Finance Officer

The Finance Division (CSF) recommends and administers financial policies and procedures that meet the highest professional standards; keeps accounts that accurately record financial activities and meet the requirements of internal and external audits; prepares reports to accurately portray the financial status of the Organization and its activities; ensures that the Organization’s financial resources are securely kept and productively employed while in FAO’s custody; oversees financial operations wherever performed in the Organization; and ensures that all disbursements are timely and made in accordance with established policies and procedures. 

The post is located in the Finance Division, CSF at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

The Finance Officer reports to the Deputy Director, Finance Division.

Technical oversight and support of Financial Service Providers offering alternative payment methods with a focus on reaching the unbanked. Financial Service Providers includes providers of mobile money, cash and voucher distribution services.

Financial services and related assistance in accordance with internal policies, UN financial guidelines and International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).

Key Functions:

• Provides financial reporting, general accounting, project accounting, and/or investment related services in accordance with FAO policies and regulatory framework.
• Collects and analyses financial information for inclusion in statutory and/or management reports, financial statements and/or reports to donors as well as specific reports for Governing Bodies, donors and other partners.
• Contributes to updating financial policies and related tools, systems, technologies and related procedures.
• Responds to requests for assistance from managers and staff at headquarters and the Decentralized Offices.
• Exchanges and/or provides information to banks, other financial institutions, donors and partners and provides information/clarification to auditors.
• Participates in the development of training and related training materials and promotes best practices and capacity development at headquarters and the Decentralized Offices.
• Participates in Finance Division teams, leads working groups and/or collaborates with other divisions on short-term assignments.

Specific Functions:

• Supports FAO Country Offices with the development, testing, application and regular review of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the cash transfer payments to end-beneficiaries and voucher reimbursement to vendors.
• Develops corporate standards and procedures for managing Financial Service Providers (FSPs) relationships, risks and performance and supports their application at country level.
• Reviews continuous financial risk of cash and voucher assistance (CVA) programmes globally and at country level, ensuring best practice and assisting in implementation of risk mitigation where needed.
• Contributes to developing relevant capacity development initiatives and training for Decentralized Offices staff (programme, operations, procurement, finance) on CVA procedures and tools.
• Supports and provides technical analysis of FSP procurement processes (FSP mapping, market analysis, contracts/Long-term agreements) of Decentralized Offices.
• Contributes to identifying the needs for multi-country, regional and/or global financial services and solutions for CVA, analyses markets, engages with financial actors and networks, including ‘aggregators’, and supports the appropriate processes for FAO to avail itself the required services.
• Maintains and regularly updates a database of FAO contracts and Long Term Agreements (LTAs) with FSP.
• Supports the Digital Payments Team with the development of methodologies, procedures and tools (including system-based through the Global Record Management System (GRMS) and Identification, Delivery and Empowerment Application (IDEA)) for the disbursement instruction, tracking, verification, reconciliation, and reporting of payments through FSP in the framework of FAO’s CVA.
• Collaborates with the Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER) at FAO headquarters on technical/financial aspects of CVA programmes.
• Contributes to establishing effective relationships and liaises with relevant counterparts from UN agencies and other stakeholders at country, regional and global level to share information and experience, fill joint databases and inventory with information about FAO contracts and LTAs, assess potential piggybacking based on FAO Decentralized Offices’ needs.
• Identifies, documents and disseminates best practices from FAO Country Offices regarding the identification and management of FSP for CVA, including development of relevant notes, presentations and training materials.
• Supports other requests and support needs related to FSP including but not limited to data protection, audit and inter-agency coordination on CVA financial and delivery-related matters.
• Performs ad hoc accounting and financial analysis, as required.

Candidates Will Be Assessed Against The Following:

Minimum Requirements:

• Advanced university degree in accounting, finance, business administration or a related field and five years of relevant experience in finance, accounting and/or business analysis, OR a first level university degree in accounting, finance, business administration or a related field and seven years of relevant experience and completion of professional qualification in accountancy (CA, CPA, ACCA) or investment professional (CFA).
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of one of the other official FAO languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish).

Technical/Functional Skills:

• Experience and knowledge in cash and voucher programmes, both implementation and reconciliation.
• Relevant experience in accounting and in managing accounting functions within a computerized accounting environment.
• Working knowledge of accrual-based accounting standards such as IPSAS, IFRS, USGAAP, etc.
• A professional qualification from a recognized professional institution (CFA, CCM, CA, CPA) is strongly desirable.
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable.

Source:  https://jobs.fao.org/careersection/fao_external/jobdetail.ftl?job=2401035