Business Planning Specialist

UNOPS mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS provides its partners with advisory, implementation and transactional services, with projects ranging from building schools and hospitals, to procuring goods and services and training local personnel. UNOPS works closely with governments and communities to ensure increased economic, social and environmental sustainability for the projects we support, with a focus on developing national capacity.

UNOPS vision is a world where people can live full lives supported by appropriate, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, and by the efficient and transparent use of public resources in procurement and project management.

With over 8,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it.  By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.  

The Finance Group (FG) is a critical and strategic business function in UNOPS and serves as an authoritative and integrated partner in the organization on strategic financial planning and budgeting, business strategy and practices, financial analysis and risk assessment, financial management services and long term organisational treasury and investments.  As the steward of resources of a self-financing UN entity, FG is accountable for timely cost recovery and reporting to partners, maintaining the integrity and transparency of financial management of resources in accordance with the highest standards of ethics and organisational/international accountability framework and the accurate and transparent financial reporting to governing bodies, clients, partners and stakeholders.

The Business Planning Specialist reports to the Head of Business Planning who provides broad supervision and guidance.The role is responsible for supporting the implementation of the annual business planning cycle, based on strategy requirements.  It is also responsible for developing organisational analysis on progress towards strategy implementation.

Summary of functions

1. Business planning

2. Corporate advisory

3. Knowledge management and innovation

1.     Business planning        

• Provide input and advice on the organisation-wide processes for business planning, forecasting, target setting and resource allocation.

• Assist the Head of Business Planning and Analysis to recommend key assumptions required for annual business planning process.

• Consolidate UNOPS overall budget.

• Provide input and advice as required to ensure budgets are appropriate and that action plans are established to achieve the necessary financial outputs.

• Monitor and evaluate the implementation of business plans, highlighting deviations.

• Assist in the review investment funding and associated investment proposals.

2.     Corporate advisory        

• Support and assist the Head of Business Planning and Analysis and the Deputy CFO by advising on the development financial and non-financial KPI's.

• Analyze actual financial results to understand key business drivers and variances to budget/forecast.

• Participate in discussions on the development of UNOPS Strategic Plans and Mid-Term reviews and development results reporting.

• Support and assist the Head of Business Planning and Analysis and the Deputy CFO to work with Senior Management to help them better understand financial trends and financial opportunities.

3.     Knowledge management and innovation        

• Contribute to the development of internal capacity across the organization in terms of business planning.

• Constantly monitor and evaluate policies, procedures, methods, tools and associated systems to ensure its utility, applicability and efficacy.

• Design/approve refinements to processes to maximise the benefits of management information system to enhance efficiency and facilitate organisational/management monitoring, oversight and reporting.

• Lead/organise training events and design/set training agenda to build capacity of stakeholders on business planning.

Impact of results

The responsible and transparent financial analysis and reporting of financial resources to governing bodies, clients, partners and stakeholders enhance the visibility and image of UNOPS as an effective service provider in project services and management and consequently strengthen its competitive position as a partner of choice in sustainable development and project services in the country served.

• A Masters degree in finance, accounting, business administration, economics or other related financial field is required.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in business/financial planning in a large international organisation or business corporation is required.
• Some experience in UN system organisations an asset.
• Full working knowledge of English.  
• Knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

APPLICANTS SHOULD INCLUDE A MOTIVATION LETTER WITH THEIR APPLICATIONS.