WFP Rome – Finance Assistant G5

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status, physical or mental disability.

We are seeking to fill the position of Finance Assistant G5, based in the General Accounts Branch of the Finance Division of our Headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Please note that this vacancy announcement is being issued internally and externally.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The General Account Branch (FING) promotes transparency and accountability by managing financial oversight and accounting. It develops and maintains the financial and accounting policy framework. It prepares Annual Financial Statements, supports the work of external auditors that provide opinion on the financial statements, as well as number of committees that review the statements before they are submitted to the Executive Board. It also reports on financial matters to senior management. It oversees financial reporting of the field and processes high level accounting adjustments to prepare IPSAS compliant financial reports. It is also responsible for processing transactions in the area of special accounts, TPA, VAT, bank accounts clearing, non-full WINGS offices, inventory capitalization and depreciation.

JOB PURPOSE

The selected incumbent will be expected to provide support to Finance Officer responsible for accounting and reporting in the assigned areas. The selected incumbent will be involved in monitoring of the accounts, identifying discrepancies, preparing journal vouchers, providing relevant information and reports, and answering queries from other HQ units or the field. He/she is expected to be able to work under pressure during quarterly and annual financial closure periods and complete financial closure activities and related external audit reports with quality and on time, demonstrating good numerical and analytical skills.

The Finance Assistant will also support the development of new policies/procedures and accounting models and participate in process improvement projects, including digitalization initiatives.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, nor exhaustive)

1. Assist in providing the procedural and technical support to staff within the areas of finance and budget, to ensure compliance with WFP financial policies, rules and regulations.
2. Monitor monthly expenditure forecasts and provide expenditure reports in order to facilitate informed decision-making.
3. Monitor the sub-imprest bank and petty cash accounts regularly, to ensure that adequate funds are available and appropriately disbursed.
4. Verify vendor claims, advances and 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.
5. Assist in compiling information from various sources in order to prepare reports relating to budgets, accounting, finance and statistics.
6. Retrieve, format and validate information obtained from various financial information systems and bring any discrepancy or inaccuracy to the attention of the supervisor and follow up corrective actions.
7. Perform administrative duties related to the monitoring and recording of fixed assets, spend on fuel and spare parts for vehicles and generators, to ensure that the databases are accurately updated.
8. Maintain the web-based register for all invoices and payment transfers and record paperwork, to ensure that all documents are maintained and filed in compliance with WFP standards and guidelines.
9. Monitor and record all expenses in line with the approved budget in order to ensure that correct expenditure costs are charged and payments to external suppliers, cash grants and other supplier invoices are processed in a timely manner.
10. Provide guidance and on-the-job training to other support staff, to ensure services are delivered consistently and to the required standards.

SPECIFIC POST REQUIREMENTS (As required by the Hiring Manager)

Essential:

• Experience in processing accounting and financial transactions and supporting in preparation of financial reports.
• Experience in using at least one of the following SAP ERP modules: Financial Accounting – Fl, Grants Management – GM, Materials Management- MM, Assets Accounting – AA, and Funds Management – FM.
• Experience in monitoring, analyzing, interpreting and reporting data, using Excel or SAP ERP.
• Knowledge and experience Financial Rules and Regulations, Financial Management Manual, WFP's accounting policies and IPSAS.
• Good attention to details, communication, teamwork and client orientation skills.

Desirable:

• Experience with liaising with HQ units, country offices and regional bureaus.
• Experience supporting the preparation of financial statements.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Completion of secondary school education. A post-secondary certificate in the related functional area is desirable.

Experience: Five or more years of progressively responsible work experience in the relative business stream with experience in general administrative work.

Language: Working knowledge (proficiency/FAO level C) of English.

Please note that only applications submitted in English via the WFP careers website will be considered.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK: COMMON STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOUR as outlined in the Generic Job Profile ‘Finance Assistant G5’ apply

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

WFP offers a competitive compensation package which will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Please visit http://www.wfp.org and click on: ‘Our work’ and ‘Countries’ to learn more about WFP’s operations.

Applicants must be:

• Italian nationals holding a valid passport and/or identity card.
• EU citizens holding a valid passport and/or identity card; AND with confirmed registration from the Italian police authorities or Registrar’s Office (Anagrafe).
• Non-EU citizens holding a valid Italian Resident Permit ie. Permesso di Soggiorno. (renewal slips will not be accepted).
• Reside within commuting distance (100-kilometer radius or distance that can be covered within 1.5 hours by car or public transport under average conditions of traffic, weather, and roads) to the office location at the duty station (Via Cesare Giulio Viola, 68/70, 00148 Roma RM), at the time of the application.

For more information on Italian protocol requirements, please refer to: http://www.poliziadistato.it/arcolo/10930/

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 29 May 2023

Ref. VA No. 827172

WFP is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the selection & recruitment process, and for work-related needs upon joining the Programme. 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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