Budget & Finance Specialist

The Budget & Finance Specialist is responsible for sound financial management and budget oversight to support the effective implementation of UNICEF Malawi’s Country Programme. The role includes technical leadership in financial planning, budgeting, accounting, treasury and cash management, internal controls, compliance with donor conditions, and financial risk management, while supervising finance and budget personnel.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership in financial planning, budgeting, accounting, treasury and cash management, internal controls, compliance with donor conditions, and financial risk management.
• Supervise and provide leadership to finance and budget personnel.
• Ensure timely allocation and monitoring of funds, accurate financial reporting, compliance with UNICEF regulations, IPSAS standards, HACT procedures, and donor requirements.
• Strengthen accountability and enhance operational efficiency.
• Manage financial transactions, monitor grants and expenditures.
• Provide strategic financial advice to management and programme teams.
• Promote capacity building by coaching staff and partners, sharing best practices, and fostering a culture of ethical resource management.

Requirements

• Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Project Management, Financial Economics, Chartered Financial Analyst, Auditing and any other related fields.
• 5 years of relevant work experience in Financial Management, Accounting and Auditing.
• Demonstrated experience working with banks and/or insurance companies.
• Experience in managing financial resources in volatile macroeconomic and foreign exchange environments.
• Experience in operating in high fraud and corruption risk contexts.
• Experience in supporting emergency preparedness and response.
• Experience in financial planning, budget management, grant management, donor reporting, treasury management, cash management, internal controls, financial compliance, accounting operations, risk management and any other related fields.
• Demonstrated ability to apply strategic and critical thinking to financial planning, budgeting, resource management, and risk-informed decision-making.
• Proven capacity to support change management, organizational improvement, and continuous strengthening of financial systems and business processes.
• Strong ability to analyse, interpret, and present budgetary and financial data clearly to support management decisions and programme delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with programme, operations, partners, and external stakeholders to resolve financial management issues.
• Proven ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities, and deliver timely, accurate, and high-quality outputs.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Excel required.
• Knowledge of COSO Frameworks.
• Fluency in English is required.
• 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.

Skills

• Finance Management
• Accounting
• Auditing
• Banking Relations
• Insurance Sector Experience
• Financial Planning
• Budget Management
• Grant Management
• Donor Reporting
• Treasury Management
• Cash management
• Internal Controls
• Financial Compliance
• Risk Management
• Strategic Financial Planning
• Resource Management
• Change Management
• Financial Systems Strengthening
• Financial Data Analysis
• Stakeholder Negotiation
• IPSAS Accounting Standards
• IFRS
• ERP Systems
• SAP
• MS Excel
• COSO framework
• Team Building
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Coaching and Mentoring
• Emergency Preparedness Finance
• Fraud Risk Management
• Financial Reporting

Languages

English