Budget Analyst (Supplementary resources)

Organizational Setting

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and advocates at the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation.

The Planning, Organizational Development and Budget Division as a part of Corporate Services Support Group (CSSG), aims to create synergies, increase collaboration, and to enhance existing functional responsibilities relating to change delivery, organisational development, and budgeting of all financing sources.

POB ensures a holistic approach to planning that incorporates good organisational development practices and strategic budget management, ensuring these are intrinsic planning tools. It supports Senior Management in making well-informed decisions, provides strategic insights into financial implications of various organizational strategies, and is responsible to lead and facilitate such organisational and change management processes across IFAD.

POB also unifies budget management responsibilities for IFAD¿s regular/administrative budget, capital budget and supplementary funds (direct and management fees), ensuring comprehensive budget management, monitoring and reporting across all main budget streams.

Job Role

Budget Analysts are professionals reflecting a broad technical understanding of applicable regulations, standards and methods as well as IFAD's financial regulations, rules and transactional procedures in one or more financial occupations including accounting and budget. They typically work with other technical analysts and other staff, to support consistency, cohesion and synergy in the application of budget and planning guidance and the provision support in the budget administration and reporting of specific special budgets such as Capital Budgets, Supplementary Funds Management and other special funds and budget resources for organizational reform initiatives.

Position specific:

• Support the review of supplementary funds data and agreements to promote quality, integrity and compliance, including structured validation of financial information and ensuring alignment with institutional policies and cost recovery principles.
• Support coordination with relevant divisions to facilitate alignment between budgets and approved agreements, verifying that resource allocations accurately reflect agreed financial terms and implementation frameworks.
• Prepare and maintain regular and ad hoc reporting and monitoring tools, supporting supplementary resources oversight, budget execution tracking, adjustments and reconciliation processes.

Key Functions and Results

1. BUDGET BUSINESS PARTNER: The Budget Analyst is a credible, trusted partner to the client offices served. S/He supports the Fund's Budget strategy, provides technical and procedural support to the dispersed and diverse network of budget and administrative analysts/assistants and plans as well as models a commitment to financial integrity by acting as a responsive and constructive service provider with a focus on results. The Analyst supports budget execution management and provides verbal and written advice and guidance to supervisors and staff on Budget regulations, resource allocation rules and procedures, donor policies, facilitating a mutual understanding of roles and fiduciary accountabilities in support of the integrity in the management of the Fund's financial resources. The Budget Analyst's focus is on building her/his knowledge base of the Fund's governing structure, mandate, long-term business strategy, organizational dynamics and culture. All advisory support is provided under the guidance of the supervisor.

2. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: At this level Budget Analysts are establishing expertise in the UN's financial principles, policies, regulations, rules and procedures. Representative activities include:
(i) reviewing, reconciling and processing a range of transactions on a regular and recurring basis;
(ii) reviewing, analysing and projecting programme budgeting implications in light of additional mandates or other programme changes;
(iii) analyzing and evaluating reports produced on a regular basis, explaining variances and producing reports and correspondence as required;
(iv) ensuring the timely and correct entry into the General Ledger or relevant financial application of all input in accordance with corporate accounting/budgeting practices, approving and posting all encumbrances, expenditures, payable, receivable and correction journals;
(v) monitoring allotments and expenditures to ensure that they remain within authorized parameters and resolving emergent financial issues.
(vi) maintaining the financial procedures relating to the assigned portfolio of services clients;

3. AGENT OF CHANGE: The Budget Analyst maintains an awareness of the principles of change management and supports the implementation of change initiatives and adapts to evolving processes. S/He uses a knowledge of results-based management and budgeting, enterprise resource planning (ERP) and other information technology to analyze and promote acceptance of new methods of work and automated work flows. At this level the Analyst contributes to change initiatives through consultations with Budget colleagues and outreach to client offices to ensure open and regular communications pertaining to current and planned changes in the Fund's financial administration.

4. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The Budget Analyst is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the personal use of assigned IFAD resources, including equipment, supplies and, as applicable, staff supervised.

Key Performance Indicators

Budget Analysts analyze unusual transactions and propose recommendations for review by supervisors in the application of financial regulations, rules and procedures. Budget Analyst positions have access to advice and on-the-job training from specialists in the individual Budget occupations in the resolution of on-going non-routine work.

