Finance and Administration Officer NOB

WFP encourages female candidates and people with disabilities to apply.

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles. Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis. We are committed to promoting diversity and the principle of equal employment opportunity for all our employees and encourage qualified candidates to apply irrespective of religion or belief, ethnic or social background, gender, gender identity and disability.

Job Title: Finance and Administration Officer

Grade: NOB

Type of contract: Fixed-term

Duty Station: Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
Vacancy Number: 828147

Deadline of Application: 19 July 2023

This vacancy announcement is for Nationals from the Kyrgyz Republic.

BACKGROUND

In strong partnership with the Government of Kyrgyz Republic, WFP Country Strategic Plan 2023 – 2027 (CSP) aims to enhnace social protection and human capitals, emergency preparedness and response, disaster risk management and climate change adaptation as well as promote healthy and nutritious diets in schools to address food security and nutrition issues in the country. The CSP activities are aligned with the country's priorities described in the National Development Programme for 2022 – 2026 and derived from United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2023 – 2027 (UNSDCF).

The Finance, Admin and IT Unit in the WFP Country Office, including services of IT, travel and fleet management, consolidates its roles as a proactive and solution-oriented platform to support and advise both the management and other units. Capacity strengthening of the unit staff members and training on WFP financial and admin rules and regulations to the other staff members is one of the key areas. Proactive support with practical solutions on key management issues is another focus. The office needs to adapt to emerging financial management practices and technologies with innovative projects and continuously review its process to maximise WFP’s efficiency in the use of resources. The office focuses on increased efficiency in the use of financial resources and contributes to sustaining the reputation that WFP is an accountable and reliable partner to all its stakeholders in its efforts towards achieving a world without hunger.

Some of the key tasks are the following but not limited to: improvement of internal control and corporate assurance measures; development of SOPs on travel, budget use and other key issues; UN coordination on Business Operation Strategy (BOS) and other financial/admin issues through OMT, OSH and other platforms; coordination with the Government on taxation, VAT reimbursement, and other financial/admin issues; timely update on WFP corporate systems and reports; support for the management on corporate initiatives, accountability and assurance matters as well as the other financial/admin/IT issues as needed; support for the programme and other unit activities including cash-based transfer, insurance, procurement, amongst others.

JOB PURPOSE

Under the direct supervision of the Country Director, the staff member is expected to lead the finance/admin/IT unit by supervising the unit members, oversight of Osh sub-office relevant units, representing WFP in operational UN coordination meetings, and contributing to various internal oversight committees. The staff member also plays as a compliance focal point for ensuring application of controls and compliance with policies and procedures, contributing to the overall effectiveness of operations and optimization of WFP resources and mainstreaming of WFP’s risk and compliance framework.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Manage Finance:

1. Support corporate finance and resource management strategies and major ongoing programmatic initiatives; Contribute towards the development of country specific plans and processes, aligned with WFP strategy, policies and processes; Analyse and report on key data for financial status and outcomes of projects in accordance with corporate governance requirements.
2. Monitor and analyze budgets for new and ongoing projects according to established corporate procedures and requirements; Perform bank reconciliations, disbursements, clearance of receivables, overall cash management and monthly financial closures on a regular basis in accordance with corporate requirements.
3. Collate and analyze data for the preparation of accurate and timely reporting, in order to provide management to make informed decisions; Track and analyze data to identify opportunities for improvements to policies, systems and procedures in order to minimize financial risks, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operations.
4. Deliver financial controls and insight into WFP performance, undertaking periodic risk and internal control assessments to identify areas which may present potential audit, compliance or financial risks.
5. Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with more complex analysis and queries; Represent unit/CO at internal meetings, external meetings and events with other UN agencies, banks and other financial institutions, or other partners and entities as required.

Manage Admin & IT:

1. Contribute to and implement WFP country/regional plans, including administrative processes, aligned with WFP strategies and policies to facilitate efficient and effective administration service including Fleet Management, Asset Management, Facilities management, ICT, Travel & Protocol.
2. Develop annual plans, contribute to longer term strategies and improvements to policies, systems and procedures to ensure services provided support WFP strategic objectives and are in compliance with corporate policies, standards, regulations and processes.
3. Deliver core administrative services, working with contractors and following standard processes to provide cost-effective, quality and timely services to WFP staff; Ensure implementation of WFP ICT related policies and procedures; Ensure information in all Administration related WFP electronic systems is timely updated by the responsible staff.
4. Manage the existing resources in the area of responsibility and estimate new requirements aiming at efficiency, cost-effectiveness and timeliness of operations and services; Facilitate the compliance of the services provided with the corporate Occupational Safety and Health Policy.
5. Support a culture of environmental sustainability throughout WFP by role modelling actions that drive sustainability in all administrative activities; Support the capacity building of WFP staff and partners through the organisation or design of trainings, workshops, daily interaction, etc.

