Finance Associate

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Position Title: Finance Associate
Location: Budapest
Country: Hungary
Deadline Date:

Job Details

Job Posting Organization:
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) was established in 1945 and is dedicated to achieving security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security for all. The organization works towards the eradication of hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition, while promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development. FAO operates in over 130 countries and has a workforce of approximately 12,000 employees. Its mission is to support the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems, contributing to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Job Overview:
The Finance Associate position is a critical role within the FAO Shared Services Centre located in Budapest, Hungary. This role involves undertaking high-level and specialized finance-related support activities, ensuring the quality, transparency, and consistency of financial processes. The Finance Associate will lead and coordinate the financial support work of the unit, requiring in-depth knowledge of financial policies, procedures, and practices. The incumbent will provide procedural guidance to managers and staff, ensuring that financial operations are conducted efficiently and effectively. The position demands a proactive approach to problem-solving and the ability to adapt to changing financial support requirements.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Finance Associate will be responsible for a variety of key functions, including reviewing transactions, investigating errors, taking corrective actions, reconciling accounts, and ensuring proper clearance procedures. The incumbent will extract transaction details from the corporate finance and accounting system to analyze and verify accuracy and validity. Additionally, the Finance Associate will assist in monitoring transactions to ensure they remain within authorized levels, prepare worksheets, and assist in the preparation of reports by compiling and consolidating data from various sources. The role also involves participating in continuous improvement efforts by acting as a focal person for the analysis, testing, and implementation of new financial process automations. The Finance Associate will ensure smooth processing of electronic payments, liaise with FAO's corporate banks regarding payment issues, and act as an alternate approver for high amount invoices. Furthermore, the incumbent will draft correspondence, respond to queries, evaluate ongoing financial support requirements, and provide guidance and training to other finance support staff.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a secondary school education and a minimum of five years of relevant experience in finance, accounting, and budget-related support work. A working knowledge of English at proficiency level C is mandatory. Candidates should also have very good knowledge of MS Office applications and office technology equipment. Additionally, candidates must be nationals of Hungary or possess an existing visa/work permit and reside within commuting distance of the duty station at the time of application.

Educational Background:
The minimum educational requirement for this position is a secondary school education. This foundational education is essential for understanding the basic principles of finance and accounting, which are critical for the role of Finance Associate.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of five years of relevant experience in finance, accounting, and budget-related support work. This experience should demonstrate a solid understanding of financial processes and the ability to manage financial transactions effectively.

Languages:
A working knowledge of English at proficiency level C is mandatory for this position. Additionally, having intermediate proficiency (level B) in one of the other working languages of the Organization, such as Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish, is considered desirable and would enhance the candidate's qualifications.

Additional Notes:
The Finance Associate position is categorized under General Service Staff, which means that candidates must be recruited locally. To be eligible for this position, candidates must be nationals of Hungary or possess an existing visa/work permit and reside within commuting distance of the duty station at the time of application. The role is full-time and involves a significant degree of autonomy, requiring the incumbent to show initiative, judgment, and liability in their work.