Finance and Administrative Assistant, RISSC II

Introduction

The Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Supply Chains Project in Malaysia (RISSC-Phase II, Malaysia) is a new three-year ILO project aimed at supporting a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable rubber supply chain in Malaysia. 

Funded by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (USD 1,200,000) and building on the earlier RISSC Phase I regional project (which covered Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines), RISSC Phase II will work with constituents and key industry partners to strengthen labour governance, embed responsible business practices and catalyse supply chain collaborations in the rubber sector in support of decent work and industry upgrading. 

In so doing it aims to enhance overall industry preparedness for emerging market and supply chain expectations whilst helping the industry move to a more resilient, inclusive and competitive long term growth model. 

The project strategy is organised around three mutually reinforcing outcome areas, with gender responsiveness embedded as a cross-cutting principle in both design and implementation.  

1. First, it will strengthen labour governance in the rubber sector by improving sectoral information and diagnostics, coordination and practical compliance and enforcement pathways.   
2. Second, it will support the (enhanced) adoption of practical, industry-relevant approaches to Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) and the labour dimension of human rights due diligence, while strengthening worker voice and grievance and remedy pathways.  
3. And third, it will strengthen alignment and action among supply chain stakeholders to support sustainable industry upgrading, whilst also distilling transferrable lessons for other sectors in line with national (RBC-related) policy priorities, especially Malaysia’s NAP-BHR.

Within the policy and procedural requirements established by the ILO and RISSC Phase II (Malaysia), the Finance and Administrative Assistant will support the delivery and implementation of the Malaysia project component and help ensure that project objectives are met by providing administrative and financial support and contributing to the delivery of expected outputs. 

Reporting lines

The Finance and Administrative Assistant (FAA) will work under the supervision of the National Project Coordinator (NPC) based in Malaysia and the Project Manager in ROAP-Bangkok. The incumbent will work in close collaboration with other project team members, relevant staff in the ILO Project Office for Malaysia and the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP), and the ILO/Japan Multi-bilateral Programme. 

The FAA will work under the overall administrative supervision of the Deputy Regional Director (DRD) of ROAP who oversees the ILO Malaysia portfolio, and the immediate technical and administrative supervision of the NPC of the RISSC Phase II (Malaysia) Project  S/he will receive guidance onrelevant programme, operations, administrative and finance colleagues from the Regional Administrative Services Unit of ROAP.  As part of the ILO Project Office in Kuala Lumpur (ILO KL Office) team, the FAA will work in close consultation with the ILO Representative in Malaysia and the National Programme Officer (NPO) on liaising with governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, peer UN agencies and key stakeholders of the ILO.  She/he is required to work in close collaboration with other ILO staff members as necessary.  

The Finance and Administrative Assistant will be responsible for a range of specialized finance and administrative support services in an efficient, effective and client-oriented manner. Work involves using the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to process transactions for financial clearance and payment processing. The incumbent performs at a fully operational level and resolves a variety of recurring and non-recurring operational issues, requiring the correct application of financial rules and regulations, policies, procedures and guidelines. 

Description of Duties

1. Maintain project financial records and monitoring systems to record and reconcile expenditures, balances, payments, statements and other data for daily transactions and reports.  
2. Process contract 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.  
3. Prepare correspondence on own initiative to verify data, address and answer queries and follow up as necessary with ILO staff, consultants and counterparts. Draw the attention of the Project Manager/ National Project Coordinator to matters requiring immediate attention.  
4. Review and request additional information on the financial reports of project implementing partners, ensuring compliance with ILO rules, before submitting to the Finance Unit.  
5. Classify and assign budget codes, verify and process claims for payment, and check payment vouchers, prices and claims invoices.  
6. Consult with Finance Unit and project team on rules, regulations and procedures, and inform project staff, partners, consultants, interns of new or revised procedures and practices.  
7. 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.  
8. Prepare recurring reports as scheduled and special reports as required for donor reporting, budget preparation, audits or other reasons. 
9. Calculate and compile cost estimates and participate in budget analysis and projections as required by the supervisors.  
10. Draft correspondence, faxes, memoranda and reports on administrative matters from oral instructions, previous correspondence or other available information sources in accordance with standard office procedures.  
11. Responsible for all administrative tasks, including logistical support to project personnel, travel arrangements, visas, hotel reservations etc. and logistics arrangements for conferences, seminars, workshops, meetings, consultations and webinars in Kuala Lumpur and other relevant project locations in Malaysia. 
12. Perform other relevant duties as assigned by the Project Manager, National Project Coordinator and/or the Director of DWT/CO-Bangkok. 

Required qualifications

Education

Completion of secondary school education with formal training in accounting and/or finance and administrative field.

Experience

Five years of progressively responsible financial and administrative work, and some training in an administrative field. Familiarity with UN administrative and financial procedures constitutes as advantage. 

Languages

Excellent command of English and Bahasa Malaysia is required (reading, writing and listening).  

Competencies

• Knowledge and understanding of a complex body of financial and administrative rules, guidelines and procedures.  
• Knowledge of in-house procedures for the preparation of documents and administrative forms, and for the creation and maintenance of filing systems.  
• Good analytical skills. Ability to reason and make sound judgments. 
• Ability to maintain financial records and prepare clerical accounting reports and statements. Must demonstrate responsible behavior and attention to detail. 
• Ability to deal with confidential matters with discretion. Must display high standards of ethical conduct.  
• Proficient with Microsoft Office and statistical software packages. 
• High standards of integrity, professionalism, personal discipline and impartiality.  
• Excellent organizational skills.  
• Ability to work on own initiative as well as being a member of a team. 
• Ability to work under political and time pressure and meet deadlines.  
• Ability to deal with people with tact and diplomacy.  
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behavior and attitudes.