Programme Assistant (South Africa)

IMPORTANT NOTICE\: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

Organizational Setting

FAO supports governments and regional integration organizations to address their needs and priorities in achieving food security, reducing hunger and malnutrition, developing agricultural, fishery and forestry sectors, and ensuring the sustainable use of environmental and natural resources. The FAO Resilience Hub for southern Africa (SFS-REOSA) based in Johannesburg, South Africa, leads FAO’s work to reduce vulnerability and risks of food and nutrition insecurity by strengthening the productive capacity and livelihoods of vulnerable groups in southern Africa. SFS-REOSA provides support to regional integration organizations, governments and FAO country offices in the design and implementation of emergency and resilience-building initiatives for the agriculture, food, and nutrition security sectors in southern Africa.

Reporting Lines

Under the general supervision of the Resilience Team Leader and direct supervision of Operations Officer, the Administrative Assistant will work as the focal point for matters related with finance management and procurement in the SFS-REOSA.

Technical Focus

He/she will work closely with national and regional technical officers (early warning, anticipatory action, crop, livestock, monitoring and evaluation, operations and administration) to produce technical outputs of the programme. Specifically, the incumbent will carry out the following tasks\:

Tasks and responsibilities

• Assist in programme administration and responsible for up-to-date maintenance and accurate financial records of all disbursements and receipts under the SFS-REOSA portfolio\:
• Assist the procurement process by preparing and submitting requisitions, checking the status of existing requisitions against issued purchase orders.
• Process programme payments and follow up on invoices ensuring that the budget limits, threshold and the rules and regulations are respected.
• Reconcile expenditures, balances, payments statements and other day to day transactions including any discrepancies or errors identified by conversing with team members and/or vendors/ service providers.
• Review, prepare and process disbursement vouchers.
• Monitor the project reports (Project status report, financial statement, and transaction listing) and maintain continuing awareness of accounts balances of the projects under the REOSA Programme; ensure all calculations and data entries are correct and process corrective actions in the system.
• Reconcile programme cash advances, OPC, Petty Cash through FAO Account and keep outstanding cash advance record and follow up with the team to settle.
• Support the management and control of equipment and purchased goods.
• Maintain up to date inventory of SFS-REOSA assets, including vehicles and office equipment.
• Be responsible for the daily office management and the management of funds, personnel, and other Project resources.
• Prepare monthly financial reports and periodicals according to FAO standards.
• Ensure that all justifications of expenses are recorded and presented in the right format, exact time, according to FAO rules.
• Perform other duties as requested by supervisor.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University Degree in Administration, Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a relevant field.
• Minimum 4 years’ experience in general project/office administrative and operations activities.
• National of South Africa or resident in the country with a valid work permit.
• Working knowledge of English.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Ability to write briefs and reports.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Previous work experience with UN agencies is preferred.
• Ability to work in a multi-national and multi-ethnic environment.
• Ability to work efficiently with minimal direct supervision.
• Effective communication skills- written and oral
• Strong skills in word processing and spreadsheet software computer are required.
• Strong report writing skills.
• Ability to organize meetings and workshops.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help or have queries, please contact\: Careers@fao.org
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
• For other issues, visit the FAO employment website\: http\://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp

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