ABOUT THE COMPANY:

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. We believe that everyone can play a part in ending hunger.

JOB SUMMARY

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

The Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (RNE) is responsible for leading FAO’s response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO’s major activities in the region.

It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes, identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the region and, in collaboration with Divisions/Offices/Centres at headquarters, develops, promotes and oversees FAO’s strategic response to regional activities.

Under the recent corporate commitment of reaching 60 million people in Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) phase three and above by 2023, RNE is stepping up its targets at the regional level. This will be done through scale-up and investment plans at country level, with a focus on countries with the highest numbers of people in acute food insecurity and with the support of the Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER) and the contributions of all relevant teams and divisions in FAO.
The position is located in the Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa in Cairo, Egypt.

Main Purpose

The Finance Associate undertakes high-level and specialized finance-related support activities.

He/she leads and coordinates the financial support work of the unit, ensuring the quality, transparency and consistency of processes.

The job role requires in-depth knowledge and interpretation of financial policies, procedures and practices. The incumbent provides procedural guidance to managers and staff in the Organization and guides other finance support staff.

Supervision Received/Exercised

The Finance Associate reports to the Senior Administrative Officer.
Work is performed autonomously, showing a high degree of initiative, judgment, and liability. Supervision received is focused on facilitating service delivery and on meeting client requirements.

The incumbent effectively organizes and supervises other finance support staff and provides relevant guidance and training.

Working Relationships

The incumbent maintains a wide range of contacts with managers and staff throughout the Organization as well as with colleagues within the team, providing experienced coordination and delivery of the entire range of finance support processes and services.

Key Functions/Results

•    Analyse, control and maintain relevant general ledger accounts, including scrutinizing source documents for completeness, accuracy and validity of charges.
•    Review and liquidate obligations; investigate erroneous charges and take corrective accounting actions; reconcile and review suspense accounts and ensure proper clearance procedures.
•    Extract details of income, expenditures, assets and liability from the accounting system in order to analyze and verify accuracy and validity.
•    Consolidate data into financial statements and assist in monitoring expenditures to ensure they remain within authorized levels.
•    Prepare worksheets and assist in preparation of financial statements by compiling and consolidating data from various sources; prepare and check trial balance.
•    Prepare draft cost estimates and budget proposals and participate in budget analysis and projections.
•    Provide support with respect to the review, analyses and preparation of the medium-term plan.
•    Draft and prepare correspondence and respond to queries.
•    Evaluate ongoing financial support requirements, adapt service provision to meet changing needs and solve operational problems as required.
•    Provide procedural guidance to managers and staff; supervise, guide and train other finance support staff.
•    Perform other duties as required.

Impact of Work

The incumbent’s work impacts directly on the efficiency, effectiveness, accuracy and timeliness of the services provided by the team.

He/she plays a pro-active role in the successful achievement of the work unit’s mandate.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Education: Secondary School Education.
Experience: Five years of relevant experience in finance, accounting and budget-related support work.
Languages: Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
IT Skills: Very good knowledge of MS Office applications, Internet and office technology equipment.

Residency: General Service Staff are recruited locally.

To be eligible for this position, candidates must be nationals of the country of the duty station or possess an existing visa/work permit and reside within commuting distance of the duty station at the time of the application.

“Commuting distance” means the distance within which staff members can travel daily between their place of work and their residence.

Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building effective relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical Skills

•    Thorough knowledge of financial rules and regulations, accounting policies and practices.
•    Thorough knowledge of corporate financial systems.
•    Thorough knowledge of the communication and documentation standards.

Desirable Qualifications and Skills

•    Limited knowledge (intermediate – level C) of Arabic or French is desirable.

REQUIRED EDUCATION: Bachelor Degree

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: 60