Budget and Finance Officer (BFO)

WHO; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

WHO seeks a Budget and Finance Officer to provide essential budget and finance support across the African Region. The role covers awards management, labour distribution, treasury, expenditure control, and staff health insurance administration to ensure financial integrity and operational effectiveness.

The ideal candidate holds an advanced degree in a related field with at least 10 years of international accounting experience, IPSAS knowledge, and ERP system expertise (Oracle eBusiness Suite,

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Accountancy, Business Administration, Management, Financial Management, Public Administration, or related field.
• CPA/CA certification desirable.
• Minimum 10 years progressive international accounting/financial operations experience.
• IPSAS experience and ERP implementation experience are essential.
• Experience in WHO or UN system is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership in capacity building and internal communications for budget and finance staff.
• Manage a team to support country offices and technical programs in financial management.
• Oversee programme budgets, awards, income/expenditure analysis, accounts payable, imprest and GL reconciliations, and asset management.
• Offer expert advice on financial management and internal controls.
• Support the planning and budgeting process; coordinate administrative budgets.
• Contribute to resource allocation and design innovative financial systems.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Financial reporting

Mentoring

Communication

Education

Master's degree in Accountancy/Financial Management

CPA/CA desirable

Tools

Oracle eBusiness Suite

Workday

Job description

Organizational context: The General Management and Coordination (GMC) Cluster supports WHO's regional and country operations by providing coherent administrative, logistical, and operational frameworks and best practices. It aims to enhance operational efficiency, consistency, and responsiveness across the African Region through an integrated service delivery model and a dedicated support hub.

Job purpose: The Budget and Finance Officer (BFO) provides essential budget and finance support services to WHO programmes and administration within the African Region. This role is crucial for managing the organization's financial assets in compliance with global policies and procedures. The BFO's responsibilities encompass awards management, labor distribution, treasury functions, expenditure control, and staff health insurance administration, ensuring financial integrity and operational effectiveness across the region.

Responsibilities: The Budget and Finance Officer will provide leadership in capacity building and internal communications for budget and finance staff, ensuring adherence to IPSAS and WHO financial policies. This role involves managing a team to support country offices and technical programs in financial management, including programme budgets, awards, income/expenditure analysis, accounts payable, imprest and general ledger reconciliations, and asset management. The officer will also provide expert advice on financial management and controls, support the planning and budgeting process, coordinate administrative budgets, contribute to resource allocation, design innovative operational approaches for financial systems, and oversee Staff Health Insurance administration.

Education: An advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) in Accountancy, Business Administration, Management, Financial Management, Public Administration, or a related field is essential. Professional certifications such as Certified Professional Accountant or Chartered Accountant are desirable.

Work experience: A minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in international accounting systems and financial operations management, including supervisory roles within an international organization, is required. Experience with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system implementation is also essential. Experience within the WHO or UN system is desirable.

Skills: Leadership and management skills, excellent knowledge of planning, budgeting, financial implementation, and reporting processes, experience managing high volumes of financial data, expert knowledge of ERP systems (Oracle eBusiness suite, Workday) and Microsoft applications, ability to work under stress, problem-solving skills, strong communication and reporting abilities, experience in mentoring and capacity building, and knowledge management skills.

Required languages:

Desired languages: