Officer, ERP Competency Centre

1. SUMMARY

The NATO International Staff (IS) Office of Financial Control (OFC) is primarily responsible for the management of financial and budgetary control systems for several NATO entities, primarily the NATO IS Civil Budget. As the custodian of member Nations’ funds, the OFC provides reliable and value adding financial and procurement services, in support of front-line Divisions, enabling them to achieve their objectives. It works to comply with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and other best practices, including the management of enterprise risk.

The OFC is responsible for procurement, financial operations and reporting for: the NATO IS civil and reimbursable budgets (including satellite offices); all NATO-wide pensions funds (currently: defined benefit pension scheme, defined contribution pension scheme and retirees medical claims fund); and other NATO agencies/bodies located at NATO HQ for which OFC is responsible for providing procurement, budgetary, financial and accounting services, which currently are the NATO Naval Forces sensors and weapons Accuracy Check Site (FORACS) and the Munitions Safety Information Analysis Centre (MSIAC). OFC is also responsible for providing procurement, cash management, finance and accounting support to a number of extra budgetary funds (including trust funds) and bilateral arrangements, including the Tax Reimbursement Agreement with the United States (U.S.). The NATO-IS budget includes Brussels Headquarters operations as well as external Offices.

The Office of Financial Control is organised around five functions overseen by the Financial Controller: (1) Control, Accounting and Finance, (2) Treasury, (3) Procurement, (4) Programmes and Extra Budgetary Funds, (5) Missions and (6) ERP Competency Centre.

Standards applicable to NATO in the finance area are the NATO Financial Regulations, the NATO-IS Financial Rules and Procedures, the International Public Sector Accounting Standards, the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations, and the NATO Code of Conduct. NATO IS uses COSO as the reference framework for internal control systems.

NATO Headquarters (HQ) has implemented an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to support the management of resources and daily staff operational activities. The scope of the solution includes financial management (budget, accounting and treasury functions), human resources management, procurement, and other resource management and reporting functions.

The ERP Competency Centre (also known as the Management Systems Service) is responsible for providing directorship and oversight over user aspects of design, development, implementation, and operation of the ERP and other financial and procurement systems. Under the direction of the Financial Controller, the ERP Competency Centre functions as the NATO HQ central office for the administration of the ERP and other finance, procurement and management systems (including system requirements management role, access management, master data management and advanced reporting).

The Officer, ERP CC provides expert advice and first-line user support. S/he augments the ERP CC team, as required, to ensure the timely maintenance of setup and master data. S/he performs the role of facilitator, business analyst, application specialist, tester, trainer, system architect, and system administrator as needed in order to support the proper operation and evolution of the ERP system.

2. QUALIFICATIONSANDEXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL

The incumbent must possess:

• a University Degree in management information systems, operations research, economics, accounting, business process engineering, business administration, public administration, finance, or related discipline;
• at least 3 years of experience in the implementation, support, or administration of Oracle E-Business Suite applications;
• experience in the provision of first-line system support and help-desk operations;
• experience in the elicitation and documentation of system requirements, as well as in the management and control of system changes;
• experience with security system administration, user monitoring, and system control activities;
• in depth knowledge of standard ERP and financial systems and office tools (spread sheets, databases and management and reporting tools);
• very good leadership and communication skills, as well as a strong drive for teamwork;
• the following minimum levels of NATO’s official languages (English/French): V (“Advanced”) in one; III (“Intermediate”) in the other.

DESIRABLE

The following would be considered an advantage:

• a Master’s Degree in a field relevant for this position;
• more than 3 years’ experience in similar roles;
• formal training or certification on Oracle E-Business Suite applications;
• significant experience with the use, implementation or maintenance of Oracle e-Business suite applications supporting the Procure-to-Pay process and/or the Human Resources Management processes;
• experience with the use, implementation or support of Artificial Intelligence tools to support finance, procurement or human resources management processes (e.g., payables process automation tools, fraud detection tools, treasury management optimisation tools, etc.);
• knowledge of a specific set of accounting standards (e.g. International Financial Reporting Standards, IFRS; or International Public Sector Accounting Standards, IPSAS);
• experience with the set up and organisation of system support services for a large user community;
• experience with the financial and management processes of governments and/or international organisations; and
• experience in change management and/or organisational transformation projects.

3.MAINACCOUNTABILITIES

Expertise Development

Keep abreast of latest developments in the area of ERP systems, management information systems and business process automation. Acquire knowledge about the future evolution of Oracle E-Business Suite applications, new functionality, and system features. Stay up-to-date about best practices regarding the use of ERP systems, their business processes and system controls. Provide expert advice to users about ERP system functionality, relevant business processes and best practices.

