Budget and Administrative Assistant

General

Description of assignment title

Budget and Administrative Assistant

Assignment country

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Duty stations

Goma

Work location

On UN premises

Expected start date

11/01/2026

Expected end date

06/30/2027

Sustainable Development Goal

16. Peace, justice and strong institutions

Host entity

MONUSCO

Modality

Onsite

Type

National

Volunteer category

Specialist UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule

Full-time

Number of Assignments

1

Details

Mission and objectives

MONUSCO/MONUC was established in 1999 under the auspices of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). SCR 2277 (2016) requests MONUSCO to support efforts of the Government of DRC towards the protection of civilians, through a comprehensive approach involving all components of MONUSCO, including through reduction of the threat posed by Congolese and foreign armed groups and of violence against civilians, including sexual and gender-based violence and violence against children to a level that can be effectively managed by the Congolese justice and security institutions; and to support Stabilization through the establishment of functional, professional, and accountable state institutions, including security and judicial institutions. The project aims at a better understanding of the most serious violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law in DRC and supports the leadership of the Mission through informed policy and decision making on future vetting of security forces through risk assessment and mitigation, joint planning for MONUSCO operations, as well as advocacy efforts.

Context

Assignment is non-family (GOMA). Until 30 June 2027, with possible 12-months extension, depending on renewal of mandate.

Task description

A. Budget and Finance Responsibilities (70%)

• Assists in the preparation, review, and consolidation of cost estimates, budget proposals, and Result-Based Budgeting (RBB) inputs for the Transport Section, covering staffing, non-staffing, and programmatic requirements.
• Coordinates with the Heads of the Transport Units, including FVIU, Dispatch, Driving Permit, Workshop, Acquisition, and Carlog, to identify, consolidate, and validate resource requirements for budget submissions.
• Supports the monitoring and management of budgetary resources by reviewing expenditure, commitments, agreements, and cost plans to ensure compliance with approved budgets, UN Financial Regulations and Rules, and established policies and procedures.
• Monitors budget implementation and utilization against approved allocations, identifies variances and potential funding shortfalls, and provides timely financial analysis and recommendations to the Chief Transport Officer (CTO) and relevant Unit Heads to support informed decision-making.
• Assists in processing budgetary redeployments and reallocations in accordance with established procedures and delegated financial authority.
• Consolidates, reviews, and validates budget performance data provided by the Transport Units to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance with the Controller's instructions. Assists in preparing and finalizing budget performance reports, including expenditure analysis and explanations of variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
• Supports year-end budget reviews, including the assessment of outstanding commitments, obligations, and unutilized balances, and assists in identifying appropriate follow-up actions in accordance with established criteria.
• Consolidates the resource requirements of the Transport Units for inclusion in the annual Demand Acquisition Plan (DAP), using the UMOJA Supply Chain Management tool, and supports quarterly reviews to ensure alignment with approved budget allocations and operational priorities.
• Provides financial analysis, budget interpretation, and technical guidance to the CTO and Transport Unit Heads on budget implementation, resource utilization, financial procedures, and corrective actions required to address budgetary issues.
• Assists in responding to audit observations, financial queries, and management requests by preparing supporting documentation, financial analyses, and recommendations, under the guidance of the supervisor, to ensure compliance with UN Financial Regulations and Rules, Staff Rules, Administrative Instructions, Bulletins, and Circulars.
• Prepares financial analyses, expenditure forecasts, resource utilization reports, and other management information to support strategic planning, resource allocation, operational performance monitoring, and the effective stewardship of the Transport Section's financial resources in line with Mission priorities.

B. Administrative Responsibilities (30%)

• Provides administrative and office management support to the Chief Transport Officer's (CTO) Office, ensuring the effective coordination of daily administrative activities and the smooth functioning of the Transport Section.
• Liaises with Human Resources on recruitment, staffing actions, personnel movements, and other staffing-related matters, maintaining accurate and up-to-date records on the status of Transport Section personnel.
• Coordinates the collection, verification, and submission of daily and monthly attendance reports for Transport Section staff within the area of operations, ensuring timely reporting and appropriate follow-up on discrepancies.
• Supports recruitment processes by preparing vacancy-related documentation, coordinating interview schedules, organizing in-person or online interviews, and maintaining relevant recruitment records in coordination with Human Resources and the concerned Unit Heads.
• Drafts and reviews routine correspondence, memoranda, submissions, and administrative communications, ensuring accuracy, completeness, grammatical correctness, and compliance with established formats and procedures.
• Receives and responds to telephone calls, visitors, and routine requests for information, referring complex or sensitive matters to the appropriate officials.
• Maintains and updates electronic and paper filing systems, databases, calendars, and schedules; monitors changes and communicates relevant information to staff and stakeholders in a timely manner.
• Coordinates and prepares administrative arrangements for the CTO's field visits, including schedules, travel-related documentation, logistical requirements, and coordination with relevant offices and units.
• Performs other related administrative and operational support duties as assigned by the Chief Transport Officer.

Eligibility criteria

Age

18 - 80

Required experience

3 years

Nationality

Candidate must be a national, legal resident or hold refugee status in the country of assignment.

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience

4 years

Languages

• English, Level: Fluent, Required
• French, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business and Administration and other supplemental academic qualifications or training in the same field is highly desirable.

Competencies and values

• Client orientation
• Communication
• Creativity
• Ethics and Values
• Integrity
• Planning and Organizing
• Professionalism
• Respect for Diversity
• Working in Teams

Skills and experience

• Experience in budget preparation, financial monitoring, expenditure analysis, budget performance reporting, and resource allocation, preferably within an international organization or a complex operational environment.
• Knowledge of financial management principles, budgetary controls, financial regulations, and established policies and procedures.
• Experience in preparing budget proposals, monitoring expenditures and commitments, analyzing budget variances, supporting year-end reviews, and responding to audit queries.
• Strong administrative skills, including recruitment coordination, personnel administration, attendance monitoring, records management, and office management support.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word, and Outlook, with knowledge of enterprise resource planning systems such as Umoja considered an asset.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, communication, drafting, and coordination skills, with a high degree of accuracy, integrity, discretion, and the ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure.

Area(s) of expertise

Administration, Finance, accounting, Emergency preparedness, crisis response

Driving license

Light Vehicle (LV) Required Required

Other information

Volunteerism is understood as a wide range of activities undertaken of free will, for the general public good, for which monetary reward is not the principal motivating factor.

Living conditions and remarks

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second largest country in Africa, and as a result is quite diverse.

Goma is a D-hardship duty station on a 6-week R&R cycle. Since January 2025 Goma and the surrounding territories have been under the de facto authority of a non-state armed group M23, in conflict with and in mediated discussions with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rwanda and the DRC are also in mediated conflict relevant discussions. Entry and exit from Goma at the time of this advertisement is via the Rwandan border and full compliance with both DRC and Rwandan Ebola movement restrictions must be strictly adhered to. Goma is also a seismic activity zone in proximity to an inactive volcano, which is closely monitored.

Due to the security context all MONUSCO personnel (including UN Volunteers) are under a 20:00-06:00 curfew monitor by UNDSS. There are no functioning banks in Goma, however bank cards are accepted in many shops. There are modalities for obtaining funds but it is advisable to arrive with funds sufficient to manage in between leave cycles. MONUSCO hosts a lvl 3 hospital and a lvl 1 clinic and in the event of extremis, medical evacuation is feasible.

Goma features moderate shopping resupply options, some good restaurants and UN personnel do not live within UN premises, i.e. private living accommodations with mandatory private security arrangements. Security arrangements are reimbursed in line with applicable rules and policies.

In addition to French, there are four major spoken languages in DRC, namely Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba and Swahili.

For both security reasons, geologic considerations (proximity to a volcano) and Ebola rationale, Goma should be considered a likely staff evacuation context, on short notice, as evidenced by the events of January 2025, and many other majority-of-staff- evacuation events at earlier dates.

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy

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