Other Tasks:

1. Coordinate, support and respond to oversights and audit in the country and follow up on recommendations; Deliver financial controls and insight into WFP performance, undertaking periodic risk and internal control assessments to identify areas which may present potential audit, compliance or financial risks.
2. Contribute to accountability across functional units, prepare comprehensive reports summarizing the status of compliance of internal controls, key oversight themes, and using risk information (e.g. risk indicators, incidents) to highlight areas out of risk appetite and contribute ideas on required actions in areas of risk & compliance vulnerability.
3. Follow standard emergency preparedness practices to ensure WFP is able to quickly respond and deploy food and needed resources to affected areas at the onset of the crisis.
4. Perform any other task as required/requested.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

Advanced University degree in a relevant subject Finance, Business Administration, Accounting or related fields, or First University degree in the same subject(s) with additional years of related work experience plus membership in an international recognized professional accountancy body such as Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Institute of Certified Public Accounts (ICPA) or equivalent.

WORK EXPERIENCE

3 years of relevant progressively responsible experience in a finance role, proven experience also in overseeing admin staff or other support functions considered an asset.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Theoretical understanding of a broad range of finance, ICT and admin topics.

• Ability to analyze and review financial information, process records in SAP or comparable systems and guide colleagues in adhering to WFP (financial) rules and regulations.

• Technical knowledge in accounting and internal control processes.

• Has provided direction and instruction to more junior staff members within area of expertise.

LANGUAGE

Fluency (level C) in English and Russian languages, knowledge of Kyrgyz considered an asset.

All WFP Employees are expected to demonstrate the competencies and standards of behaviour aligned with our core values and defined in the WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK, namely:

Leading by example with integrity,

Driving results and delivering on commitments,

Fostering inclusive and collaborative teamwork,

Applying strategic thinking,

Building and maintaining sustainable partnerships.

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered, interested candidates are invited to apply via (https://www.wfp.org/careers/job-openings). Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

WFP will not request payment at any stage of the recruitment process including at the offer stage. Any requests for payment should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.

Request for Disability related Reasonable Accommodations:

It is important to WFP to create an accessible and inclusive workplace for everyone. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the selection and hiring process, please direct your request and inquiries to the Diversity and Inclusion team on: [email protected], cc’ing [email protected]. A member of the reasonable accommodation team will contact you to confidentially discuss your needs.

This email is only to be used for any disability related accessibility requirements, and not for sending the application itself. Due to volume of applications, any applications or CVs sent through this email address will not be considered as a formal application and will not receive a reply from WFP.

Please note that WFP may keep candidates who successfully passed recruitment tests and interviews, but were not the first-choice candidate selected for a position, on a roster for similar (or lower-level) upcoming positions or short-term opportunities for direct contracting. Successful candidates will be informed about their inclusion into the roster.

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) 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.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

WFP’s vision is that people in the Kyrgyz Republic will have substantially increased access to national social protection systems that safeguard and foster their ability to meet their food security, nutrition and associated essential needs, and to manage the risks and shocks they face, with ample opportunity to graduate from poverty and contribute to sustainable food systems, national disaster risk management efforts and social cohesion.

WFP, the second largest UN agency in the Kyrgyz Republic, will support and promote the inclusion of people with diverse and often intersecting vulnerabilities and inequalities, by supporting nationally led social and civil protection systems and programmes (strengthening the government’s ability for anticipatory action and ensuring that no one is left behind) and by modelling new approaches within complementary WFP interventions (which can be adopted or transitioned), leveraging WFP’s global expertise in promoting healthy diets and sustainable food systems, climate risk management, warehousing, food safety, smallholder market access and innovations such as private sector-oriented solutions, micro-insurance and digital public goods.

Derived from the UN Cooperation Framework and national priorities, promoting participatory community engagement and nutrition-sensitive approaches, the 2nd generation Country Strategic Plan (2023-27 EN|RU) continues WFP’s human capital development, capacity building and productive asset creation activities to enhance the resilience and livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable, with a focus on food systems strengthening across three core pillars: (i) Social Protection; (ii) Climate Change Adaption, Disaster Risk Management & Emergency Preparedness; and (iii) Schools as platforms for healthy diets. In addition, a contingent emergency response outcome can be activated in case of need.

WFP is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce. WFP has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, abuse of authority or discrimination. All selected candidates will, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

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.

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