Grade: G5
Vacancy no.: DC/KUALALUMPUR/GS/2025/03
Publication date: 21 July 2025
Application deadline (midnight Bangkok time): 4 August 2025
Job ID: 13144
Department: RO-Asia and the Pacific
Organization Unit: RO-Asia and the Pacific
Location: Kuala Lumpur
Contract type: Special Short Term
Contract duration: 4 months
Under article 4.2, paragraph (e) of the Staff Regulations, the filling of vacancies in technical cooperation projects does not fall under Annex I of the Staff Regulations and is made by direct selection by the Director-General.
In order to support the best informed process in the filling of the above-mentioned vacancy by direct selection, the ILO invites interested candidates to submit their application online by the above date.
The following are eligible to apply:
ILO Internal candidates in accordance with paragraphs 31 and 32 of Annex I of the Staff Regulations. External candidates**The recruitment process for General Service positions is subject to specific local recruitment criteria.
The ILO values diversity among its staff and welcomes applications from qualified female candidates. We also encourage applicants with disabilities. If you are unable to complete our online application form due to a disability, please send an email to ilojobs@ilo.org.
Technical cooperation appointments are not expected to lead to a career in the ILO and they do not carry any expectation of renewal or conversion to any other type of appointment in the Organization. Extensions of technical cooperation contracts are subject to various elements including the following: availability of funds, continuing need of the functions and satisfactory conduct and performance.
*Conditions of employment for external candidates: In conformity with existing ILO practice, the appointment of an external candidate will normally be made at the first step of this grade.
Introduction
In Sabah, childrenโs involvement in oil palm plantation work is widespread and traditionally perceived to be informal assistance to their parents, even though work on the oil palm plantations is highly risky and can be detrimental to childrenโs physical safety, development, health, and education. A number of underlying factors, together, contribute to childrenโs involvement in child labour. Key of this is the economic vulnerability of families, where low wages and the piece rate system of pay combine to incentivise families to engage children in work to achieve higher yields . Other significant drivers to child labour are also limited access to formal education, child protection services as well as the lack of childcare facilities.
Children of workers face numerous barriers to accessing alternative employment opportunities, including lack of documentation, discrimination, and isolation, as well as limited access to education. In this context, it is common for young persons aged 16 and above from the plantation community to be engaged as workers in the plantation. Without training and skill enhancement, there is a strong likelihood that the young workers will remain in the high-risk and low-paid sector, unable to break out of the vicious cycle of poverty.
The European Union-funded Promoting socio- economic inclusion through enhanced access to education and training opportunities for children on plantations in Sabah (SABAH) โ implemented jointly by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Childrenโs Fund (UNICEF) was launched in 2024. Drawing from the ILOโs extensive experience in technical cooperation initiatives on the promotion of decent work in the Malaysian economy, and in particular the plantation sector, the Sabah Project will contribute to the elimination of child labour through access to education and training opportunities by supporting the Malaysian Governmentโs efforts to implement the National Action Plan on Forced Labour (NAPFL) 2021 โ 2025, and by enhancing the Sabah Governmentโs capacity to enforce the amended Sabah Labour Ordinance more effectively, among others.
Reporting lines
The Finance and Administrative Assistant (FAA) will be based in the ILO Joint Projects Office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and work under the supervision of the National Project Coordinator for the Sabah Project.
Administrative and financial guidance will be provided by the Chief of the Regional Administration Services for the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. He/she is required to work in close collaboration with other ILO staff members.
Description of Duties
Maintain project financial records and monitoring systems to record and reconcile expenditures, balances, payments, statements and other data for daily transactions and reports. Process contracts for financial clearance and payment. Ensure the correctness and appropriateness of types of contracts used with each activity, and ensure all necessary supporting documents are attached. Prepare routine correspondence to verify data, answer queries and obtain additional information, follow-up as necessary with project and ILO staff, consultants and counterparts. Draw the attention of the National Project Coordinator and, where necessary, the Finance Unit at the Regional Office in Bangkok, to matters requiring immediate attention. Prepare and process financial transactions in IRIS including contracts, travel requests, purchase orders and requisitions, external payment authorizations and others as may be necessary. Arrange for the procurement, shipment and receipt of office and project supplies, equipment and materials and household effect, including customs clearance. Classify and assign budget codes, verify and process claims for payment, and check payment vouchers, prices and claims invoices. Provide administrative and financial backstopping and guidance for project staff and consultants, with respect to payments, entitlements, travel claims, and other requirements relating to accounts and finance. Consult with the Finance Unit at the Regional Office in Bangkok on rules, regulations and procedures, and inform project staff, partners, consultants, interns of new or revised procedures and practices. Prepare recurring reports as scheduled and special reports as required for donor reporting, for budget preparation, audits or other reasons. Calculate and compile cost estimates, and participate in budget analysis and projections as required by the Project Director/National Project Coordinator. Provide support, when necessary, in the preparation and running of project workshops and meetings in Malaysia. Perform other duties as assigned by the National Project Coordinator and, where necessary, the Finance Unit at the Regional Office in Bangkok.Required qualifications
Education
Completion of secondary school education, supplemented by commercial training in bookkeeping, accounting, business administration or equivalent experience.
Experience
At least five years of project/management support (admin and finance) experience. Familiarity with ILO administrative procedures is preferred.
Languages
Proficiency in English and Bahasa Malaysia with good drafting skills.
Competencies
Knowledge of general office support and operational areas.
Awareness of the nature of ILO programme and activities.
Good knowledge of PC software (including word processor, spreadsheet and presentation software) such as Microsoft Office.
In addition to the ILO core competencies [Integrity and transparency, Sensitivity to diversity, Orientation to learning and knowledge sharing, Client orientation, Communication, Orientation to change, Takes responsibility for performance, Quality orientation, Collaboration], this position requires:
Efficiency in providing administrative support for the organization of meetings and other events.
Ability to search, retrieve and compile information from various sources.
Ability to adapt quickly to new software and systems.
Drafting skills.
Analytical skills and attention to detail.
A high degree of discretion with sense of responsibility in dealing with confidential matters.
Interpersonal skills, tact and diplomacy when dealing with others.
Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.
Recruitment process
Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application form. To apply, please visit the ILO Jobs website. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.
Fraud warning
The ILO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process whether at the application, interview, processing or training stage. Messages originating from a non ILO e-mail account - @ilo.org - should be disregarded. In addition, the ILO does not require or need to know any information relating to the bank account details of applicants.