The Finance Assistant performs a large variety of routine administrative and financial duties in support of the control and maintenance of accounts and in the processing of finance/accounting/budget-related transactions. The incumbent exercises judgment, identifies errors and supports sound financial practice.
Supervision Received/Exercised:
The Finance Assistant reports to one or more Professional staff and receives guidance from a Finance Assistant/Associate. He/she acts independently in routine matters. Supervision received is focused on the quality of the work performed and provides for on-the-job learning.
Working Relationships:
The Finance Assistant interacts with a variety of colleagues within the work unit and with immediate clients served within the Organization, providing routine assistance to promote the effective and efficient delivery of finance-related services.
Key Functions/Results:
Process claims or invoices and other payments requests in line with relevant regulations and instructions;
Ensure that all supporting documents and information required to justify payment, including receipts, banking details, etc., are complete before releasing payments;
Settle invoices and claims after verification of supporting documents;
Compile and verify budget and accounting data by checking files, calculating costs and estimating anticipated expenditures; following authorization, make disbursements from petty cash as per delegation, maintain records of such disbursements and balance accounts as required;
Assist in the preparation of periodic accounting records, finance and budget documents; record receipts and disbursements (ledgers, cash books, vouchers, etc.);
Reconcile data for recurring or special reports; maintain contacts with local banks, verify account status and currency exchange rates and obtain approval for cheque clearance;
Perform other duties as required.
Candidates Will Be Assessed Against The Following:
Minimum Requirements:
Education:
Secondary School Education.
Experience:
Three years of relevant experience in finance/budget-related support work.
Languages:
Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate - level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
IT Skills:
Good knowledge of the MS Office applications, Internet and office technology equipment.
