Administrative Assistant (Finance)

Finance & Economy

Overview

Coordinate and perform office and financial administrative tasks.

You have:

• Secondary school education.
• Four years of administrative, accounting and office management experience.
• Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English.
• Very good knowledge of the MS Office applications, Internet and office technology equipment.
• Commuting distance residency is required for this position.

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. FAO's commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

The Regional Office for RLC 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 priority 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 departments and divisions at Headquarters, develops, promotes and oversees FAO's strategic response to regional priorities. RLC also advises on the incorporation of regional priorities into the Organization's Programme of Work and Budget and implements approved programmes and projects in the region, monitors the level of programme implementation and draws attention to problems and deficiencies. RLC develops and maintains relations with region-wide institutions including the Regional Economic Integration Organizations (REIOs). The Regional Office supports regional policy dialogue on food security, agriculture and rural development issues, facilitates the emergence of regional partnerships, and supports capacity development and resource mobilization for food security, agriculture and rural development in the region.

The position is located in the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (RLC) in Santiago, Chile.

Main Purpose

The Administrative Assistant (Finance) coordinates and performs the full range of office support, management support and administrative tasks, providing for the smooth and efficient running of the Office. He/she ensures quality and consistency of the flow of office work and information in the work unit.

Supervision Received/Exercised

The Administrative Assistant (Finance) reports to the Finance Officer and receives guidance from the Finance Associate.

The incumbent operates independently and takes decisions on work priorities and exercises initiative for dealing with cases without precedents. Supervision received is focused on the quality of work output. He/ she provides guidance and advice to other office support staff.

Working Relationships

The Administrative Assistant (Finance) works closely with a wide range of colleagues in the division /region, with central units and external clients, performing and coordinating office- and management support services, and providing procedural guidance and information.

Key Functions/Results

• Maintain financial records and monitor systems for the office; maintain imprest accounts; reconcile expenditures, balances, payments, statements and other data for day-to-day transactions and reports; manage the Country Office petty cash; monitor project and programme accounts for which responsibility is assigned. • Retrieve, enter, select and analyse data from a wide variety of sources, including FAO's corporate systems and databases; verify accuracy of data documents; make necessary calculations. • Verify availability of funds under all programmes; ensure that operational expenditures are in accordance with approved budgets and that all committing documents are complete and consistent. • Prepare correspondence of administrative and financial nature; draft correspondence to verify data, answer queries and obtain additional information on transactions and financial matters, as required. • Maintain detailed records of budget estimates, obligations and available balances; participate in the consolidation of budget proposals; prepare financial data for budget estimates and financial planning. • Provide reports on budgetary performance of office accounts and if required, of project accounts; report variations from budgets. • Maintain local inventory records with responsibility for proper recording of assets, their maintenance and safeguard. • Maintain a filing system of administrative and financial documents. • Monitor the receipt of Government contributions and the transfer of ownership of the Organization's equipment. • Maintain liaison with local banks and financial institutions to keep up-to-date with financial and regulatory information (exchange and interest rates, procedures and rules, maintenance of bank accounts, etc.). • Support the streamlining of procedures and practices and the introduction of new information technologies to the office. • Support the administration of personnel and equipment as well as protocol-related issues. • Perform other related duties as required.

Impact Of Work

The incumbent's work impacts on the timely and efficient delivery of office support services and on the overall output of the work unit.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Education: Secondary school education. Experience: Four years of administrative, accounting and office management experience. Languages: Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English. IT Skills: Very good knowledge of the 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 valid visa to work or a valid 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

• Good knowledge of the processing and approval process of a variety of transactions; ensuring audit requirements are maintained regarding supporting document retention, adherence to rules, accuracy and overall completeness.

Desirable Qualifications And Skills

• Experience with integrated ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems (Oracle). • Experience in finance-related support activities of medium complexity. • Working knowledge (Proficiency - level C) of Spanish is an asset.

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Potential interview questions

Added 23 days ago - Updated 9 days ago - Source: fao.org