World Food Program

Position: Finance Assistant, Service Contract

Job Time: Full-Time

Job Type: Contract

Place of Work: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Posted date: 7 minutes ago

Application Deadline: Nov, 23/2021 (14 days left)

ABOUT WFP

Assisting 91.4 million people in around 83 countries each year, the World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies, and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. On any given day, WFP has 5,000 trucks, 20 ships, and 92 planes on the move, delivering food and other assistance to those in most need. Every year, we distribute more than 15 billion rations at an estimated average cost per ration of US$ 0.31. These numbers lie at the roots of WFP’s unparalleled reputation as an emergency responder, one that gets the job done quickly at scale in the most difficult environments. WFP’s efforts focus on emergency assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development aid, and special operations.

WFP Ethiopia is working with the government and other humanitarian partners to strengthen the resilience of Ethiopia’s most vulnerable population and to chart a more prosperous and sustainable future for the next generation. The Country Office also supports programs that use food assistance to empower women, transform areas affected by climate change and keep children in school. It aims to contribute to Ethiopia’s five-year development agenda, the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP), through which the Government combats food insecurity.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

This job is based in Addis Ababa WFP Country Office. Job holders report to the Finance Officer, Head of Finance, or the designate.

JOB PURPOSE

To support effective delivery of finance, budget, and administrative support services to facilitate transparent and efficient utilization of financial resources in Ethiopia Country and Field Offices.

The job holder is expected to take responsibility for the completion of a range of finance/budget-related processes and activities requiring some interpretation of standard guidelines/practices. The job holder will be able to coordinate and provide finance, budget, and admin support involving the recording and interpretation of financial and budgetary information to ensure the efficient functioning of support services. recommend a course of action to staff at various levels and may allocate tasks to other support staff.

The job holder is expected to demonstrate responsibility and initiative to respond independently to queries with only general guidance, to inform decision-making, and to use judgment in dealing with unforeseen problems daily. Job holders are expected to manage resources and coach and coordinate a team of support staff, or specific support.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES (not all-inclusive) 

1. Assist in providing 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 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 promptly and in conformance with WFP finance rules and regulations.

5. Assist in compiling information from various sources 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, spending 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 to ensure that correct expenditure costs are charged and payments to external suppliers, cash grants, and other supplier invoices are processed promptly.

10. Provide guidance and on-the-job training to other support staff, to ensure services are delivered consistently and to the required standards.

11. Perform any other duties as required.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or another relevant field. 

Experience: A Minimum of 5 years of experience in financial resource management and/or complex project & program management.

Experience working in complex multi-disciplinary groups and project teams to drive project outcomes and deliverables. Strong track record of delivering results in a complex environment.

Knowledge & Skills: First-hand knowledge of WFP operations and processes; creativity in problem-solving, strong analytical ability, budget management, attention to details, and strong organizational/coordinating skills.

Ability to influence and communicate cross-functionally and possess exceptional verbal and written communication skills.

Language: Fluency in both oral and written communication in English. Knowledge of the local language is added advantage. 

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

Has experience collecting and monitoring financial data on projects and programs, assessing financial health and status, and reporting findings to senior leaders.

4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES

Purpose

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Helps teammates articulate WFP’s Strategic Objectives.
•  Be a force for positive change: Suggests potential improvements to team’s work processes to supervisor.
•  Make the mission inspiring to our team: Explains the impact of WFP activities in beneficiary communities to teammates.
•  Make our mission visible in everyday actions: Articulates how our own unit’s responsibilities will serve WFP’s mission.

People

• Look for ways to strengthen people's skills: Trains junior teammates on new skills and capabilities.
•  Create an inclusive culture: Seeks opportunities to work with people from different backgrounds.
•  Be a coach & provide constructive feedback: Serves as a peer coach for colleagues in the same area of work.
•  Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit: Tracks progress toward goals and shares this information regularly with a supervisor.

Performance

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Explores ways to consistently be more efficient and accurate in own areas of work and shares new methods of work with colleagues.
•  Focus on getting results: Focuses on getting results and tracks trends in completion rates for own tasks to identify opportunities for efficiency.
•  Make commitments and make good on commitments: Takes responsibility for own tasks and notifies supervisor as soon as possible of potential delays in meeting deadlines or commitments.
•  Be Decisive: Independently decides what action to take when faced with critical choices in the workplace or dangerous situations in the field.

Partnership

• Connect and share across WFP units: Suggests opportunities for partnering with other units to supervisor.
•  Build strong external partnerships: Identifies opportunities to work with colleagues and partners in the field towards common goals.
•  Be politically agile & adaptable: Develops an understanding of the value of WFP’s teams and external partners in fulfilling the team’s goals and objectives.
•  Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Aligns own activities with supervisor’s priorities to fulfill internal and external partner needs.

FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES

Capability Name Description of the behavior expected for the proficiency level

Internal Controls & Compliance Demonstrates basic knowledge of internal controls, risk management, and monitoring mechanisms and their applicability to WFP's critical activities.

Performance Budgeting, Analysis & Reporting Demonstrates participation in business planning efforts by developing basic project-level budgets and forecasts, incorporating information from various sources as appropriate to monitor KPIs.

Resource Management Demonstrates ability to track and compile reports on HQ and Field staffing and resource usage on a project-level basis.

Financial Mgmt. & Accounting Principles Applies knowledge of financial and accounting principles and practices to ensure compliance with WFP policies, applicable procedures, and accounting standards.

Supply Chain and Operations Knowledge Demonstrate a basic understanding of WFP program, implementation, and supply chain principles (including project modalities & structures).