Information Management

Provide first-line support to the ERP user community. Gather much information as possible from the end user (e.g. report name, sequence of steps used by the user) and provide guidance to solve possible issues. For more sophisticated problems, redirect the issue to Application Delivery and Support team within the Executive Management division. Handle queries relating to Oracle E-Business Suite, transactional data processing, business flows, accounting and system impact, data reporting and tools. Monitor and update the incident management system and ensure timely assignment, resolution or escalation of system incidents. Support other team members in the maintenance of master and setup data. Support the Head of Service in the monitoring of ERP CC processes.

Knowledge management

Follow established knowledge management guidelines. Ensure accuracy of own input into the management systems and databases and compliance with internal procedures and applicable standards. Share knowledge and information with other team members following established procedures and communication channels.

Organisational efficiencies

Continuously monitor and analyse work methods, system flows and business processes to identify potential organisational improvements. Recommend, analyse, implement and communicate changes. Propose improvements based on best practices. Help streamlining system related processes, finding the appropriate balance between the interests of the different stakeholders. Provide feedback and make suggestions to contribute to the optimisation and automation of processes within the management systems. Propose amendments to procedures as required.

People Management

Perform training planning and development activities. Train team members and system users to ensure proper use of the system and improve performance. Communicate on best practices, business processes, and systems-related aspects. Lead and coordinate requirements workshops, acceptance activities, quality reviews and operational testing processes.

Planning and Execution

Facilitate change management efforts in the OFC by driving improvements in business processes and standards. Together with the Head ERP CC, ERP Project Manager(s) and consultants, ensure that the ERP components (relating to Finance, Budgeting, HR, Facilities’ Management, etc.) are operational and well understood in the OFC and across the IS. Develop work, team, and project plans to meet specific objectives and requirements. Actively support the requirements and change management processes, and control the requirements baseline. Ensure the accurate translation of business requirements into system functional and non-functional requirements. Contribute to, and coordinate as appropriate, initiatives aimed at transforming the employment of people, processes, and tools and improving NATO’s financial and acquisition management domain.

Policy Development

Contribute to setting guidelines and procedures in consultation with the Head ERPCC, OFC Heads of Service, other Divisions concerned and other relevant NATO entities for new work processes and quality control of internal procedures in line with best practices and standards. Develop system administration and data management policies and procedures (e.g., security policies, internal control rules, and master data standards) and follow up on system audit recommendations. Support the review of internal control, HR, procurement, and financial policies in order to ensure that they properly address ERP system related aspects

Project Management

Support implementation projects, typically (but not exclusively) involving the development and implementation of business processes to meet ERP identified business needs, acquiring and utilising the necessary resources and skills, within agreed parameters of cost, timescales, and quality. Manage issues relating to the integration of systems in the day-to-day work habits of the OFC, the IS and other entities supported by the ERP CC. Assist in evaluating ERP progress and contribute to issue resolution processes, taking corrective action as necessary and providing regular reporting to key stakeholder and the Head ERP CC.

Stakeholder Management

Identify key stakeholders, communicate with them and manage their expectations. Coordinate relationships with and between key stakeholders, during design, management and implementation of business change. Interface with the IS client base, the ERP team, the system administrators, and NATO counterparts. Work in close collaboration with the NATO user community and facilitate system requirements management processes. Establish and maintain relationships with a broad range of staff from NATO-IS, Agencies, Programmes and Delegations to deliver services to all concerned. Anticipate and resolve conflict by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions. Contribute to the set up and implementation of user governance structures, such as user groups and change advisory boards. Participate, together with other System Authorities (e.g., NATO CI Agency) in the life-cycle management of NATO finance and acquisition systems).

Perform any other related duty as assigned.

4. INTERRELATIONSHIPS

The incumbent reports to the Deputy Financial Controller under the overall supervision of the Financial Controller. He/she will be a senior member of a team and assure the necessary liaison with other Divisions of the International Staff and Agencies. S/he works closely with OFC Heads of Service as well as internal clients: Executive Management/Human Resources, Executive Management/Budget Planning & Analysis, Information, Communication and Technology Management (ICTM) and others. Deputises the Head ERP CC as required.

Direct reports: N/a

Indirect reports: N/a

5. COMPETENCIES

The incumbent must demonstrate:

• Achievement: Creates own measures of excellence and improves performance.
• Analytical Thinking: Sees multiple relationships.
• Clarity and Accuracy: Monitors others’ work for clarity.
• Conceptual Thinking: Applies learned concepts.
• Customer Service Orientation: Makes things better for the customer, addressing underlying customer needs.
• Impact and Influence: Uses indirect influence.
• Initiative: Is decisive in a time-sensitive situation.
• Teamwork: Solicits inputs and encourages others.