Finance and Budget Assistant

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) — the UN's headquarters in Africa and the office of the Secretary-General on the continent — is seeking multiple Finance and Budget Assistants to join its Budget and Financial Management Services (BFMS) within the Division of Administrative Services (DAS). This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the financial backbone of an institution that supports the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), UN-HABITAT, the UN Resident Coordination System, and other UN entities operating across Kenya and globally.

Reporting directly to a Section or Unit Chief, the successful candidates will play a hands-on role in budget preparation, financial processing, accounting reconciliation, and compliance assurance — all within the framework of the UN's strict financial rules and regulations. These are multiple positions, making this an exceptional entry point for finance professionals who aspire to build a career within the United Nations system.

• Assist in collecting data and preparing cost estimates and budget proposals covering both staff and non-staff requirements for regular and extra-budgetary resources.
• Monitor budget implementation and performance and provide actionable recommendations to supervisors.
• Verify that requisitions for goods and services align with authorized budgets, organizational priorities, and UN financial regulations.
• Review requests for creation and extension of positions as well as recruitment requests.
• Support cost recovery execution in line with established agreements and assist in collecting associated receivables.
• Extract and prepare open commitments reports; liaise with docket holders and clients to utilize or close commitments no longer required.
• Review and reconcile billing statistics and client charges for common back-office and other services per approved rates.
• Process financial documents including accounts payable, payroll, and accounts receivable in compliance with financial rules and regulations.
• Audit accounting transactions — including vendor payments, payroll, education grants, and taxes — to ensure correctness of disbursements and adherence to staff rules and regulations.
• Scrutinize supporting documents for completeness, accuracy, and validity before submission to supervisors.
• Process approved accounting adjustments and corrections as requested by clients.
• Analyze Open Item Managed (OIM) accounts in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and initiate corrective actions.
• Perform reconciliation of general and subledger accounts and clear suspense accounts.
• Receive, distribute, and manage correspondence and documents within the unit or section.
• Respond to queries from internal and external clients and draft official correspondence as required.

• Demonstrate a solid understanding of budgeting processes — including preparation of cost estimates, monitoring budget performance, and ensuring expenditure aligns with authorized limits.
• Process high-volume financial transactions (payroll, accounts payable/receivable) accurately and within set deadlines, applying UN or equivalent institutional financial regulations.
• Use ERP systems (such as SAP or Oracle) to analyze OIM accounts, reconcile ledgers, and generate financial reports.
• Apply audit thinking when reviewing vendor payments, payroll data, and tax transactions — identifying discrepancies and escalating appropriately.
• Reconcile general ledger and subledger accounts with precision, clearing suspense accounts in a timely manner.
• Communicate clearly in writing — drafting correspondence, reports, and responses to financial queries for diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Work effectively under direct supervision while managing multiple competing priorities and maintaining attention to detail.
• Hold a minimum of a completed secondary education (high school diploma or equivalent); a diploma or degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field is a strong advantage.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in finance, budget, accounting, or a related administrative area is typically required at this level within the UN system.
• Proficiency in English (spoken and written) is required; knowledge of another UN official language is an asset.

UNON Finance and Budget Assistant positions are typically remunerated under the UN General Service salary scale applicable to Nairobi. Estimated gross monthly compensation ranges from KES 180,000 to KES 280,000 depending on step and applicable dependency allowances. The UN offers a comprehensive benefits package that is among the most competitive in the international development sector in Kenya.

• UN medical and dental insurance coverage
• Pension/provident fund contributions (UNJSPF)
• Annual and sick leave entitlements
• Dependency allowances where applicable
• Access to UN staff learning and development programmes

This role is ideal for finance and accounting professionals with several years of experience in budgeting, financial processing, and accounting reconciliation — particularly those with exposure to ERP systems and institutional financial regulations. Candidates with prior experience in UN agencies, INGOs, government financial institutions, or large multinationals will be especially competitive. You should be detail-oriented, numerically precise, and comfortable working within strict compliance frameworks.

Do not apply if you have fewer than three years of hands-on finance or accounting experience, if you are uncomfortable with rule-bound financial environments, or if you require significant autonomy without supervisory oversight. This role involves repetitive, high-accuracy financial processing and is not suited to candidates seeking strategic leadership positions at this stage.

• Visit the UN Careers portal at careers.un.org and search for the Finance and Budget Assistant vacancy under UNON.
• Create or log in to your UN Careers (inspira) account.
• Complete your candidate profile in full, ensuring all education, experience, and language proficiency fields are accurately filled.
• Submit your application before the closing date of 22 June 2026.
• No applications will be accepted via email or third-party platforms — only submissions through the official UN inspira system will be considered.
• Shortlisted candidates will be contacted directly for written assessments and/or interviews.