About UNICEF
In your role as Budget & Finance Specialist, you will be responsible for sound financial management and budget oversight to support the effective implementation of UNICEF Malawi’s Country Programme. You will provide technical leadership in financial planning, budgeting, accounting, treasury and cash management, internal controls, compliance with donor conditions, and financial risk management. You will supervise and provide leadership to finance and budget personnel and ensure timely allocation and monitoring of funds, accurate financial reporting, compliance with UNICEF regulations, IPSAS standards, HACT procedures, and donor requirements, while strengthening accountability and enhancing operational efficiency. You will manage financial transactions, monitor grants and expenditures and provide strategic financial advice to management and programme teams. Furthermore, you will promote capacity building by coaching staff and partners, sharing best practices, and fostering a culture of ethical resource management. Your sound and accountable management of resources contributes directly to efficient programme delivery, stronger internal controls, donor confidence, and improved outcomes for children in Malawi.
Join the UNICEF Malawi team to lead financial planning, budget control, treasury, compliance, risk management, donor financial reporting, and internal controls for an accountable and efficient programme delivery.
- Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
- Experience negotiating with internal and external stakeholders, including banks, service providers, implementing partners, and programme teams, to resolve financial management issues and safeguard organizational interests.
- Relevant experience in the UN system, another international organization, international NGO, or comparable multicultural development or humanitarian setting.
- Demonstrated sound judgement, integrity, and emotional intelligence in handling sensitive financial, operational, and interpersonal issues, including proposing practical and risk-informed solutions.
- Experience applying IPSAS and/or IFRS standards in financial management, accounting, reporting, or audit-related functions.
- Experience using ERP systems, web-based management systems, database packages, and financial or budget modules; SAP experience is an asset.
- Experience building effective teams, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and coaching staff or partners to strengthen accountability, performance, and delivery of results.
- Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
- Builds and maintains partnerships
- Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
- Drive to achieve results for impact
- Innovates and embraces change
- Manages ambiguity and complexity
- Thinks and acts strategically
- Works collaboratively with others
- Nurtures, leads and manages people
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.
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. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates are encouraged to apply.
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.
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
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.