Budget Officer

The OSCE has a comprehensive approach to security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security that encompasses politico-military, economic and environmental, and human aspects. It therefore addresses a wide range of security related concerns, including arms control, confidence and security building measures, human rights, combating human trafficking, national minorities, democratization, policing strategies, counter-terrorism and economic and environmental activities. All 57 participating States enjoy equal status, and decisions are taken by consensus on a politically, but not legally binding basis. The objective of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) is to contribute, in close co-operation with OSCE institutions and other actors of the international community, to reducing tensions and fostering peace and stability in Ukraine, and ensuring the observance of OSCE principles and commitments, thus establishing conditions for inclusive political dialogue aimed at achieving a sustainable transition respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. The Mission is composed of about 1500 mission members, from more than 40 participating States and has a budget over EUR 100 million. The Administration and Finance Department comprises the following Units: Human Resources, Medical Services, Finance and Budget, Procurement and Contracts Management, Infrastructure (including General Support Services and Dnipro Forward Logistics Base) and ICT Management. The Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), in line with the OSCE Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality, is committed to further improving gender balance among staff in all areas and levels within the SMM. We encourage qualified applicants, in particular female candidates, to apply for this position. If applicable, deployment is subject to attendance to and successful completion of pre-deployment training and assessment. Applicants are hereby notified that the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) is designated by the OSCE as a nonfamily duty station. This designation is based on the fluid and dynamic working environment in the SMM. The currently prevailing working conditions in the duty station may include working in a hazardous location with extended hours of service, and possibly curtailed freedom of movement. Successful candidates who are appointed to locations deemed by the OSCE as hazardous will receive hazard pay. In addition, all successful candidates will be required to participate in the OSCE accident and life insurance scheme in accordance with the OSCE Staff Regulations and Staff Rules. Tasks and Responsibilities: Under the direct supervision of Head, Finance and Budget, Kyiv HO, incumbent is responsible for administration of the Mission's budget in accordance with the OSCE Regulatory Framework (more than 100 million Euros per year). As a Budget Officer, you will participate in the formulation, analyses, verification and consolidation of drafts of the budget and project proposals, prepare relevant financial reports for internal (Senior Management, Heads of Unit and Sections, Secretariat, other requestors) and external (donors, delegations, auditors) uses, and provide the necessary supporting explanations and analysis to support the Mission's reports. You will ensure the availability of necessary financial resources as well as certify funds for expenditure against approved budget and proposes amendments for the streamlining of budgetary processes, operational procedures and workflows. More specifically, you will be responsible for: 1. Participating in formulating, analysing, verifying and consolidating the drafts of the budget and project proposals:

• Receiving of submissions from Heads of Offices, Units, Sections, and Cells;
• Ensuring that the budget proposals adhere to the Permanent Council (PC) Decisions, financial regulations and rules, financial instructions, guidelines and other formal documents;
• Analysing budget proposals to ensure that standard costs are consistently applied and verified that over-budgeting is avoided; liaising with the respective Offices, Units, Sections, and Cells of the Mission in the process of finalizing the budgetary submission;
• Drafting and revising budget texts; consolidating budget proposals by ensuring that consistent budget formats are applied;
• Maintaining project files: entering new extra-budgetary project proposals, project budgets, makes project budget adjustments upon requests from Programme/Project Managers;
• Maintaining project handler files, collecting and filing necessary project-related information;
• Maintaining communications with relevant units in the Secretariat and the Donors where necessary, co-ordinating and implementing all matters related to extra-budgetary contributions;
• Advising the Programme/Project Managers on the preparation of mission budget proposals and ExB Project proposals and application of the respective policies of the Common Regulatory Management System (CRMS) to the projects.

2. Monitoring of the approved budget on a continuous basis to ensure that expenditures are in-line with approved activities and does not exceed budgeted amounts:

• Continuously and thoroughly reviewing the implementation of the approved budget to ensure that expenditures are in line with approved activities;
• Regularly undertaking thorough reviewing to oversee that no over-expenditures are likely to occur and to inform the supervisor on a timely basis;
• Periodically reviewing the status of allotments and initiates revisions as required;
• Reviewing the accounting correctness of expenditure entries, including payroll, on a monthly basis;
• Periodically reviewing the encumbrances and preparing the list for Programme/Project Managers in co-ordination with Procurement and Contracting Unit.

