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, ensuring that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. The organization operates in over 130 countries and employs thousands of staff members worldwide. FAO's mission is to support the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems, contributing to better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. The FAO Shared Services Centre (SSC) plays a crucial role in this mission by managing quality assurance activities and improving service delivery through process standardization and automation.

Job Overview:
The Finance Associate position is a high-level role that involves specialized finance-related support activities within the FAO Shared Services Centre in Budapest. The incumbent is responsible for leading and coordinating the financial support work of the unit, ensuring that all processes are executed with quality, transparency, and consistency. This role requires a deep understanding of financial policies, procedures, and practices, as well as the ability to provide procedural guidance to managers and staff. The Finance Associate will work autonomously, demonstrating initiative and judgment while effectively supervising other finance support staff. The position is integral to maintaining the efficiency and effectiveness of the financial services provided by the organization.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Finance Associate will have a comprehensive set of duties and responsibilities, including but not limited to: reviewing transactions and investigating errors, taking corrective actions, reconciling and reviewing accounts, and ensuring proper clearance procedures are followed. The incumbent will extract transaction details from the corporate finance and accounting system to analyze and verify their accuracy and validity. They will assist in monitoring transactions to ensure compliance with authorized levels and prepare worksheets and reports by consolidating data from various sources. The Finance Associate will participate in continuous improvement efforts, acting as a focal point for analyzing, testing, and implementing new financial process automations. They will ensure the smooth processing of electronic payments, liaise with corporate banks regarding payment issues, and act as an alternate approver for high-value invoices. Additionally, the incumbent will draft correspondence, respond to queries, evaluate ongoing financial support requirements, and adapt service provision to meet changing needs while solving operational problems as necessary. Other duties may be assigned as required.

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

Educational Background:
The educational background required 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, or budget-related support work. This level of experience is necessary to ensure that the incumbent is well-versed in financial processes and can effectively manage the responsibilities associated with the role.

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 a desirable qualification.

Additional Notes:
The position is classified under the General Service Staff category, which means that candidates must be recruited locally. To be eligible, 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 the incumbent will be expected to demonstrate competencies such as results focus, teamwork, communication, building effective relationships, and knowledge sharing. Technical skills required include thorough knowledge of financial rules and regulations, accounting policies, and practices, as well as familiarity with the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) corporate financial systems.