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.
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The position is located in the Finance Division at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.
Main Purpose
The Finance Assistant coordinates and performs the full range of financial, accounting and budgeting functions. He/she ensures quality, transparency and consistency of data and processes within his/her area of responsibility and contributes to a smooth functioning of the work of the unit.
Supervision Received/Exercised
The Finance Assistant reports to a senior professional staff member. The incumbent operates independently and takes decisions on work priorities. Supervision received is focused on the quality of work outputs, in particular the meeting of timelines and the quality of advice given to clients. He/she provides guidance and advice to other finance support staff.
Working Relationships
The Finance Assistant works closely with colleagues in the Finance team and with client divisions/offices in the handling of routine and specialized processes, promoting the effective and efficient delivery of finance-related services.
Key Functions/Results
โข ย ย Code, record and reconcile accounting transactions;
โข ย ย Review and authorize as per delegation payments to vendors for goods and services including calculating, inputting and checking payments for correctness and communicating discrepancies to supervisors; verify accuracy of data;
โข ย ย Process salaries, entitlements, claims, income taxes, etc., according to established guidelines and procedures;
โข ย ย Brief and assist newly arrived staff, experts and consultants on basic financial procedures and requirements with respect to payments, entitlements, banking and currency provisions and other requirements relating to accounts and finance;
โข ย ย Prepare detailed cost estimates and other data for use in budget analysis and proposals;
โข ย ย Generate expenditure reports from computerized information system databases;
โข ย ย Research/compile financial data; assist in the preparation/finalization of budget performance reports, carrying out preliminary analysis of variances between budgets and actual expenditures;
โข ย ย Review draft reports, verifying overall accuracy, consistency and uniformity in the presentation; cross-check consistency of figures; drafts/prepares routine correspondence;
โข ย ย Provide procedural guidance to other finance support staff;
โข ย ย Perform other duties as required.
Impact of Work
The incumbent's work impacts directly on the efficient provision of specialized finance, accounting and budget-related services. He/she plays a lead role in the provision of financial support services for successful achievement of the organizational unit's mandate.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
Education: Secondary School Education.
Experience: Four years of relevant experience in finance and budget-related support work.
Languages: Working knowledge (proficient โ 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
โข ย ย Results Focus
โข ย ย Team Work
โข ย ย Communication
โข ย ย Building effective relationships
โข ย ย Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical Skills
โข ย ย Very good knowledge of the essential elements of a range of finance, accounting and budget-related activities, including the relevant policies, rules and regulations
โข ย ย Very good knowledge of corporate financial systems
โข ย ย Very 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).