Finance Assistant

IMPORTANT NOTICE\: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

Staff in the General Service category are recruited locally from the Primary Location area, which is where the office is located.

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Organizational Setting

The Finance Division recommends and administers financial policies and procedures that meet the highest professional standards; keeps accounts that accurately record financial activities and meet the requirements of internal and external audits; reports the financial status of the Organization and its activities to senior management, governing bodies and resources partners; ensures the safe custody of the Organization's financial assets; oversees financial operations wherever performed in the Organization; and ensures the timely recording of receipts and disbursements in accordance with established policies and procedures.

The position is located in the Finance Division (CSF) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Main Purpose

The Finance Assistant performs a large variety of routine administrative and financial duties in support of the control and maintenance of accounts and in the processing of finance/accounting/budget-related transactions. The incumbent exercises judgment, identifies errors and supports sound financial practice.

Supervision Received/Exercised

The Finance Assistant reports to one or more professional staff member. The incumbent operates independently in routine matters. Supervision received is focused on the quality of work performed and provides for on-the-job learning.

Working Relationships

The Finance Assistant interacts with a variety of colleagues within the work unit and with immediate clients served within the Organization, providing routine assistance to promote the effective and efficient delivery of finance-related services.

Key Functions/Results

• Process claims or invoices and other payments requests in line with relevant regulations and instructions;
• Ensure that all supporting documents and information required to justify payment, including receipts, banking details, etc., are complete before releasing payments;
• Settle invoices and claims after verification of supporting documents;
• Compile and verify budget and accounting data by checking files, calculating costs and estimating anticipated expenditures; following authorization, make disbursements from petty cash as per delegation, maintain records of such disbursements and balance accounts as required;
• Assist in the preparation of periodic accounting records, finance and budget documents; record receipts and disbursements (ledgers, cash books, vouchers, etc.);
• Reconcile data for recurring or special reports; maintain contacts with local banks, verify account status and currency exchange rates and obtain approval for cheque clearance;
• Perform other duties as required.

Impact of Work

The incumbent's work impacts on the timely and efficient delivery of financial support services and on the overall output of the work unit.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Education\: Secondary School Education
Experience\: Three years of relevant experience in finance/budget-related support work
Languages\: Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of English
IT Skills\: Good knowledge of the MS Office applications, Internet and office technology equipment.

Residency\: General Service Staff are recruited locally. To be eligible for this position, candidates must be nationals of the country of the duty station or possess an existing visa/work permit, and reside within commuting distance of the duty station at the time of the application. "Commuting distance" means the distance within which staff members can travel daily between their place of work and their residence.

Competencies

• Results Focus
• Team Work
• Communication
• Building effective relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical Skills

• Good knowledge of financial rules and regulations, accounting policies and practices.
• Good knowledge of corporate financial systems.
• Good knowledge of the communication and documentation standards.

Desirable Qualifications and Skills

Limited knowledge (intermediate - level B) of one of the other official FAO languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish).

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http\://www.whed.net/

• The length of the appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to extension of appointments

• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
• General Service Staff are recruited locally. To be eligible for this position, candidates must be nationals of the country of the duty station or possess an existing visa/work permit, and reside within commuting distance of the duty station at the time of the application."Commuting distance" means the distance within which staff members can travel daily between their place of work and their residence.
• No international benefits will be payable as selected candidates are recruited locally and paid in the local currency of the office location
• For additional information visit the FAO employment website\: http\://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/

REMUNERATION
A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, click on the following link\:
http\://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/salaries_allowances/salary.htm

HOW TO APPLY
• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. Once completed, please apply and submit your application, with language certificates as attachments. Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications. FAO reserves the right to request candidates to undertake a language test in the future, as appropriate
• Incomplete applications will not be considered

• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the recruitment portal will be considered

• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT