UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

We are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not a job, it’s a calling.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

UNICEF's Global Shared Services Centre (GSSC) in Budapest, Hungary provides services to UNICEF offices globally in the areas of Finance, Human Resources, Payroll, Travel and Information Technology. For more information about GSSC please visit our webpage at Global Shared Services Centre | UNICEF and check this YouTube

The vacancy announcement is to fill any temporary and regular GS-5 level Finance Assistant and People & Culture Assistant positions across GSSC services, such as those in the Finance, People Administration, and Payroll & Offboarding sections.

For every child, a calling.

How can you make a difference?

This is a general vacancy announcement for multiple upcoming People & Culture Assistant GS-5 and Finance Assistant GS-5 entry level positions. The recommended candidates will be considered for fixed-term and temporary posts as needed, in departments such as People Administration – Onboarding, Benefits & Entitlements, Recruitment Administrative Services, and Payroll & Offboarding, as well as Finance – Invoice Processing, Payments, General Accounting, and Master Data Management. They may also be placed in the talent group for direct appointments at later stage.

The People & Culture Assistant / Finance Assistant supports UNICEF's global operations by managing a variety of HR, recruitment, and finance-related transactions and administrative processes. The role ensures accurate and timely processing of information in UNICEF's ERP systems, in compliance with UN and UNICEF rules, procedures, and quality and service level (SLA) standards. Working with colleagues and stakeholders across different regions, this position offers exposure to international operations and provides an opportunity to contribute to the delivery of high-quality global services. Given the scope of the role, fluency in Spanish or/and French is an asset, alongside strong communication skills in English.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

1. Transactional Processing with Accuracy and Compliance and Client Service

Ensure accurate and timely processing of financial transactions and all HR, recruitment and payroll processes are administered accurately, in compliance with policies and procedures. Monitor and verify data to uphold the highest standards of accuracy, quality and confidentiality. Ensure data privacy and protection in all activities.

2. Timely Process Completion

Timely and error free processing and financial integrity: Efficiently planning and prioritizing tasks based on the workload and timelines of case requests. This includes keeping abreast of Service Level Agreements (SLA) compliance each month and using daily monitoring reports/systems/dashboards to manage workload effectively. Adherence to procedures and policies, case management guidelines, timelines, and SOPs for maintaining compliance, consistency, and financial accuracy.

3. Documentation & Knowledge Management

Contribute to the process of updating knowledge articles, FAQs, etc. In addition, contribute to the timely update of SOP, step-by-step guides and working documentation
Participate in knowledge-sharing activities, promote a culture of continuous learning, and support process improvements.

4. Continuous Improvement and Simplification:

To ensure continuous improvement mindset to identify opportunities to simplify, streamline and standardize the processes in the most effective manner. This in turn should help ensure processes and efficiency maximization.

5. Stakeholder Collaboration:

Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective communication and coordination. For any business process and system related changes, participate in testing that ensures proper calculations.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education: Completion of secondary education (i.e., high school diploma) is a minimum requirement. preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the field of work.

Work Experience:

A minimum of five (5) years of relevant work experience in finance, human resources, administration or other relevant field of work is required. A completed BA degree qualifies as 3 years’ experience and Master`s degree qualifies as 2 years of relevant experience.
Working knowledge of Microsoft Suite Products (MS Word, MS Excel and MS PowerPoint) is required.

Skills: Excellent communication, presentation and problem-solving skills, digital tools and systems knowledge are required. Ability to manage tasks and projects effectively and prioritize is required.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English (verbal and written) is required.

Desirables:

Previous hands-on experience in planning, organizing and delivering general human resources, onboarding, benefits & entitlements, payroll, and/or offboarding support services, preferably in services shared centers, is highly desirable.
Experience in recruitment administration or talent management support is desirable.
Experience in the fields of Accounts Payable, Master Data, General Accounting, Financial Controlling, Treasury, Fraud Prevention, Transaction Level Monitoring and Corporate Card Administration is highly desirable.
Knowledge of an additional UN Language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) is highly desirable.
Experience in a shared service center or at an international organization are desirable.

Specific work conditions: For some service lines the candidate is expected to work eight-hour shifts between 7am and 7pm five days a week, accommodating the time zone of the respective region. Working from Sunday to Thursday workweek schedule may be applicable.

Internal applicants from the GSSC are required to complete the Learning Path corresponding to their current level before applying for another position. Additionally, they must attach a snapshot of the completed path to their applications. Applications that do not meet these two minimum requirements will not be considered. For further details on learning paths, please visit the L&D Portal. 

Applicants must be nationals of Hungary or EU/Schengen countries OR in the possession of a valid long-term Hungarian residence and work permits. Temporary and/or sponsored visas are not accepted. UNICEF GSSC does not facilitate MFA accreditation for locally recruited staff, applicants must be holders of acceptable permits already at the time of application. Applicants with non-EU citizenship must attach copies of their valid Hungarian work permits, otherwise their applications will not be considered.

UNICEF offers an attractive remuneration package with UNICEF GSSC Benefits 2026.pdf

Please visit Compensation and Benefit site on UNICEF Career page

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships, (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness, (3) Drive to achieve results for impact, (4) Innovates and embraces change, (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity, (6) Thinks and acts strategically, (7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Talent Group for Finance Assistants, GS-5 and People & Culture Assistants, GS-5 in UNICEF Global Shared Services Centre (GSSC), Budapest, Hungary