Finance Assistant

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Trieste, Italy

Experience: 5 to 10 Years

Skill Required: Accounts and Finance

Founded in 1964 by the late Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam and located in Trieste (Italy), the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) seeks to accomplish its mandate by providing scientists from developing countries with the continuing education and skills that they need to enjoy long and productive careers. ICTP has been a major force in stemming the scientific brain drain from the developing world. For more than 50 years, ICTP has been a driving force behind global efforts to advance scientific expertise in the developing world.

Under the general supervision of the Sr. Finance and Travel Assistant, the incumbent performs a variety of invoicing/ accounting duties requiring the application of the ICTP Financial Regulations and Rules. The incumbent serves as control and designated certifying authority for invoicing documents and records, plans and organizes processing for payment of all ICTP purchase invoices, including utilities, ensuring compliance with all applicable UNESCO/ ICTP financial regulations and procedures. Furthermore, s/he takes decisions in the area of responsibility determining the appropriate action to be taken on individual cases and serves as Certifying Officer for Purchase Orders up to a limit of USD 50k. Essential responsibilities include:

Invoice Control

  • Receives all invoices issued to the order of ICTP
  • Examines invoices in order to verify their correctness and correspondence with Purchase Orders issued by the competent administrative offices, ensuring conformity with ICTP's financial rules and procedures
  • Submits invoices to Allotment Holders in order to collect their certification that goods have been supplied and/ or services have been rendered in accordance with the terms of the contract/ purchase order as well as to obtain or verify their indication of the correct budget code to be charged. 
  • Interacts with Allotment Holders, the Procurement Office and the various firms and suppliers in order to eliminate possible discrepancies and solve any related controversial issues.
  • After verification with the Allotment Holders and having ensured that all data is correct, certifies invoices within the delegated authority (within the applicable threshold).
  • Maintains the archives of the Invoice Control and prepares reports and statements on the above activities as required.

Issuance of ICTP Debit/ Credit Notes

  • Examines Requests for Debit Notes in order to verify the appropriateness of the attached documentation and to issue all relevant ICTP Debit Notes for reimbursement of costs of services rendered by the ICTP and/ or by its administrative infrastructure to external organizations and institutions; prepares Credit notes when adjustments and/ or corrections are needed. 
  • Prepares transmission letters of the above as well as dunning letters for collection of outstanding amounts receivable, on request from the Supervisor and for his/ her signature

Certifying Officer for Purchase Orders

  • Verifies Purchase Orders and ensure that the procurement rules are adhered, documentation is complete and budget / accounting information is correct
  • Verifies the undelivered orders periodically and take action to in order to close them where possible

Required Qualifications

Education

  • Completed secondary, technical and/or vocational school.

Work Experience

  • A minimum of five years of experience in Finance, Accounting, Budget or related field
  • Good knowledge of accounting and bookkeeping procedures
  • Experience with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle etc)

Skills/competencies

  • Excellent Analytical skill
  • Ability to work quickly and efficiently under pressure
  • High level of reliability with a responsive and service-minded attitude and behaviour
  • Ability to prioritize, plan and organize own work in order to respect deadlines

Languages

  • Excellent knowledge (spoken and written) of English and/or Italian and good knowledge of the other.

Source: https://careers.unesco.org/job/Trieste-Finance-Assistant/767276802/