3. Preparing relevant financial reports for internal (Senior Management, Heads of Units and Sections, Secretariat, other requestors) and external (donors, delegations, auditors) use and providing the necessary supporting explanations and analysis to support the reports:

• On a monthly basis preparing budget implementation reports on a detailed level with the necessary analysis and explanations on the status of the budget implementation;
• Initiating and consolidating submissions from Heads of Offices, Units, Sections, and Cells to draft the periodic reports on the budget implementation;
• Initiating and consolidating submissions from Heads of Offices, Units, Sections, and Cells to draft the periodic project and Donors' reports.

4. Ensuring the availability of necessary financial resources as well as certifies funds for expenditure against approved budget:

• Certifying the availability of funds for staff and non-staff costs, and advising on availability of funds in-line with the relevant Financial Regulations and instructions;
• Certifying the funds availability, ensuring that the proposed costs are in accordance with approved budget.

5. Acting as the focal point for technical issues, maintaining and updating the Oracle Budget Module to enable accurate budgeting:

• Advising and processing required changes in the programmatic structure of the Mission in the Budget Module to enable proper budgeting;
• Acting as main focal point for technical issues related to the Budget Module and working closely with Budget Unit and ICTS in the Secretariat to ensure technical requirements are met.

6. Proposing amendments for the streamlining of budgetary processes, operational procedures and workflows; drafting standard budget formats, tables, guidelines and instructions for various budget submissions; 7. Attending meetings, including those with senior management, and co-ordinating with finance staff to provide technical direction, guidance and support on all budgetary issues affecting the Mission; 8. Drafting correspondence and responding to queries on budget related issues as required; preparing replies to intemal and external audit observations relating to the area of responsibility; 10. Performing other related duties as assigned. For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, please see https://www.osce.org/special-monitoring-mission-to-ukraine Necessary Qualifications:

• International mission members in the OSCE are internationally recruited. For the purposes of OSCE Missions (Field Operations) this means that they are hired to work in a duty station outside of their home country or country of permanent residence. As a result, nationals and permanent residents of the duty station are not eligible for international mission member positions. In the case of individuals with multiple nationalities, candidates are still ineligible for consideration even if using another citizenship for application while simultaneously maintaining the citizenship or permanent residence status of the country where the duty station is located;
• First-level university degree in finance, accounting, business administration, economics or certification from a recognized professional accountancy institution;
• A minimum of six years of professional experience in budgeting, accounting or finance, in an intergovernmental, governmental or commercial organization;
• Computer literate with practical experience with Microsoft applications and in using the ERP systems and Budget computerized systems highly desirable;
• Holding a valid driving license;
• Ability to identify and analyse problems and to take corrective action;
• Ability to work in a deadline-driven environment, to supervise staff and to motivate a team;
• Gender awareness and sensitivity, and ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities;
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to work as a member of a team, with people of different cultural and religious backgrounds, different gender, and diverse political views, while maintaining impartiality and objectivity;
• Professional fluency in the English language, both oral and written, and the ability to communicate clearly and concisely;
• Working knowledge of Ukrainian and/or Russian language(s) is an advantage.

Remuneration Package: Monthly remuneration subject to social security deductions is about USD 5176 to which is added Board and Lodging Allowance (currently EUR 125 per day subject to change without prior notice). Social benefits will include possibility of participation in the Cigna medical insurance scheme and the OSCE Provident Fund. Please note that appointments are normally made at step 1 of the applicable OSCE salary scale. If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCE's online application link found under https://jobs.osce.org/vacancies. The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise/re-post the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment, to offer an appointment at a lower grade or to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration. Only those candidates who are selected to participate in the subsequent stages of recruitment will be contacted. Please note that vacancies in the OSCE are open for competition only amongst nationals of participating States, please see https://www.osce.org/participating-states. The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply to become a part of the Organization. Candidates should be aware that OSCE officials shall conduct themselves at all times in a manner befitting the status of an international civil servant. This includes avoiding any action which may adversely reflect on the integrity, independence and impartiality of their position and function as officials of the OSCE. The OSCE is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. For more information on the values set out in OSCE Competency Model, please see https://jobs.osce.org/resources/document/our-competency-model. The OSCE is a non-career organization committed to the principle of staff rotation, therefore the maximum period of service in this post is 7 years. Please be aware that the OSCE does not request payment at any stage of the application and review process. If applicable, deployment is subject to attendance to and successful completion of pre-deployment training and assessment.