure timely and efficient engagement with external partners, donors, civil society and members, and to ensure a smooth flow of information internally.
• Manages communications with governance bodies by directing to appropriate members of the EOF  Secretariat. Responds or drafts responses to a diverse range of correspondence and other communications relating to finance, budget management and administrative issues.

Office management and administrative support

Coordinates and monitors to ensure that management directives and decision are properly carried out and products are delivered in a timely manner (e.g. leave and attendance records, travel arrangements, visa applications, equipment purchases, service and supply requisitions, conference room bookings);

• Brings to the attention of the COS the need to update/modify procedures to ensure productivity gains.
• Supports effective administration of meeting and events organized by the Secretariat;
• Initiates, monitors and follows up on personnel-related matters of staff;
• Processes travel requests issued by the Secretariat in line with UNICEF procedures;
• Supports office accommodation, movement/installation of office furniture and equipment;
• Procures computer hardware/software as recommended by ITSS and approved by the Director.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Secondary education is required, along with formal training in a financial management discipline (e.g. accounting, audit and/or budget management).

• Seven (7) years of experience in finance, accounting, office management, administration, human resources, supply or other relevant function is required.        
•  
• Fluency in English is required and another UN language will be an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The functional competencies required for this post are…

Functional Competencies:

 

Core competencies

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Effective Date of Availability: 1 January 2021

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Education Outcomes Fund (EOF) is hosted by UNICEF. The Fund is administered under UNICEF’s financial, human resources and administrative rules and regulations, while operations are run by the Fund’s own independent governance structure that provides strategic guidance and oversight to its investments. EOF’s day-to-day activities are carried out by a Secretariat under the direction of the Education Outcomes Fund Director.

If selected for this post, the resulting appointment will be limited to EOF, a UNICEF hosted fund. While UN staff regulations and rules, as well as UNICEF policies and procedures, apply during the appointment, certain provisions therein may apply differently due to the limited scope of the appointment.

This applies equally to UNICEF internal candidates, if they are selected for and appointed to this post. The scope of their appointment will thereafter be limited to EOF, and in order to return to a UNICEF appointment outside EOF, they will need to be selected in a competitive recruitment exercise. In particular, they will not be eligible or subject to rotation exercise, conversion to a continuing appointment, or priority in selection process for UNICEF posts outside EOF during their appointment.