Finance Assistant

Job Advertisement

Position Title: Finance Assistant
Location: BANJUL
Country: Gambia
Deadline Date:

Job Details

Job Posting Organization:
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the lead UN agency focused on reproductive health and rights, aiming to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. Established in 1969, UNFPA operates in over 150 countries and has a workforce of approximately 4,000 employees. The organization is dedicated to advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls, and it plays a crucial role in addressing issues related to maternal health, family planning, and gender-based violence.

Job Overview:
The Finance Assistant position is integral to the financial and administrative operations of the UNFPA office in The Gambia. Reporting directly to the Finance and Admin Associate, the Finance Assistant is responsible for delivering high-quality financial services to both internal and external clients. This role requires a thorough understanding of UNFPA's financial rules, guidelines, and procedures, ensuring compliance and quality assurance in all financial transactions. The Finance Assistant adopts a client-oriented and results-focused approach, providing support and guidance to ensure timely follow-up actions are taken for compliance. The position is pivotal in maintaining the integrity of financial processes and records, and it involves collaboration with program and project staff to provide necessary financial support for effective program planning and implementation.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Finance Assistant's duties include ensuring full compliance of financial processes and records with UN/UNFPA regulations, providing financial support to program staff, and ensuring quality assurance on payment supporting documents. The role involves reviewing travel claims and settlements, preparing monthly aging reports for monitoring receivables, tracking payments processed by UNFPA, and assisting with HACT audits and assurance activities. Additionally, the Finance Assistant is responsible for managing physical inventory items, coordinating asset transfers, and performing other duties as assigned by the Finance and Admin Associate to ensure seamless financial support to the country office.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess completed secondary level education with a minimum of five years of relevant experience, or a first-level university degree in Business Administration, Commerce, Finance, Social Sciences, or related fields with at least two years of relevant experience. Specialized certification in Finance or Accounting is considered an asset. The ideal candidate should have excellent communication skills, attention to detail, strong interpersonal and organizational skills, and familiarity with UN procedures and working methods. Proficiency in office software applications and corporate ERP/PeopleSoft systems is essential, particularly in Excel.

Educational Background:
The educational requirements for this position include either a completed secondary education with significant relevant experience or a first-level university degree in a related field. Recognized training or certification in Business Administration, Finance, or Social Sciences is advantageous, particularly for candidates with a bachelor's degree who are expected to have specialized knowledge in finance or accounting.

Experience:
The Finance Assistant role requires candidates to have a minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in finance for those with a secondary certificate, or at least two years of relevant experience for those with a bachelor's degree. Experience in a UN environment or familiarity with UN financial procedures is highly desirable, as is a proven track record of managing financial processes effectively.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory, with strong verbal and written communication skills. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset, enhancing the candidate's ability to engage with diverse stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
This position offers a competitive remuneration package, including a net salary, annual leave, health insurance, and other applicable benefits. UNFPA promotes a work environment that values gender equality, teamwork, and diversity, encouraging women and individuals with disabilities to apply. The organization reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement and may retain applications for similar positions at the same grade level. UNFPA does not charge any fees during the application or recruitment process.