Budget Assistant (Consultant)

About the role

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) is recruiting a Budget Assistant as an individual contractor based in the Budget Unit of the Finance and Budget Section, Division of Administration, in Addis Ababa. The postholder works with minimal supervision, producing accurate reports and timely support for Finance and Budget Officers and the Chief of Unit on medium-term planning, budget proposals, claims administration and treasury payments. The expected duration is 9 months.

Key responsibilities

• Support the review, analysis and preparation of the medium-term plan and its revisions, including narrative and supporting tables for cost estimates and budget proposals.
• Assist the Unit Chief in preparing resource requirements for budget submissions and help prepare the annual programme budget for all sources of funds.
• Monitor and report regularly on the regular budget of the assigned portfolio, and monitor expenditures against the approved budget, preparing adjustments as needed.
• Review requisitions for goods and services to check that the correct expenditure objects are charged and that funds are available.
• Support budget reviews by intergovernmental and expert bodies, and assist in budget performance submissions and reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual spending.
• Monitor the integrity of financial databases, verify input data and coordinate with other finance and budget staff on budget reports.
• Prepare requests to the Controller's Office on redeployment of funds and to the Finance Section on fund movements, record disbursements and allotment advice in the Umoja system, and process fund distributions from HQ.
• Produce budget reports regularly and ad hoc using Business Intelligence, draft reports and memos to clients and committees, and analyse data to identify budget trends.
• Keep up to date on relevant guidelines, comply with UN policies and procedures, and cover for colleagues on leave.

Required profile

• At least seven years of experience in finance, budget, accounting, administrative services or a related field.
• Desirable: experience in budgeting and analysing financial reports, and in applying the UN Financial Rules and Regulations.

Required skills

• Desirable: SAP-Umoja, BI reporting and Umoja Analytics.