The United Nations system operates on trust which requires independent oversight to establish trustworthiness. The Executive Secretary D1 position serves as the main executive director who runs the operations of the Secretariat which provides support to both the UN Board of Auditors and the Panel of External Auditors. The New York D-1 position demands a leader who can manage complex stakeholder relationships while he oversees the creation of approximately 30 annual audit reports and he directs his team in making decisions based on data analysis.
The ideal candidate brings at least fifteen years of experience which includes senior-level coordination across UN entities while he possesses deep knowledge of audit policy implementation and maintains a commitment to gender balance and geographical diversity. If you have the vision to strengthen financial governance across the UN system we invite you to apply.
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Executive Secretary, D1
Job Opening ID: 268707
Job Network: Management and Administration
Job Family: Administration
Category and Level: Professional and Higher Categories, D-1
Duty Station: New York, United States
Department/Office: Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance – Office of Programme Planning, Finance and Budget
Date Posted: February 13, 2026
Application Deadline: March 29, 2026
Organizational Setting and Reporting
This senior leadership position is located at United Nations Headquarters in New York and reports directly to the Assistant Secretary-General/Controller. The Executive Secretary leads the Secretariat serving two critical oversight bodies: the United Nations Board of Auditors and the Panel of External Auditors of the United Nations, the Specialized Agencies, and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The Executive Secretary plays a pivotal role in ensuring the financial accountability and governance of the UN system. This position demands high-level strategic engagement with heads of UN entities, Member State delegations, intergovernmental bodies, and oversight committees. The ES also liaises with system-wide coordination mechanisms such as the Chief Executives Board and the IPSAS Task Force, facilitating effective communication between auditors and client entities across the UN system.
A core output of this function is the production of approximately 27 to 30 audit reports annually. The Executive Secretary oversees the entire publishing and translation process in coordination with the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management. The ES also manages the staff and budget of the Secretariat.
Responsibilities
The Board and Panel of External Auditors require complete support for their operations. The Board and Panel of External Auditors need their meeting schedule for the entire year to be organized together with their meeting materials and agenda documents which will enable members to conduct discussions while intergovernmental body policy instructions will be shared with members.
The Board and Panel maintain complete control over their historical documents which I keep safe and accessible for public use while I preserve them for permanent storage.
Stakeholder Engagement and Liaison
I work to maintain relationships with important stakeholders who include UN leaders and Member State diplomats and representatives from intergovernmental organizations and oversight committees.
The Chief Executives Board and IPSAS Task Force functions as system-wide coordination mechanisms which I use to establish communication links between auditors and their client organizations.
Report Production and Publication
The Department for General Assembly and Conference Management handles all publishing and translation activities which I direct for about 27 to 30 audit reports that we produce every year.
The Audit Operations Committee relies on my presence at intergovernmental body discussions where I provide them with my expert assistance.
Secretariat Management and Administration
- The Executive Secretary’s office needs staff management while the Budget needs to be managed for both Auditor and Secretariat staff members.
- The Audit Operations Committee Chairperson and Technical Group and Board and Panel members receive complete administrative assistance from this organization.
- The organization keeps a permanent record which contains all General Assembly discussions and resolutions and decisions with audit implications. The organization maintains an up-to-date archive which holds all parliamentary documents and management letters and Financial Regulations and Rules and records of every Board and Panel meeting.
- The Office and Board of Auditors require me to create their budget proposals for every two-year period. The organization oversees all spending activities while it authenticates all financial statements.
- The team collects data and analyzes it to find trends which the team uses to create insights.
Support to the Audit Operations Committee
- The Board together with the Audit Operations Committee requires my expertise to evaluate existing audit procedures which I will use to help new members understand their duties.
- The Audit Operations Committee needs my assistance with administrative work while I provide external audit directors with guidance about UN financial regulations.
- New auditors should receive guidance about previous meetings together with the activities of other regulatory groups to achieve better coordination while reducing redundant work.
- The Audit Operations Committee together with Board members and the Panel will receive my periodic information reports about changes in senior management and decisions related to audit policies.
- I maintain regular communication with ACABQ and the Fifth Committee and JIU and IAAC and OIOS Secretariats while I help transfer questions from legislative committees to auditors.
- The Audit Operations Committee requires me to organize their monthly meetings which includes my responsibility to create meeting agendas and write official meeting records.
- The Audit Operations Committee together with Board members and the Panel will assign me various special projects which I will complete.
Competencies
Professionalism: The candidate demonstrates successful execution of comprehensive advisory services. The candidate possesses expertise in governmental operations and monitoring organizations. The candidate solves client problems through client-centered solutions which demonstrate his ability to make sound decisions. The candidate demonstrates high work standards through his ability to work efficiently while maintaining his composure during stressful situations.
The candidate delivers communication through clear speech and effective writing. The candidate listens to other people and reacts correctly to their statements. The candidate adapts his communication style according to the needs of his listeners. The person shares information through transparent communication.
The candidate establishes specific objectives. The candidate establishes priorities while making necessary adjustments. The candidate distributes time and resources according to project requirements. The candidate identifies potential risks while tracking project development.
The person acts as a model for others to follow. The leader gives people the authority to transform their ideas into successful outcomes. The leader establishes connections with others to gain understanding about their requirements. The leader pushes for organizational transformation through continuous progress. The leader takes on the obligation to integrate gender perspectives into all decision-making processes.
The person quickly recognizes critical problems. The person collects all necessary information. The person evaluates how decisions will affect various results before making his choice. The person makes essential choices when the situation demands it.
Education
- An advanced university degree in auditing accounting international relations public administration or a related field is required for this position.
- A first-level university degree with two additional years of experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.
Work Experience
- A candidate needs to have at least fifteen years of increasing professional experience which includes auditing and accounting and intergovernmental affairs and related fields.
- The candidate needs to have experience in multi-stakeholder coordination at senior levels at the UN or a similar international organization.
- The candidate needs to have experience with either audit policy implementation or advising audit committees in the UN or similar organization.
- The candidate needs to have experience supervising a team.
- The candidate needs to have experience in either a major public sector organization or within the UN system.
- The candidate needs to have experience with programs that other international organizations develop particularly UNDP and UNICEF.
- The candidate needs to have experience in data analytics.
Languages
- Fluency in English is required.
Assessment
- Evaluation may include an assessment exercise followed by a competency-based interview.
Special Notice
- The appointment will only proceed when funds become available and the budget receives authorization. The UN requires 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity across its operations. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
- All staff members must submit their financial disclosure statements when they start work and again every year. Staff members need to complete all lateral transfer requirements before they can become eligible for the program. The UN organization supports diversity and inclusion initiatives. The organization provides reasonable accommodations to applicants who have disabilities.
The deadline for your application submission ends on March 29, 2026, if you possess senior leadership expertise in audit and oversight and intergovernmental affairs and wish to lead the United Nations system financial accountability efforts.
