Finance Assistant

Accountability: Under the supervision of the Finance Officer and within delegated authority, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:-

Major Duties and Responsibilities:
 Extract and input data from various sources in financial or accounting systems;
 Respond to accounting, budget or financial queries regarding data from staff in the unit and elsewhere in the Programme;
 Prepare bank reconciliations and conduct analysis of general ledger accounts;
 Assist in the preparation of the payroll by executing validity checks on monthly payroll results;
 Maintain proper control over various financial records such as commitments and expenditures against budgeted amounts; initiate actions related to the following: general financial information, and travel payments, and procurement transactions;
 Verify vendor claims for accuracy and conformance with WFP finance rules and regulations; perform claim verifications against documentation to ensure that purchases/services are properly authorized and that the goods have been received or services rendered; and ensure timely recording and processing of vendor invoices in the Programme’s information system;
 Monitor vendor advances and other receivables and ensure timely clearance of vendor outstanding items, taking corrective follow up actions where required;
 Prepare necessary receipt and journal vouchers;
 Draft routine correspondence related to the unit’s work and type a variety of material such as correspondence, reports and papers;
 Provide information related to financial transactions including calculation of personal entitlements and pro rata;
 Assist in the preparation of budget, accounting, financial reports, statistical reports and other reports as required;
 Provide assistance to all staff services such as travel, expense claims, document retrieval, etc;
 Co-ordinate the replenishment of petty cash returns from the field offices in a timely manner
 Perform other related duties as required.

Qualifications and Experience:

 Secondary school education and/or supplemented by commercial or related courses. CPA (K) certification will be an added advantage.
 Knowledge of WFP manuals in the area of finance and/or budget. Ability to review a variety of data, identify and adjust data discrepancies. Identify and resolve operational problems with substantial independence.
 Ability to obtain or give factual information of a non-routine nature involving interpretation of facts and requiring clarity of expression. Ability to perform detailed work, frequently of a confidential nature and/or to handle a large volume of work systematically, effectively and accurately. Ability to train other staff regarding relevant work responsibilities.
 Ability to work in a team environment and coordinate assignments to achieve common goals. Ability to deal patiently and tactfully with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
 At least four years of progressively responsible clerical work experience in general administrative work including at least two years in the field of finance, accounting, audit, administrative services or other related field.
 Experience utilising computers, including word processing, spread sheet and other WFP standard software packages and systems. General knowledge of UN system financial policies, rules, regulations and procedures.
 Excellent written and spoken English, good spoken Kiswahili.

How to apply:

Interested candidates meeting the above qualifications are required to submit a covering letter quoting Vacancy Announcement No. WFP/21/13, with their updated Curriculum Vitae, copies of certificates and name, title and e-mail address of three referees. Candidates should also complete a Personal History form (P.11) available on the following link – http://www.unon.org/docs/P11.doc. The application should be sent to: Nairobi_hr@wfp.org, quoting the vacancy number in the subject of the email on or before 03 Jun 2013

WFP is an equal opportunity employer and does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. Only short listed applicants will be contacted.