Chief, Accounts Unit

Background:

The Department of Management and Finance (DMF) is the largest department in the OSCE Secretariat and is responsible for managing the material and financial resources of the Organization. It provides policy guidance on the management of OSCE financial and material resources and develops and maintains OSCE Financial Regulations and Rules and Financial Administrative Instructions. The Budget and Finance Services Section consists of the Accounts Unit, Budget Unit and Treasury.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

Under direct supervision of the Deputy Director for Budget and Finance Services (DD/BFS), the successful candidate will be responsible for managing the Accounts Unit and a team of nine staff members and will specifically be responsible for:

• Preparing and consolidating the OSCE annual financial statements and preparing financial reporting on a quarterly basis;
• Ensuring compliance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and keeping abreast of changes in accounting standards and best practices;
• Supervising the maintenance of the General Ledger and verifying the integrity of all related financial transactions including managing the structure of the Chart of Accounts;
• Liaising and assisting the Internal and External Auditors and providing written responses to audit observations;
• Closing of the accounts on a monthly basis and analyzing all assets, liability, income and expenditure accounts of the OSCE Institutions, Missions and Field Operations;
• Supervising a team of accounting staff, monitoring performance and providing guidance on financial issues;
• Drafting accounting instructions, procedures and financial guidance for OSCE-wide application, including guidelines related to the monthly review and closure of accounts for all OSCE locations and delivering IPSAS training for financial and non-financial staff;
• Reviewing decisions taken by policy making bodies and including them in draft revisions of accounting policies and procedures;
• Participating in Advisory Committee on Management and Finance (ACMF) meetings as required;
• Maintaining the overall integrity of the Organization’s general ledgers and corresponding sub-ledgers in Oracle;
• Supervising the accounting activities related to Extra-budgetary contributions to ensure the accounting information is correct and accurately reported;
• Supervising payments to vendors to ensure proper approval and that internal controls are adequate and that payments are in accordance with Financial Regulations and Financial Instructions
• Maintaining contact with internal management with respect to financial compliance and establishing contacts with Finance Officers of other International Organizations e.g. UN, ICSC;
• Performing other related duties as assigned.

Necessary Qualifications:

• Advanced University Degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance or other related fields;
• Chartered Accountant/Certified Public Accountant or equivalent professional qualification;
• A minimum of eight years in the area of Finance and Accounting, of which five years should be at a senior financial management level in an international organization;
• Computer literate with practical experience in Microsoft packages and with computerized accounting systems such as Oracle;
• Ability to supervise and provide professional guidance to team members;
• Planning and organizing skills and ability to adhere to tight deadlines;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English; knowledge of another OSCE official language is desirable;
• Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, and an ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of different national and cultural backgrounds whilst remaining impartial and objective.

Remuneration Package:

Monthly remuneration will vary between EUR 7,236 (single rate) and EUR 7,770 (dependency rate) depending on post adjustment and family status. OSCE salaries are exempt from taxation in Austria. Social benefits will include possibility of participation in the Vanbreda medical insurance scheme and the OSCE Provident Fund. Other allowances and benefits are similar to those offered under the United Nations Common System.

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 http://www.osce.org/employment.

The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise 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.

Please note that vacancies in the OSCE are open for competition only amongst nationals of participating States, please seehttp://www.osce.org/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.

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.