Senior Administrative and Finance Assistant

Introduction

Over the last decade Saudi Arabia has achieved significant socio-economic development. In April 2016, the Kingdom launched Saudi Vision 2030, an ambitious long-term plan for sustainable development. In this context, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development of Saudi Arabia (MHRSD) has requested ILO support in a number of key thematic areas related to labour market regulation and decent work promotion. Under Phase 3 of the Programme of Cooperation, entitled "Addressing Decent Work Gaps — An ILO contribution to realise Vision 2030", the ILO has established a project office in Riyadh, headed by a Senior Coordinator, to deliver the programme.

The Senior Administrative and Finance Assistant is a senior member of the office support team and is responsible for the efficient delivery and oversight of the office’s administrative, financial, human-resources and logistical operations, ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the project office.

Reporting lines:

The Senior Administrative and Finance Assistant will be based in the ILO project office in Riyadh and will work under the supervision of the Senior Coordinator. The incumbent will work in close collaboration with the Regional Office for Arab states. Technical support and guidance will be provided by the Chief Regional Administrative Services at the Regional Office for Arab States (ROAS)

Description of Duties

1. Ensure smooth functioning of the project administration, office management and operation support related functions, in close collaboration with other administrative and operation support staff, through the provision of management and administrative support to the project. This includes processing entitlements, and maintenance of records and files.
2. Advise and assist project staff with interpretation of administrative rules, regulations and procedures. Make travel and hotel reservations and assemble information pertinent to the purpose of travel.
3. Play a proactive, coordinating role across the office's support services; ensure a smooth flow of office work and information; and oversee, guide and quality-assure the work of other support staff as assigned.
4. Undertake financial support operations with a high degree of accuracy: process, verify and effectuate expenditures; monitor budgets and expenditure against the workplan; make adjustments to optimize the use of funds; and prepare budget-related reports, statistics and inputs for programme and budget, workplan and financial and technical progress reports, using the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.
5. Maintain the office travel plan; make travel and accommodation arrangements; and coordinate visa, residency (iqama), protocol and security requirements with the relevant Saudi government departments and service providers, ensuring the timely and compliant processing of all transactions.
6. Participate in the organization of special meetings and coordinate all important administrative arrangements for conducting workshops/seminars and trainings, as required by the project as well as missions and events; coordinate logistical arrangements; oversee the preparation of documents, presentations and briefing files; take minutes; and follow up on the implementation of decisions.
7. Prepare on own initiative, draft, review and finalize correspondence and documents, including of a non-routine and confidential nature, in English and Arabic; undertake quality control for accuracy, style and compliance; and provide informal translation and interpretation (Arabic-English) as required.
8. Coordinate requests from high-level visitors and establish briefing programmes and handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion.
9. Undertake procurement and contract-administration support in line with ILO rules: prepare requests for quotations and purchase orders, support the evaluation of offers, and follow up with vendors and on the receipt of goods and services.
10. Maintain office systems and records - registry and filing, inventory and asset records, attendance and leave, and relevant databases and web pages - and generate periodic and ad hoc reports and statistical tables.
11. Keep abreast of changes to administrative rules, regulations, policies and procedures; provide guidance and deliver briefings and training to staff; and evaluate and propose improvements to work methods and processes.
12. Represent ILO in the Operations Management Team (OMT) and participate in other interagency initiatives, such as Business Operations Strategy (BOS).
13. Perform other relevant duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Required qualifications

Education

Completion of secondary school education, with training in an area related to accounting/finance. Post-secondary technical or vocational qualifications, or university-level coursework, in business administration, general administration and office support, or a related area are strongly desirable.

Experience

At least seven years of progressively responsible accounting/finance work experience, including the provision of senior-level support services. Experience of working with an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is required.

The following are strongly desirable and will be considered an advantage: eight or more years of relevant experience; experience within the United Nations, an international organization or a diplomatic mission; demonstrated experience in general administration and office support,  procurement and/or human-resources administration; experience supporting senior management; and sound knowledge of Saudi administrative, visa/residency and procurement procedures

Languages

Excellent command of Arabic and English, both written and spoken, is required.

Competencies

• Ability to prioritize work assignments, organize own schedule, perform routine work independently, meet deadlines and adapt to changing demands.
• Sound knowledge of a range of administrative, financial, HR and logistical operations and of the applicable rules, regulations, policies and procedures, with the ability to interpret and apply them correctly.
• Ability to coordinate and oversee a broad range of operational activities and to coordinate the work of support staff.
• Strong knowledge of PC software (word processing, spreadsheets and presentations) and of ERP systems, and the ability to adapt quickly to new systems.
• Good drafting skills in both Arabic and English, and the ability to search, retrieve and compile information from a variety of sources.
• Analytical skills and a high level of accuracy and attention to detail, including in financial and budget-related work.
• A high degree of discretion and sense of responsibility in dealing with confidential matters.
• Interpersonal skills, tact and diplomacy when dealing with others, including high-level counterparts and visitors.
• Ability to respond to requests and to deal with visitors with tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to search and retrieve information from databases and compile reports.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities and deliver to deadline, cost and quality standards.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.

Residency

The Applicant must have a valid KSA ID or a work permit to reside and work in KSA.

optional section (if needed)

Candidates assessed by the Panel and considered to be eligible for appointment but who are not selected for this vacant post may be offered an assignment to another position at the same or lower grade provided that they meet the minimum qualifications required.