Finance & Administration Assistant - PROJECT Governance

• Attractive local package
• Friendly and supportive team environment
• Join the principal development organisation in the Pacific region

The Pacific Community (SPC) is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, supporting development since 1947. We are an international development organisation owned and governed by our 27 country and territory members. In pursuit of sustainable development to benefit Pacific people, our organisation works across more than 25 sectors. We are known for our knowledge and innovation in such areas as fisheries science, public health surveillance, geoscience, and conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

The Human Rights and Social Development Division has a vision for just, equitable and resilient Pacific societies and it aims to achieve this by advancing human rights, equality and social inclusion for all Pacific people, grounded in cultural values and principles.The work of this Division includes work previously undertaken by the Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT) in the area of human rights and the Social Development Programme (SDP) in the areas of gender equality and social inclusion, culture and youth development.

In line with its vision, the work of the Division will encompass the following focal areas:

• Objective 1: Governance for human rights and social development: Strengthen inclusive, transparent and active governance for human rights and social development.
• Objective 2: Gender equality and social inclusion: Mobilise, empower, and build conditions for gender equality, equity and social inclusion in society and development.
• Objective 3: Culture: Promote, preserve and protect positive expressions of culture.
• Objective 4: Social innovation and learning: Enhance knowledge, learning and innovative solutions to accelerate impact on human development priorities.

The Finance and Administration Assistant will provide support to the HRSD PROJECT Governance with logistics for travel and workshops, regional events, administrative support in the implementation of the project, assistance in preparing donor reports.

The key responsibilities of the role include:

Project Accounting and Financial Management

• Assists in preparing donor reports as required by PROJECT Governance grant agreement
• Assists in compiling activity plan budgets
• Attends to financial queries raised by project team, donors, SPC corporate

Travel and Logistics for Meetings and Events

• Develops budgets for regional workshops and other activities
• Develops communications such as Government Protocol letters and Administrative Notes for events that are precise and use appropriate language
• Ensures all events/travel follow SPC procedures for procurement and travel 

Project and overall program administrative support

• Sets agendas, takes minutes and organizes files for SPC internal PROJECT Governance meetings
• Ensures all project related SPC staff that are giving partial time to the project are regularly maintaining time sheets
• Orders project supplies and equipment as needed

Support Sub Grant Management

• Work with Project Coordinator, Project Finance Officer and SPC Finance and Procurement to ensure Project Sub Grantees are well aware of SPC and Donor requirements and policies in terms of implementation and reporting
• Ensure timely acquittals are received and disbursements are made to sub-grantees
• Provide support to grantees in terms of grants management and acquittals process as and when required.

For a more detailed account of the key responsibilities, please refer to the online job description.

Key selection criteria

Qualifications

• A diploma in Finance or Accounting or a related field, or equivalent relevant work experience

Knowledge and experience

• At least 3-4 years’ experience in project accounting in an international or regional organization including experience with financial management information systems
• Experience in travel and logistics management
• Experience organizing large, complex regional events

Essential skills

• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work with a wide range of individuals in a multicultural environment
• Demonstrated organizational, administrative, and multi-tasking skills
• Experience using Navision Software or similar finance software

Language skills

• Excellent English communication skills (oral and written)

Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness

• Ability to work in a multicultural, inclusive and equitable environment

Salary, terms and conditions

Contract Duration – 3 years – subject to renewal depending on funding and performance

Remuneration – The Finance and Administration Assistant is a Band 6 position in SPC’s 2022 salary scale, with a commencing taxable salary range of 1,846-2,308 per month, plus local staff benefits. An offer of appointment for an initial contract will normally be made in the lower half of this range, with due consideration given to experience and qualifications. Progression within the salary scale will be based on annual performance reviews.

Recruitment principles – SPC’s recruitment is based on merit and fairness, and candidates are competing in a selection process that is fair, transparent and non-discriminatory. SPC is an equal-opportunity employer, and is committed to cultural and gender diversity, including bilingualism, and will seek to attract and appoint candidates who respect these values. Due attention is given to gender equity and the maintenance of strong representation from Pacific Island professionals. If two interviewed candidates are ranked equal by the selection panel, preference will be given to the Pacific Islander.

Applicants will be assured of complete confidentiality in line with SPC’s Privacy Policy.

Application procedure 

Closing Date – 6 December 2022 at 11:59pm (Fiji time)

Job Reference: JR000092

Applicants must apply online at http://careers.spc.int/

Hard copies of applications will not be accepted.

For your application to be considered, you must provide us with:

• an updated resume with contact details for three professional referees
• a cover letter detailing your skills, experience and interest in this position
• responses to all screening questions

Your application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed at shortlisting stage if all the above documents are not provided. Applicants should not attach copies of qualifications or letters of reference. Please ensure your documents are in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format.

Only Fijian citizens are eligible to apply for this role.

SPC does not charge a fee to consider your application and will never ask for your banking or financial information during the recruitment process.

Screening Questions (maximum of 2,000 characters per question):

1. Describe an example of when you were responsible for organizing a large event. How did you organize and schedule the tasks? Was the event successful? If so, how did you know? Is there anything that you would have done differently?
2. Please tell us about your experience using finance software
3. Please describe the most important elements of a procurement process