UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to education 

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Organizational Context:        

The position of the Budget Officer (Budget & Partnerships) is embedded within the Programme Section of Georgia Country Office under the direct supervision of the Deputy Representative (P4). This role supports effective programme delivery by liaising regularly with multiple units in Programme and Operations, and with external partners (government ministries, NGOs, donors).

How can you make a difference? 

Purpose of the Job:   

The Budget Officer (Budget & Partnerships) will be responsible for supporting the tracking, analyzing and reporting income and expenditures, including donor contributions, and for contributing to the preparation, management and monitoring of contributions across all sources of funds within programmes and operations The incumbent provides contribution to the overall governance of the UNICEF Georgia Country Office (CO). Incumbent will provide professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the programme cycle through the application of theoretical and technical skills in researching, collecting, analyzing and presenting technical information to facilitate the integration of HACT plans in programming activities and ensure the application of HACT and related organizational rules, regulations and procedures in the CO.

The Budget Officer (Budget & Partnerships) will also have a supervisory role within the CO

Programme Support Hub consisting of three Programme Associates (PAs). The incumbent will oversee the fair distribution of workload among Programme Associates.

Key functions, accountabilities of key functions/accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

1.          Support and assistance in effective strategy formulation to drive results

2.          Support to contribution management, including budget planning, allocation, and monitoring

3.          Support to budget monitoring, financial oversight and compliance

4.          Support to management of financial reports for resource mobilization and donor reporting

5.          VISION maintenance support and fund management contribution

6.          Support the cost distribution and payroll processes under the guidance of the supervisor.

7.          Support to implementing partnership management

8.          Quality assurance facilitation for HACT and CSO compliance

9.          Contribute to cash transfer implementation and partnership monitoring

10.        Support to innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

 

1.          Support and assistance in effective strategy formulation to drive results

- Support and assist in aligning contribution management with UNICEF Strategic Plan and the Office Management Plan, including support to the development of medium to long-term plans for effective budget management contributing to the overall governance of Georgia CO.

-             Support to develop and revise the CO budget, assisting in preparation of the financial strategies with CO vision and staffing structure.

-             Support annual work plan budgeting process for the CO as well as Strategic Plan, AMP, and MTR submissions as and when required.

-             Support with budget inputs the PBR submissions.

2.          Support to contribution management, including budget planning, allocation, and monitoring

-             Participate and contribute to the development of the budget-related components of the CO work plan, Resource mobilization and Partnership Strategy, including donor proposals.

-             Monitor compliance and inform relevant units to ensure that fund management objectives and targets are on track, and that staff is aware of donor conditions.

-             Assist with the timely allocation of new grants to respective units in line with approved budget breakdown and donor conditions.

-             Monitor grants expiry dates and in dialogue with relevant staff find solutions for proper utilization aligned with results.

-             Monitor the utilization of regular Resources and Other Resources and produce regular updates for the Management.

-             Provide support and guidance to Programme Associates using available tools for budget monitoring and reporting where needed.

-             Review the accuracy of VISION/SAP generated data.

3.          Support to budget monitoring, financial oversight and compliance

-             Monitor allocation and expenditure trends; generate and share with CO management the financial progress reports adapted from VISION and bring to the attention of the Deputy Representative any deviations or delays for corrective measures.

-             Prepare and timely submit routine KPI reports, track agreed actions as assigned by the supervisor and provide inputs on key performance indicators, to the Deputy Representative and Country Management Team (CMT). Follow-up on agreed action during presentation of KPI reports.

-             Provide reports on budget utilization during workplanning, reviews (mid-year, annual and mid-term reviews).

-             Monitor fund commitments and expenditures to provide timely, accurate and appropriate grant information on programme budget allocations, commitments, expenditures and projections with the aim to ensure delays, errors and discrepancies are detected and reported to management.

-             Support funds utilization monitoring for the agreed purposes in line with project proposals and donor conditions, including by tracking support for cross-cutting units and operations. Keep management, programme specialists, budget owners and section leads informed on issues requiring follow-up actions and make recommendations for corrective action as required.

4.          Support to management of financial reports for resource mobilization and donor reporting

-             Support the preparation and review of financial reports to donors to ensure alignment with VISION information and adherence to donor templates and guidelines.

-             Prepare financial reports related to contributions in close coordination with the related sections.

-             Support the preparation and review of budgets in donor funding proposals in line with UNICEF financial rules and regulations.

