Finance Associate

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

FAO's Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP) is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing, and implementing agreed strategies for addressing regional food, agriculture and rural development priorities. It develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions including Regional Economic Integration Organization (REIOs). It assists the FAO representations in the subregion with addressing food security, agriculture and rural development issues at country level. The Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands is a subsidiary of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP).

The post is located in SAP and based in Apia, Samoa.

Main Purpose

The Finance Associate undertakes high-level and specialized finance-related support activities. He/she leads and coordinates the financial support work of the unit, ensuring quality, transparency and consistency of processes. The job role requires in-depth knowledge and interpretation of financial policies, procedures and practices. The incumbent provides procedural guidance to managers and staff in the Organization and guides other finance support staff.

Supervision Received/Exercised

The Finance Associate reports to the Administrative Officer in SAP. Work is performed autonomously, showing a high degree of initiative, judgment, and liability. Supervision received is focused on facilitating service delivery and on meeting client requirements. The incumbent effectively organizes and supervises other finance support staff and provides relevant guidance and training.

Working Relationships

The incumbent maintains a wide range of contacts with managers and staff throughout the Organization as well as with colleagues within the team, providing experienced coordination and delivery of the entire range of finance support processes and services.

Key Functions/Results

• Analyse, control and maintain relevant general ledger accounts, including scrutinizing source documents for completeness, accuracy and validity of charges.
• Review and liquidate obligations; investigate erroneous charges and take corrective accounting actions; reconcile and review suspense accounts and ensure proper clearance procedures.
• Extract details of income, expenditures, assets and liability from the accounting system in order to analyse and verify accuracy and validity.
• Consolidate data into financial statements and assist in monitoring expenditures to ensure they remain within authorized levels.
• Prepare worksheets and assist in preparation of financial statements by compiling and consolidating data from various sources; prepare and checks trial balance.
• Prepare draft cost estimates and budget proposals and participate in budget analysis and projections.
• Provide support with respect to the review, analyses and preparation of the medium-term plan.
• Draft and prepare correspondence and respond to queries.
• Evaluate ongoing financial support requirements, adapt service provision to meet changing needs and solve operational problems as required.
• Provide procedural guidance to managers and staff; supervise, guide and train other finance support staff.
• Perform other duties as required.

Impact of Work

The incumbent's work impacts directly on the efficiency, effectiveness, accuracy and timeliness of the services provided by the team. He/she plays a pro-active role in the successful achievement of the work unit's mandate.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Education\: Secondary School Education.
Experience\: Five years of relevant experience in finance, accounting and budget-related support work.
Languages\: Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of English.
IT Skills\: Very 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

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

Desirable Qualifications and Skills

• Thorough knowledge of the essential elements of finance activities and transactions, including FAO's corporate policies, rules and procedures.
• Experience in Finance in the UN, including relevant corporate human resources policies and procedures.

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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

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