Finance and Budget Advisor

New York Portfolios Office (NYPO)

The New York Portfolios Office (NYPO) leads the organization's New York-based portfolios to successfully deliver project and programme management as well as procurement, human resources, and financial management services for its partners with global mandates, ranging from the UN Secretariat to UN funds, programmes, and agencies, and ultimately to UN Member States.

NYPO aims at strategically positioning UNOPS with New York-based partners with global mandates and initiatives, at ensuring an even greater collaboration to leverage strengths in the pursuit of UNOPS’s growth aspirations, and at capitalizing on its unique in-house portfolio expertise in global portfolio design and implementation.

NYPO provides support and expertise to achieve the broader Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 2030 Agenda to UNOPS’ largest partner, the UN Secretariat, alongside other New York-based UN partners with a global outreach, as well as UN Member States.

NYPO supports partners’ global portfolios to successfully deliver their project management and transactional services. NYPO includes the Peace and Security Cluster (PSC) and the Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC). PSC provides the coordination and execution of projects focused on explosive threat management, overseeing specific programs and portfolios, particularly those managed by the UN Secretariat, UNDP, and other partners. SDC collectively provides a range of important operational support services to the UN Secretariat, its initiatives, programmes, and conferences, as well as the whole UN System in New York.

UNOPS is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Finance and Budget Advisor who, under the guidance of the NYPO Head of Support Services, can support NYPO in achieving the region’s ambitious strategy.

Role of the Finance and Budget Advisor

The Finance and Budget Advisor will be responsible for the overall control environment, provision of financial services, and financial reporting across the NYPO, covering 120+ countries and 4 portfolios.

They will lead a team of 8, and maintain close working relationships with other finance practitioners located in field locations.

This role requires a strong understanding of business partnering and financial management in the context of significant organizational change. In FY 25-27 the organization is expected to implement significant changes to the financial infrastructure which will have wide-ranging effects on Business As Usual (BAU) processes.

The key functions of this role in the finance and budget are:

1. Provision of strategic support and oversight to NYPO

2. Delivery of cross-functional integration and process efficiency improvements 

3. Enforce compliance with organizational requirements

4. Ensure client-facing performance and reporting is excellent and undergoing continuous improvement

5. Management of a high-performing team

6. Ensure resource maximization and business planning is effective and embedded in business as usual (BAU)

1. Provide strategic financial  support and budget oversight to NYPO 

• Develop Finance/Budget annual work plan, setting of priorities and planning of work in line with corporate goals and business planning process 

• Monitor and analyze the operating environment to ensure adequate agility, risk management and quick readjustment of the operations as needed 

• Reduce reputational risk by ensuring NYPO's financial reporting requirements are met 

• Lead internal and external audit exercises and accountability for financial audit recommendations 

• Act as the practice specialist by contributing to corporate strategy requirements, and to corporate recommendations made by Finance Group 

• Drive finance function initiatives to ensure added value and optimal support across NYPO, as well as the achievement of the Strategic Objectives 

• Contribute with specialist financial knowledge to long-term strategy of NYPO's business efficiencies

2. Deliver cross-functional integration and process efficiency improvements 

• Bridge the gap between HQ-level policy development and execution at field level, including conducting financial training to personnel

• Lead cross-functional integration and process efficiency improvements through linkages between program and operations with an emphasis on finance and budgeting

• Work towards coherence in processes and in policy improvements for long-term solutions to repetitive challenges

• Benchmark internal financial practices with external best practices

• Work closely with other management practice advisors on the utilization and enhancement of systems and tools

• Knowledge building and sharing with regards to financial management and operations

3. Enforce compliance with organizational requirements 

• Supervise the performance of monthly, quarterly and year-end accounting processes

• Mitigate reputational risk by ensuring integrity and accuracy of financial performance and expenditure

• Ensure transactions are correct and escalate complex and recurring challenges to Finance Group in consultation with the UNOPS Global Portfolios Office RMOA

• Drive inputs on budget design across programmes

• Lead control and data integrity tests of systems

• Contribute to practice-led initiatives on common operational recommendations when developing new systems

• Drive the delivery of training to the business to raise financial capacity, awareness and compliance

4. Ensure client-facing performance and reporting is excellent and undergoing continuous improvement

• Constant assessment of client-satisfaction and performance through KPIs related to Financial Management as part of internal and external benchmarking
• Conduct a thorough analysis of statistics and trends to inform and guide the portfolio
• Establish a knowledge management system to ensure Financial Management trends and lessons learned are captured to inform future decision making and best practices
• Lead financial bi-annual reviews with the client to communicate challenges and achievements
• Contribute as practice specialist to resolving NYPO functional challenges by coordinating and developing long-term strategies towards innovative solutions
• Review and lead financial process efficiencies, and contribute to the development of NYPO SOPs
• Enable the assessment of risks versus opportunities considering the Internal Control Framework

5. Manage a high-performing team 

• Lead an effective and high-performing Finance team, embedding the changes to roles and responsibilities commenced in the team integration of FY22.

• Ensure team cohesion and integration across the two Finance sub-teams (Client Financial Reporting and Financial Accounting), supporting the development of junior managers and ensuring the continuous and high quality provision of financial services across NYPO.

• Develop and strengthen the team strategy in the context of a move towards hybrid team complement (office- and home-based).

6. Ensure resource maximization and business planning is effective and embedded in business as usual (BAU)

• Lead the budget and business planning process, reflecting the strategic and operational requirements 

• Monitor the budget implementation and resource utilization/status related to NYPO's admin and LSS budgets 

• Steward the management resources of NYPO clusters ensuring timely cost recovery and adequate pricing 

• Make recommendations to senior management (Directors & Regional Management) regarding structural arrangements within the Cluster 

• Monitor NYPO's performance against financial targets

Successful performance by the Finance and Budget Advisor would lead to the following impacts:

• Enhanced Operational Efficiency: The successful implementation of optimized processes would lead to improved efficiency and productivity across the organization. This would result in cost savings, reduced manual workloads, and faster project delivery, ultimately increasing operational efficiency.

• Improved Service Delivery: By optimizing its processes, UNOPS would be able to enhance its service offerings to its partners and stakeholders. 

• Increased Organizational Stability: The successful management of regional funds and safeguarding of the organization’s assets will increase both the financial stability of the organization and enable more effective programmatic delivery.

• Increased Organizational Performance: The successful adoption of optimized processes would enable UNOPS to achieve higher levels of organizational performance. 

• Positive External Perception: The successful optimization of key organizational processes, including the achievement of sustainable funding and streamlined financial services delivery, would ensure UNOPS is able to effective meet its external obligations and position NYPO as an innovative and effective partner for the wider UN family and other key actors in the international sphere.

• Advance degree (Master degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Management Studies, or related field with 7 years of relevant work experience is required; OR
• First-level University degree (Bachelor degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Management Studies, or related field with 9 years of relevant work experience is required

• Relevant experience is defined as progressive experience in financial management, financial analysis, financial reporting, budget analysis or relevant fields
• Experience in a supervisory role is desired
• Experience in managing the financial components of project management cycles is desired

• Fluency in English (speak, read, and write) is required

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA)
Contract level: IICA-3 (ICS-11)
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.