Finance Associate G6

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World Food Programme Myanmar – Vacancy Announcement

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

In emergencies, WFP gets food to where it is needed, saving the lives of victims of war, civil conflict and natural disasters. After an emergency, WFP uses food to help communities rebuild their shattered lives. On average, WFP reaches more than 80 million people with food assistance in 75 countries each year. The organization has the global footprint, deep field presence and local knowledge and relationships necessary to provide access to nutritious food and contribute to the lasting solutions, especially in many of the world’s most remote and fragile areas.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has been presented in Myanmar since 1994 and is now focusing on helping the Government reach its national Zero Hunger Challenge by 2025. WFP’s work in the country is guided by three priorities: emergency preparedness and response; nutrition; and provision of social safety nets.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

This job is located at WFP Maungdaw Field Office.

At this level job holders are expected to demonstrate responsibility and initiative to respond independently to queries with only general guidance. There is a requirement to use judgment in dealing with unforeseen problems on a daily basis. Job holders are expected to manage resources and coach and coordinate a team of support staff, or specific support service(s).

JOB PURPOSE

To coordinate and provide finance, budget and administration support services involving the recording and interpretation of financial and budgetary information to ensure the efficient functioning of the support services and inform decision-making.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Under the direct supervision of Head of Field Office in Maungdaw and receiving technical guidance from various managers at Country Office, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

• Advise and support the Head of Field Office on financial and administrative matters
• Ensure compliance with WFP finance and admin policies, procedures, rules and regulations, perform oversight functions
• Ensure transparent and efficient utilization of WFP’s financial and admin resources and set up proper accounting procedures and systems, internal controls to ensure that proper monitoring mechanisms are in place; Identify weaknesses and address them immediately
• Provide regular and ad hoc financial status of projects, programmes and admin information to the Head of Field Office to support decision making
• Participate in preparing annual budgets, budget implementation, monitoring and act as Certifying Officer of the Field office
• Ensure that disbursements are made based on proper authorizations and supported by legitimate and sufficient documentation
• Ensure proper maintenance of vendor accounts, timely clearance of outstanding advances, other receivables and observe appropriate procurement procedures, to ensure that suppliers are paid in a timely manner and in conformance with WFP finance rules and regulations
• Respond to audit queries and follow up on audit recommendations
• Ensure integrity and consistency of data in WFP financial and accounting systems
• Supervise the administration of common premises to ensure efficiency, cost-effectiveness and timeliness of operations and services
• Supervise the recording (inventory), disposal and transfer of office assets for office, evaluate the inventory status and transactions in the database; report anomalies and discrepancies for timely action
• Contribute to preparedness actions such as early warning, risk analysis and contingency planning and make the necessary recommendations. Periodically monitor the management of risks and report on any actions taken
• Coordinate monthly financial closure for entrusted Sub-imprest (SI) account/ petty cash account
• Monitor monthly expenditure forecasts and provide expenditure reports to facilitate informed decision-making
• Monitor SI bank/cash and petty cash accounts regularly, to ensure that adequate funds are available and appropriately disbursed
• Assist in providing the procedural and technical support to staff within the areas of finance and budget
• Monitor and record all expenses in line with the approved budget, ensure correct expenditure costs are charged and payments to external suppliers, cash grants and other supplier invoices are processed in a timely manner
• Extract and input data from various sources into the financial or accounting system
• Verify vendor claims for accuracy and conformance with WFP finance rules and regulations, perform claim verifications against documentation to ensure that purchases/services are properly authorized and that the goods have been received or services rendered, and ensure timely recording and processing of vendor invoices in the Programme’s information system
• Monitor vendor advances and other receivables, ensure timely clearance of vendor outstanding items, taking corrective follow up actions where required
• Supervise Administration staff for smoothly supporting of project implementation, certifying of Admin MMC Report and steering on procurement planning of Field Office
• Prepare, monitor and analyze the settlement of operational/ trip advances
• Prepare necessary receipt and journal vouchers
• Perform other related duties as required by supervisor.

4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES

Purpose

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Coaches team in the most effective ways to communicate WFP’s Strategic Objectives to WFP team and partners in the field.
•  Be a force for positive change: Implements new methods or tools to improve team’s work processes and productivity.
•  Make the mission inspiring to our team: Maps team’s activities and tasks to specific successes in beneficiary communities to showcase positive impact.
•  Make our mission visible in everyday actions: Explains to teammates how each unit contributes to the overall WFP mission.

People

• Look for ways to strengthen people's skills: Identifies skill development opportunities such as training modules or on-the-job experiences for self, colleagues and direct reports.
•  Create an inclusive culture: Facilitates team building activities to build rapport in own unit.
•  Be a coach & provide constructive feedback: Facilitates the pairing of junior colleagues with coaches within own team.
•  Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit: Proactively anticipates potential challenges and develops mitigation plans to ensure that team meets goals and targets.

Performance

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Identifies opportunities to be creative in own work and to help team be more innovative and accurate in their respective tasks and areas of work.
•  Focus on getting results: Monitors team’s deliverables and provides feedback to ensure outcomes are delivered consistently and accurately.
•  Make commitments and make good on commitments: Provides accurate guidance to team on expected responsibilities and tasks, whilst also upholding own commitment to the team.
•  Be Decisive: Sets an example and provides guidance to junior team members on when to escalate issues when faced with challenging issues in the workplace or in the field.

Partnership

• Connect and share across WFP units: Facilitates partnerships with other WFP units to accomplish missions in the field.
•  Build strong external partnerships: Sets an example and provides guidance to team on how to build relationships with external partners.
•  Be politically agile & adaptable: Articulates to colleagues or direct reports the value of contributing to other WFP teams and agency partnerships in fulfilling WFP’s goals and objectives.
•  Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Organizes, monitors, and prioritizes own and team’s efforts to ensure that they will fulfill the needs of internal and external partners.

FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Completion of secondary school education. A post-secondary certificate in the related functional area such as financial management, accounting or audit.

Knowledge:

Experience utilizing computers, including word processing, spreadsheet and other WFP standard software packages and systems. General knowledge of UN system financial policies, rules, regulations and procedures. Specialized knowledge of WFP financial and administrative rules and regulations and policies and practices in the specific area of work is an asset.

Language:

Fluency in both oral and written English and Myanmar.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

Preferable to have at least four or five years of experience in the field of finance, accounting, and audit, has experience in collecting and monitoring financial data on projects and programmes, assessing financial health and status, and reporting findings to senior leaders.Has experience working with auditors and other third party vendors.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This post is opened for Myanmar Nationals Only.
Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. Only short-listed candidates will be notified.

Qualified women are especially encourage to apply.