Position specific: The KPIs are

• Properly applied financial regulations and budget policies procedures across IFAD and within specific third parties funding agreements
• Maintenance and production of exhaustive financial reports

Working Relationships

The work relationships of Budget Analysts involves both written and verbal communications to obtain and provide information regarding decisions on specific cases or to explain why an action has been taken or to obtain information needed to take decisions or support further financial processes. Internal Fund contacts extend to supervisors and staff throughout the Fund to promote understanding of Budget regulations, rules and/or procedures pertaining mainly to routine Budget matters within her/his area of assignment. This requires skill in building constructive, effective relationships. External contacts are predominantly with banks, institutions or suppliers/vendors, Borrowers and Cooperating institutions, etc. and are for the purpose of exchanging information and making commitments within predetermined parameters.

Position specific:

The incumbent works closely with the network of budget and administrative analysts/assistants.

Job Profile Requirements

Organizational Competencies - Level 1

• Strategic thinking and organizational development: Personal influence
• Demonstrating Leadership: Personal leadership and attitude to change
• Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating: Continuously seeks to learn, shares knowledge and innovates
• Focusing on clients: Focuses on clients
• Problem solving and decision making: Demonstrates sound problem solving and decision-making ability
• Managing time, resources and information: Manages own time, information and resources effectively
• Team Work: Contributes effectively to the team
• Communicating and negotiating: Communicates effectively: creates understanding between self and others
• Building relationships and partnerships: Builds and maintains effective working relationships
• Managing performance and developing staff: Manages staff and teams effectively

Education:

• Education includes Advanced university degree from an accredited institution listed on https://whed.net/home.php in accounting, finance, business administration or other job related field or related field is required. (*) Note: For internal candidates, this requirement will be assessed in line with the provisions set forth in IFAD's Human Resources Implementing Procedures.

Work experience:

• At least two (2) years of progressively relevant experience is required. Position-specific experience: Professional experience in accounting, financial management, budget analysis or management analysis in a multi-cultural organization or national organization providing support on a global scope is highly desirable.

Languages:

• Required English (Excellent)
• Desirable: French, Spanish, or Arabic

Skills:
Job role specific

• Budgeting, Know-how in corporate strategic budgeting and financial planning and monitoring (including tracking of costs)
• Financial reporting and accounting, Know-how in financial reporting, statutory and other reporting as well as financial regulations, policies, rules and procedures applicable to IFAD and IFI
• Corporate approach, Ability to bring in corporate vision and priorities into one's area of work (e.g. budgeting going beyond simple budgetary considerations, taking into account strategic priorities)
• Synthesis, Outstanding ability to synthesize and simplify complex technical information for a variety of (non-technical) audiences
• Budgeting, resource management, Know-how in budget administration and accounting, resource allocation and planning at divisional level
• Advanced data analytics, Statistical and econometrics research, forensic and advanced data analytics / data mining
• Analytical skills, Outstanding ability to analyse and synthesize qualitative and/or quantitative information from a variety of sources and filter out key insights and recommendations
• Data management, Data collection, cleaning, transformation and consolidation; data-base architecture and development ; data presentation
• Verbal communication, Clear, succinct and convincing verbal communication; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language
• Basic ICT and digital fluency, Expertise relevant to the specific role (e.g. in-depth, computer information systems, including micro-computer operating systems software, hardware and applications software and other office technology equipment), end-user computing configuration management

Other Information

IFAD staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the President of IFAD. In accordance with IFAD's Human Resources Policy, the President can decide to assign them to any of the activities of the Fund. All International Professional staff members are required to be geographically mobile and positions in the professional category are subject to changes in location at any time in line with strategic priorities and reform initiatives in IFAD.

Representatives or alternate representatives of Member States on the IFAD Executive Board, Governors or alternate governors to the IFAD Governing Council and other Member States Permanent Representatives and their Alternates to IFAD (collectively ''IFAD Member States Representatives'') who apply for or take up any type of employment with IFAD may do so only after a twelve-month period has elapsed after the effective date of cessation of their IFAD Member States Representatives responsibilities as established in the notification of termination of functions communicated through the official channels.

IFAD is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic, social or political background, colour, nationality, religion, age, gender, disability, marital status, family size or sexual orientation in line with its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy and the Policy to prevent and respond to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse.

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