-             Support office management with the preparation of budget related documentation and analysis for fundraising including income analysis and funding gaps.

5.          VISION maintenance and fund management contribution

-             Provide support to Programme and Operation on the appropriate VISION work processes, routine operation and utilization of the system and PIDB codes.

-             Escalate complex issues to the designated system focal point.

-             Process requests for grants extension/amendment in UNISON.

-             Maintain updated VISION records for budget allotments, planning ceilings, donor contributions and related correspondence.

-             Provide support to Programmes through preparation of monitoring reports (donor utilization reports, routine management reports produced by VISION, non-routine reports and presentations), review information and recommend actions to be taken to maximize the efficiency of fund utilization.

-             Assist sections in allocation and reallocation of funds. Conduct regular review and reconciliation of grants; provide information onon office management indicators. Monitor utilization of donor contributions and inform programme leads and management in a timely manner.

6.          Support cost distribution and payroll processes under guidance of the supervisor

-             Prepare staff payroll and cost distribution planning and monitoring for the CO under the guidance of the supervisor.

-             Update and maintain information of the payroll and cost distribution gaps.

-             Support staff payroll run by checking that adequate funds are allocated for staff salary and cost distribution uploaded for all staff.

7.          Support to implementing partnership management

-             Provide technical support to the programme sections and Country Office management in formalizing implementing partnerships with government, civil society organizations and other partners, in line with relevant policies, procedures and guidelines.

-             Provide technical and administrative support for the implementation of HACT in line with the HACT policy, procedure and other relevant organizational policies, procedures and guidelines, including the UNICEF Financial and Administrative Policy 5: Cash Disbursements. This includes contributing to the preparation of the CO annual assessments and assurance plan, and supporting its implementation.

-             Provide technical guidance on the application of CSO and IPM procedures within UNICEF, and technical and administrative support to external service providers in the execution of HACT activities to ensure timely and efficient delivery of results.

8.          Quality assurance facilitation for HACT and CSO compliance

-             Assist in development and application of quality assurance processes for the implementation of the CSO procedure under the guidance of the supervisor, including supporting the review of partner selection and assessments.

-             Contribute to quality assurance processes related to HACT assessments and assurance activities, supporting adherence to corporate terms of reference and guidance, and assisting in the follow-up of actions and escalation steps as needed.

9.          Contribute to cash transfer implementation and partnership monitoring

-             Support monitoring of cash transfers at the Country Office level, with attention to outstanding direct cash transfers over six months.

-             Using appropriate corporate tools and systems including InSight and e-Tools, contribute to reporting on the implementation status of HACT and highlight high-risk areas.

-             Support monitoring of internal Country Office processes for formalizing implementing partnerships with CSOs and Govt partnerships to help ensure compliance with corporate timelines.

-             Contribute to the preparation of reports for the Country Management Team as required.

10.        Support to innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

-             Support the maintenance and proper archiving on common SharePoint space of all implementing partnership documentation (such as assessment and assurance reports, PCAs, Govt partnership documents and programme documents), donor reports and proposals.

-             Contribute to the design and delivery of capacity building initiatives for CO staff to enhance their knowledge and compliance with IPM (Implementing Partnership Management) procedures and other relevant corporate policies, procedures and guidance.

-             Contribute to capacity building initiatives for implementing partner staff to strengthen their understanding of UNICEF partnership processes, with emphasis on IPM procedures.

-             Contribute ideas for opportunities to develop new and existing synergies with other UN agencies and external partnership officers in order to support a more effective and efficient approach to programme delivery.

Minimum requirements:

Education requirement: A first level university degree is required in one of the following fields: management, law, business administration, finance, international relations, political science,  international development, or another relevant technical field.

Experience required: At least one year of progressively responsible professional work experience at in programme monitoring, budget and finance, programme and partnership management, resource mobilization, external relations, or other relevant area.

Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.

Relevant experience in a UN system agency or international organization is considered as an asset.

Experience in programme budgeting, financial monitoring, and contribution management in a development or humanitarian context is an asset.

Hands-on experience with SAP is considered as an asset.

Experience supporting partnership implementation, including monitoring of implementing partners, cash transfers, and assurance activities, is considered as an asset.

Language requirements: Fluency in Georgian and English languages is required. Fluency in another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is desirable.

 

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)

Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)

Works Collaboratively with others (2)

Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)

Innovates and Embraces Change (2)

Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)

Drive to achieve impactful results (2)

Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

 

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.