Project Assistant SC4, Finance and Administration (CEP-PSU) 1

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WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.

Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.

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.

BACKGROUND

The project “Building climate resilience of vulnerable and food-insecure communities through capacity strengthening and livelihood diversification in mountainous regions of Tajikistan" will increase the adaptive capacities of the most vulnerable and food-insecure communities residing in Rasht valley, Khatlon and Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) regions. Due to their location, these communities are vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change, particularly from rainfall variability resulting in adverse livelihood impacts, increasing temperatures with glacial melting and sudden-onset extreme events causing loss and damage, in addition to high levels of malnutrition and poverty.

The proposed project intervention takes a transformative approach to ensure food security and support communities to adapt to climate change through two key components:
i. Capacity strengthening and awareness-raising of food insecure climate-vulnerable communities and national actors for enhanced rural resilience and food security; and
ii. Resilience building at household and community level through diversification of livelihoods and improved market access.

JOB PURPOSE

The main objective of the assignment is to carry out activities related to the project financial management arrangements and provide advice to the implementing agency’s respective staff on financial management matters. The Project Assistant, Finance and Administration will be responsible for preparation of all financial transactions and keeping of accounts to ensure implementation of measures stipulated in the Agreement.

Under the overall guidance of Committee of Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan (CEP) – Project Support Unit (PSU), the incumbent will:

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Ensure that the project’s financial management system, including project accounts, is maintained in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations.
• Use the written procedures (Financial Management section of the Operational Manual) for operation of the project financial management system and update, as necessary, the financial management section of the Operational Manual, including financial policies and procedures governing the project, forms and formats, and other material for project administration.
• Conduct regular reconciliations of the bank account balances to the project accounts.
• Participate in preparation of the project’s annual budget, and implement financial planning in co-operation with the disbursement and procurement specialists and others as needed.
• Lead project’s administration, logistics, and procurement management.
• Perform administrative procurement activities in a timely and efficient manner, to support Project Support Unit in the acquisition of goods and services for efficient field operations.
• Compile data, prepare and distribute documents, to support successful procurement and operational activities, ensuring standard processes are followed.
• Review, record and prioritise purchasing requests, ensuring all supporting documentation is received, and funding is available, in order to enable the procurement of goods and services.
• Follow all required procedures in accordance with guidelines on financial management, accounting, reporting and auditing.
• Prepare and submit to the WFP quarterly reports in time and manner indicated in the Project’s Financing Agreement.
• Ensure the Financial Statements for the Project are audited by an external auditor on a yearly basis. Each audit should cover the period of one fiscal year (January – December).
• Maintain fixed assets’ register for the equipment bought from the project funds.
• Cooperate and follow up on the recommendations of the WFP FM supervision missions and external auditors.
• Fulfil reporting requirements of the Tax, Social Fund, Statistic committee and other state authorities;
• Perform filing and archiving of the accounting and financial documentation.

ASSIGNMENT DURATION
The Project Assistant, Finance and Administration is expected to begin the assignment in April 2021 on a full-time basis. WFP and the CEP-PSU Project Manager will collectively decide on extension of the contract.

ASSIGNMENT LOCATION
The Project Assistant, Finance and Administration shall be based in Dushanbe at the offices of the CEP-PSU with some travel to project sites. The CEP-PSU will provide required workspace with access to office technology facilities.

CONTRACTING AND REPORTING
The Project Assistant, Finance and Administration will be contracted through WFP and will report directly to the WFP Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Building Coordinator for accountability purposes. Due to duty station location, daily activities of the Project Assistant, Finance and Administration will be under the supervision of the CEP-PSU Project Manager and through close cooperation with implementing group personnel and the range of project partners, along with other stakeholders as needed. The Project Assistant, Finance and Administration will provide quarterly reports on the works performed, as well as procurement related reports to all interested parties as necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Education:

Completion of secondary school education.

Experience:

Four or more years of progressively responsible work experience in the relative business stream.

Knowledge and skills for entry into the role:

• Proven work experience in international projects.
• Full command of the 1-C Enterprise Accounting Software.
• Relevant years of progressively responsible support experience, preferable 2 or more years, on admin procurement activities or other related field (desirable).
• Strong computer skills: MS Word, MS Excel, Email, and Internet.
• Excellent organizational, communication skills at all levels, especially report writing skills and email communications.
• Ability to work under pressure, client orientation, analytical thinking.
• Willingness to travel as needed to project sites (sometimes remote).

Languages:

• Fluency in oral and written English is a requirement.
• Fluency in Tajik and Russian (oral and written) is mandatory.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Type of Contract: Service Contract (SC)

Duration of Contract: 12 months (with possible extension)

Duty Station: Dushanbe, Tajikistan

WFP offers an attractive compensation package: 16 weeks of maternity leave is part of the package, a staff member may also avail of special leave with full pay up to 8 weeks following maternity leave. Also 28 calendar days of paternity leave. For more details please visit International Civil Service Commission website: https://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/salaries_allowances/salaries/tajikist.htm

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

26 July 2021

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Female applicants and individuals with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply

WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.