Administrative and Finance Assistant (NDC Hub)

Description

The Pacific Community (SPC) is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, supporting development since 1947. We are an international development organisation owned and governed by our 27 country and territory members. In pursuit of sustainable development to benefit Pacific people, our organisation works across more than 25 sectors. We are known for our knowledge and innovation in such areas as fisheries science, public health surveillance, geoscience, and conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

The Programme – Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Programme (CCES) was established to support SPC in strengthening and streamlining its climate change initiatives by consolidating the existing climate change work of SPC under strategic and technical management. In addition, CCES provides leadership in SPC’s climate change and environmental sustainability actions, coordinates and liaises with regional and international partners coherently for the organisation and enhances mainstreaming of the issue within its divisional development work

The role – Administrative and Finance Assistant (NDC Hub) will provide efficient administrative financial assistance to the “NDC Hub” project, and support to the NDC Hub Manager and the Implementation and Finance Officer.

The key responsibilities of the role include:

Support to NDC Hub Manager and project management unit

• Ensure smooth administrative and logistical support to ensure the smooth running of NDC Hub meetings, conferences, training and learning events.
• Maintain and organize office files, both physical and electronic.
• Provide support to NDC Hub Manager and Project Management Unit in liaising with other SPC staff or external partners when required.
• Communicate relevant SPC policies to staff and ensure compliance for safety and wellbeing of all at workplace.

Administrative support for the NDC Hub project’s budget and expenditure

• Prepare and record invoices for any payment within the scope of the project, ensuring that the codes are correct.
• Check the NDC Hub project budget and reviewing monthly commitments, invoices and accounting entries related to the projects under the guidance of the Implementation and Finance Officer.
• Support the Implementation and Finance Officer with budget preparations and financial monitoring of the project.
• Enter, maintain and update the project’s work plan in the project management systems.

Administrative and logistical support to the NDC Hub and broader CCES team as required

• Provide support for travel arrangements for CCES Division staff assigned to the NDC Hub.
• Assist in the preparation of project financial reports.
• Liaise with SPC’s operational and support services (in particular, Procurement, Travel, Finance, Translation, Printing).
• Manage computer and paper files, as well as technical documents.

For a more detailed account of the key responsibilities, please refer to the online job description.

Key selection criteria

Qualifications

• A degree in business administration, commerce, accounting, or similar field with 3 years of experience in project accounting or financial administration in a medium to large organisation; or
• A diploma in business administration, commerce, accounting or similar field with 5 years of experience in project accounting or financial administration in a medium to large organisation.
• Project management training.

Technical expertise

• Demonstrated experience in carrying out similar donor project finance and administration, advocacy and communication tasks.
• Good working knowledge of project accounting and associated reporting requirements.
• Good command of the Microsoft computing environment.
• Experience in the use of modern accounting (Navision) software and management and information systems.
• Ability to work in a team and independently in a multicultural environment.

Language skills

• Excellent English communication skills (oral and written).

Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness

• Ability to work in a multicultural, inclusive and equitable environment.

Salary, terms and conditions

Contract Duration – Until 31 August 2027 – subject to renewal depending on funding and performance.

Remuneration – The Administrative and Finance Assistant is a band 7 position in SPC’s 2024 salary scale, with a commencing taxable salary range of FJD 2,287-2,859 per month, plus local staff benefits. An offer of appointment for an initial contract will normally be made in the lower half of this range, with due consideration given to experience and qualifications. Progression within the salary scale will be based on annual performance reviews.

Recruitment principles –SPC’s recruitment is based on merit and fairness, and candidates are competing in a selection process that is fair, transparent and non-discriminatory. SPC is an equal-opportunity employer, and is committed to cultural and gender diversity, including bilingualism, and will seek to attract and appoint candidates who respect these values. Due attention is given to gender equity and the maintenance of strong representation from Pacific Island professionals. If two interviewed candidates are ranked equal by the selection panel, preference will be given to the Pacific Islander.

Applicants will be assured of complete confidentiality in line with SPC’s Privacy Policy.

How to apply

Application procedure

Closing Date – 13 October 2024 at 11:59pm (Fiji time)

Job Reference: JM000762

Applicants must apply online at http://careers.spc.int/

Hard copies of applications will not be accepted.

For your application to be considered, you must provide us with:

• an updated resume with contact details for three professional referees
• a cover letter detailing your skills, experience and interest in this position
• responses to all screening questions

Your application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed at shortlisting stage if all the above documents are not provided. Applicants should not attach copies of qualifications or letters of reference. Please ensure your documents are in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format.

Only Fijian citizens are eligible to apply for this role.

SPC does not charge a fee to consider your application and will never ask for your banking or financial information during the recruitment process.

Screening Questions (maximum of 2,000 characters per question):

1. What are the key elements for delivering good quality customer service? Please provide an example of how you have applied these in the past?
2. What experience do you have using accounting software like Navision, and how have you utilized it for project budgeting and expenditure monitoring?
3. How do you handle multitasking and managing administrative responsibilities in complex, fast-paced environments?