Direct from WHO careers
Budget and Finance Officer (BFO)
Full job description
Position details
- Vacancy number: 2604712
- Grade: P5
- Contractual arrangement: Fixed-term appointment
- Contract duration: 2 Years
- Organization: AF/GMC General Management and Coordination
- Schedule: Full-time
- Closing date: Nov 17, 2026, 10:59:00 PM
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME
The GMC Cluster supports WHO’s regional and country operations through coherent administrative, logistical, and operational frameworks, and application of the best practices in the areas of the Cluster's overall responsibility.
Through an integrated service delivery model, including a dedicated support hub, the Cluster supports country offices and the regional office, enhancing operational efficiency, consistency and responsiveness across the Region.
The general objectives of the Accounts and Finance Management function are to provide effective budget and finance support services to WHO programmes and administration as well as support the management of financial assets of the organisation in the African Region in compliance with organisation-wide policies and procedures. The work in scope include awards management, labour distribution planning and control, imprest and other accounts management, treasury, expenditure management and staff health insurance.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
The incumbent will be expected to perform the following duties:
Provide leadership in capacity building, strengthening internal communications and networking among staff working in budget and finance in the region and country offices for a better understanding of processes, procedures and tools and for increasing productivity, ensuring application of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and compliance with organisation-wide financial policies, rules and procedures;
Lead and manage a team of professionals and general service staff, to provide region-wide support to country offices, budget centers and technical programmes in the financial management of the Programme Budget, awards management, income (Awards Management – Income & Awards distribution) and expenditure variance analysis (Expense monitoring), accounts payable, imprest management and reconciliation, general ledger reconciliations, fixed assets and inventory, quality assurance on transactions for programmatic implementation, and implementing partners assurance activities.
In close consultation with the direct supervisor, provide operational guidance for technical staff at the Regional Office to ensure AFRO-wide coherence through inputs into the staff members’ workplan and performance evaluation.
Provide expert advice and guidance to budget center managers and staff on financial management, controls, and the implementation of Delegation of Authority (DoA). Provide necessary support mechanisms to budget centers to improve on managerial key performance indicator ratings.
Support the planning and budgeting process components: 1) Operational planning, flexible funds definition and envelopes, 2. Implementation, 3. Monitoring and reporting, including donor reports 4. Oversight and compliance, and 5. Closure of Awards.
Coordinate the preparation (including costing – PCA, Planned costs, Budget support) of the region wide administrative budget and ensure effective monitoring and management of the same.
Contribute to the resource allocation process, based on analysis from the operational expenses perspective, contribute to a joint submission of resources allocation proposal to the AFRO Senior Management.
Design innovative operational approaches adapted to the context of the Region to strengthen financial controls and systems, internal oversight, and staff capacity building in the area of workplan management, operational performance, expenses monitoring (GOE), OLD management.
Provide strategic leadership and oversight of Staff Health Insurance (SHI) administration across the African Region, ensuring compliance with WHO policies, regulatory requirements, and service-level standards.
Keep abreast of WHO budgeting and financial management policies and procedures and ensure that these are implemented in the region including ensuring cost effectiveness and also issues that affect United Nations Organizations and specialized agencies to guide the organization's processes and decisions in the region accordingly.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education
Essential:
Advanced university degree at the level of Masters or equivalent in Accountancy, Business Administration, Management, Financial Management, Public Administration/Budgeting and Finance or similar specialisations from an internationally recognised university or institution offering post graduate education.
Desirable:
Certified Professional Accountant or Chartered Accountant.
Experience
Essential:
A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in international accounting systems and financial operations management, including in supervisory roles, in an international organization is required. Experience in the application of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) as well as implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system are required.
Desirable:
Experience within World Health Organization, the United Nations Common System or similar is desirable. Experience with the UN Financial Regulations and Rules and related accounting systems is desirable.
Skills
Leadership and managerial skills to lead a diverse team of professional and general service staff, both on site and dispersed across the region;
Excellent knowledge of planning, budgeting, financial implementation and reporting processes;
Experience managing high volumes of financial information;
Expert knowledge Enterprise Resource Planning applications, specifically the Oracle eBusiness suite and Workday;
Expert knowledge of Microsoft and other desktop applications for budget and finance management purposes;
Ability to work under stress, diagnose difficult situations and propose alternative workable solutions;
Ability to prepare and explain budget and financial reports to non-financial managers and senior executives;
Experience in guiding, mentoring and building the capacity of fellow staff on financial management, rules and processes;
Ability to coach and mentor other team members and provide capacity building support to peers in country offices;
Experience in leading knowledge management and sharing initiatives.
WHO Competencies
Teamwork
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
Communication
Producing results
Ensuring the effective use of resources
Use of Language Skills
Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Intermediate knowledge of French.
Desirable: The above language requirements are interchangeable.
REMUNERATION
WHO salaries for staff in the Professional category are calculated in US dollars. The remuneration for the above position comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 103,165 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable), a variable post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station, and currently amounts to USD 3894 per month for the duty station indicated above. Other benefits include 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Staff members separated due to the 2025 Prioritization and Realignment Process will receive special consideration according to the applicable regulatory framework.
This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level.
Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
A written test and/or an asynchronous video assessment may be used as a form of screening.
In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
According to 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. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.
Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and eManual.
The Director-General retains the discretion to not make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description, including shortening the duration of the appointment.
Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.
WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. WHO recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.
WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its staff. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply.
Persons with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations (modifications or adjustments to the application or recruitment process) to support their participation in the application and recruitment process. Please send an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int with your full name, the vacancy number you are applying for, and specific details of the accommodation needed in your request.
An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.
WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with WHO and an underlying premise of the international civil service. Candidates appointed to a fixed-term position in the International Professional category (Grades P1-D2) are eligible for Geographical Mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.
WHO also offers wide range of benefits to staff, including parental leave and attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work-life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully.
The statutory retirement age for staff appointments is 65 years. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered.
Please note that WHO's contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.
WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
*For WHO General Service staff who do not meet the minimum educational qualifications, please see e-Manual III.4.1, para 220.
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