Controller, Chief Financial Officer and Director

Deadline for Applications

July 7, 2026 Hardship Level

H (no hardship) Family Type

Family Residential location (if applicable)

Grade

DI2 Staff Member / Affiliate Type

Professional Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment Target Start Date

2026-08-01 Standard Job Description

Controller, Chief Financial Officer and Director

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Controller is the principal advisor to the High Commissioner and Senior Executive Team on all matters relating to financial management, budget and resource allocation, accounting and financial reporting, treasury operations, financial controls, administrative management, official travel, facilities and premises management, fleet management, and the stewardship of organizational resources. The Controller reports to the Deputy High Commissioner and, on matters related to the Financial Rules, directly to the High Commissioner.

As Director of the Division of Resource Management (DRM), the Controller provides strategic leadership and oversight of UNHCR's global financial management framework, including budgeting, accounting, treasury, financial reporting, resource allocation, internal controls, financial systems, and related administrative management functions. The Controller is responsible for ensuring that the Organization's financial and administrative resources are managed in a manner that supports operational delivery, organizational priorities, and accountability to forcibly displaced and stateless people, donors, governing bodies, and other stakeholders.

As head of administration, the Controller has responsibilities for global facilities management, travel, and fleet management. As an effort to reduce the carbon footprint of the Organization, the Controller is also responsible for the “greening the blue” global activities.

The Controller leads the development and implementation of financial and administrative policies, strategies, and governance frameworks that promote transparency, efficiency, compliance, and value for money across the Organization. The incumbent plays a central role in strengthening organizational resilience and enabling evidence-based decision-making through robust financial planning, analytics, performance management, and risk-informed resource allocation.

The Controller champions the modernization of UNHCR's financial and administrative management functions through digital transformation, business process optimization, automation, data analytics, and innovative service delivery models. The incumbent ensures that financial and administrative systems, policies, and practices evolve to meet the changing needs of a global humanitarian organization operating in increasingly complex environments.

The Controller directs a globally distributed workforce and collaborates closely with Headquarters divisions, Regional Bureaux, Country Operations, Global Service Centres, and other corporate functions. The incumbent maintains regular engagement with the High Commissioner, Deputy High Commissioner, Assistant High Commissioners, Directors, Representatives, and other senior managers on strategic, operational, and governance matters.

Externally, the Controller represents UNHCR in engagements with donors, member states, the Executive Committee, the United Nations Board of Auditors, oversight bodies, United Nations system organizations, financial institutions, and other stakeholders. The incumbent is expected to exercise a high degree of professional judgement, political awareness, and leadership in representing the Organization on matters relating to financial management, governance, accountability, organizational performance, and business transformation.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staf