Chief of Service (Chief, Financial Operations Service), New York City

Org. Setting and ReportingThis position is located within the Common Administrative Platform (CAP) at United Nations Headquarters, under the Division of Administration (DOA) in the Department of Operational Support (DOS). The Department of Operational Support (DOS) was established to provide end-to-end operational support, advisory services and other solutions to operating entities across the Secretariat, including departments, offices away from headquarters, peace operations, and regional commissions. The Division of Administration (DOA) in New York provides administrative support functions (human resources, budget, finance and general administration) and facility management and commercial services to entities at United Nations Headquarters. It also provides financial operational services to entities across the globe. As Common Administrative Platform, the Division comprises the OneEO, the Financial Operations Service (including OnePayroll), and the Facilities and Commercial Activities Service. The CAP started its transition phase on 1 January 2026 as part of the UN80 reform initiative, which aims to consolidate common administrative functions across Secretariat entities into unified service platforms. This position will oversee the Financial Operations Service of the CAP at UN headquarters. The Chief, Financial Operations Service will report to the Director of Administration in DOS.

ResponsibilitiesWithin delegated authority, the Chief of Service (Financial Operations Service) will oversee the global payroll (onePayroll) function, accounts payable, the income tax unit, the commercial insurance section as well as the financial monitoring and financial agreement desk of the oneEO. The incumbent will ensure that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion and co-ordinates work in the different desks both within the CAP and others as appropriate while also fulfilling an important global function. The role combines strategic coordination, operational leadership, policy interpretation, data-driven decision-making, and staff management, while ensuring full compliance with the Organization\u2019s Regulatory Framework. Responsibilities also include:

• Manages the Financial Operations Service which comprises various service and benefit oriented functions namely, global Payroll, Income Tax and Travel claims and Vendor Invoice Processing and commercial insurance.
• Provides guidance to senior officials on policy matters related to insurance, benefits, payroll and other service areas and ensuring that relevant policies and procedures are formulated and implemented;
• Functions as Risk Manager for property and casualty insurance of the United Nations which entails working closely with and/or coordinating with various UN entities and Offices and Departments within the United Nations to develop risk assessments and related coverage requirements, and arrange for property/liability coverage as appropriate; -
• Oversees the development and/or enhancement of systems and procedures to ensure delivery of good client service and appropriate accounting of disbursements and other transactions;
• Provides policy guidance and ensuring that payrolls, claims and awards in the Income Tax Unit and Travel and Vendor Processing Unit are appropriately processed on a timely basis;
• Exercises authority delegated by Director of Administration, maintaining relationships with internal and external auditors;
• Participates in meetings of committees; and - performs ad hoc assignments as required by the Director
• Leads, supervises and carries out the work programme of the Service (Financial Operations Service) under his/her responsibility. Co-ordinates the work carried out by different work units under the Service; provides programmatic/substantive reviews of the drafts prepared by others.
• Co-ordinates and oversees the preparation of reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, Committee for Programme Coordination, Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate.
• Reports to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/ substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports.
• Ensures that the outputs produced by the Service maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the Sections and Units under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.
• Assists the Director in preparing the work programme of the Service, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
• Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Service, including preparation of budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance (e-performance), interviews of candidates for job openings, evaluation of candidates and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting.
• Recruits staff, taking due account of geographical balance.
• Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision.
• Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the /Service and across organizational boundaries.
• Leads and supervises the organization of meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive issues. Manages the substantive preparation and organization of such meetings or seminars.
• Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue or holds programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.
• Represents the Division at international, regional or national meetings.

  CompetenciesPROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of the substantive field of work in general and of specific areas being supervised. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. ACCOUNTABILITY: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable. CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be \u201cclients\u201d and seeks to see things from clients\u2019 point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients\u2019 needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients\u2019 environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client. LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing. JUDGEMENT/DECISION-MAKING: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

  EducationAn advanced university degree (Master\u2019s degree or equivalent) in business or public administration, finance, accounting, law, social sciences or related area is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

  Job - Specific QualificationNot available.

  Work ExperienceA minimum of fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible experience in finance, accounting, payroll, administration, financial management, budget or related field is required. A minimum of five (5) years of experience in leading teams related to two or more of the areas of responsibility of the Service is required. Experience in the deployment, maintenance and adaptation of global payroll software, HR and payroll systems, and data analytics tools to process payments and addressing complex payroll issues, such as currency conversion problems or local regulatory changes is required. Experience in leading change management, business improvement initiatives or innovation projects in the operational financial management area is required. Experience in managing commercial insurance programmes and exposure to the worldwide liability/property insurance markets is desirable. Experience with international labor laws, tax regulations, and social security systems, is desirable. Experience in managing teams across different time zones and cultures is desirable. Experience in senior positions in the United Nations system or similar international organizations overseeing the implementation of administrative policies and procedures is desirable.

  LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, either English or French is required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult for details).