Deadline: 17 January, 2024

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The African Union (AU) is seeking to fill the position of Head of Programme and Budget Division.

The AU, established as a unique pan-African continental body, is charged with spearheading Africa’s rapid integration and sustainable development by promoting unity, solidarity, cohesion, and cooperation among the peoples of Africa and African states, as well as developing a new partnership worldwide.

Responsibilities

• Lead the programmes planning, budgeting and reporting for the AU
• Responsible for advising senior management in setting key annual programme and project priorities and targets
• Ensure that departments and organs adhere to AU Financial Rules governing budget planning, programming, execution, monitoring and reporting
• Custodian of the AU Budget manual, cost catalogue and other instruments for budgeting, budget execution, monitoring and execution, and facilitate their revisions where necessary
• Act as the secretariat to the sub-committee on general supervision coordination on administrative, budgetary and financial matters, F15 (committee of 15 ministers of finance), sub-committee on programmes and conferences, ministerial committee on the scale of assessment and contributions
• Initiate and lead the institutional budget reforms where necessary
• Guides in developing strategies on resource mobilisation in collaboration with the resource mobilisation division;
• Oversee preparation of quarterly budget execution reports for the attention of Commission management, PRC and its sub-committees, and executive council
• Coordinate with departments to review plans, determine budgetary needs, gather information, monitor programmes, and make recommendations on budget preparation, presentation, implementation and interpretation
• Coordinate with departments to design performance measures and responsible for reporting models to demonstrate that objectives are being met
• Assure the accuracy of budgetary information and research
• Supervise and evaluate assigned staff, including hiring, training and providing appropriate feedback on performance
• Plan, coordinate, prioritise and review work of assigned division staff
• Respond to inquiries related to budget issues
• Direct the preparation of budget reports
• Analyse department budgets to maintain control of expenditures and Ensures that budgets are executed in accordance with generally accepted accounting practices
• Analyse trends affecting expenditures and adjust budgets accordingly; perform cost-benefit analysis on all programmes and operational budgets in order to match appropriations with specific programmes
• Examine budgets for accuracy and compliance with the AU budget manual and rules
• Provide technical assistance to the relevant departments of the commission and other AU organs with cost analysis
• Act as the custodian on the implementation and management of budgetary policies and procedures
• Monitor organisation policies and develop new operational procedures for AUC in order to increase efficiency (Budget Guideline Operational Procedure, and the first AU Budget Midterm review)
• Lead design of programmes, and their implementation in conformity with the AU Budget manual, AU FR and other relevant policies and rules
• Identify the key annual priority programmes in line with the Agenda 2063 ‘Africa we want’ and advising senior management
• Lead the budget preparation
• Document key lessons learnt, challenges and recommendations in programme implementation
• Provide input to the annual programme planning meeting organised by the AU-AUDA, APRM and other organs
• Ensure synergy and complementarity in AU programmes
• Facilitate the organisation of the meetings of the sub-committee of programmes and conferences to approve the annual programmes and the budget framework paper
• Take lead in providing input in the preparation of the budget framework paper
• Institutionalise the results-based approach methodology in AU programming and reporting
• Support the departments and organs to develop project plans in line with approved programmes
• Provide leadership, coordinate, and administer the strategic planning process for programmes and projects of the Union
• Participate in development, implementation and maintenance of policies, objectives, short-and long-range planning
• Monitor and reports on the first 10-years implementation plan of Agenda 2063
• Review, analyse and finalise the preparation of plans and their revisions, taking into account recommendations and decisions of various AU policy organs
• Review the overall AU programme and operational objectives and related financial, budgetary policies and procedures affecting AU planning and reporting systems; make recommendations on improvements or modifications; take lead in planning design and implementation of required changes
• Develop and manage annual capital and/or operating budgets; oversee, monitor, and coordinate programme budgets, as appropriate
• Issue the budget call, including the budget overview paper; develop the AU budget calendar
• Provide substantive support to relevant AU policy organs in their review of budgets and plans; assist in securing approval from the executive council
• Act as Certifying Officer for funds availability under AU financial rules
• Lead the development of AU budget (both projected revenue and expenditure), including the development of the budget overview documents and templates, the creation of tools to develop work plans and reconciliation of budgets with programmatic work plans and expected results
• Lead processes and communications regularly working with department/organs budget owners across the organisation to monitor and revise budgets throughout the year and life of project(s)
• Ensure compliance with current budget and spending policies, and propose improved policies and systems regarding spending guidelines, cost savings, cost allocation, and annual planning

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance or a related field with 12 years of relevant work experience in budgeting, reporting, programme planning – seven years of which should have been served at managerial level and five years at supervisory level
• Certification as a Chartered Accountant (CA), Expert Comptable or equivalent is an added advantage
• Hands-on experience in managing budget functions, coordinating budget preparation processes, and directing the implementation and reporting of budgets
• Demonstrated experience in applying International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) specifically for budgeting reporting and in-depth understanding of financial rules and budgetary processes of a large international organisation
• Extensive experience in managing complex stakeholders in similar roles
• Experience in the development of policy, guidance or guidelines in budgeting in large international organisations
• Work experience in the use of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as SAP
• Ability to initiate and promote collaborative approaches between geographically and culturally disparate partners
• Ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations both internally and externally
• Ability to develop and delegate clear programme goals, plans and actions, including budgets, that are consistent with agreed strategies
• Ability to effectively lead, supervise, mentor, develop and evaluate staff
• Proficiency in one of the AU’s official working languages (French, English, Portuguese, and Arabic) and fluency in another AU language(s) is an added advantage

To apply and for more information, click here.

Photo source: Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention