Finance and Administrative Assistant

The FAIRWAY Program, funded by the Swiss Development Cooperation, is a four-year inter-regional development cooperation initiative that aims to improve conditions of labour migration across migration pathways from Africa to Arab States and better protect all migrant workers in vulnerable situations within the Arab states region, thereby enabling migrant workers to contribute more fully to sustainable development in both countries of origin and destination.

Focusing primarily on key sectors in which migrant workers in vulnerable situations are engaged (including the domestic work and construction sectors) the project seeks to address the interlinked structural, behavioural and practical barriers to improved labour migration outcomes through four objectives:

• Private sector, employers’ and workers’ organizations engaged for decent work for migrant workers;
• Gender-responsive policy frameworks are developed or strengthened for fair recruitment and decent work and regulatory compliance;
• Discriminatory attitudes towards women and men migrant workers are diminished; and
• Migrant workers have improved access to information and support services throughout the migration cycle.

The FAIRWAY project will be implemented in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Morocco and will carry-out national, regional and inter-regional activities, including in cooperation with the Regional Office for Africa and the Regional Office for the Arab States.

Reporting Lines: 

Under the overall responsibility of the Director, ILO Country Office for the United Republic of Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda (CO Dar es Salaam) and under the direct supervision of the the Project Manager of the FAIRWAY Project in Africa. The incumbent will be responsible for the timely completion of finance and administration support services in a range of Finance and Administrative areas encompassing general administration and office support, travel and logistics and other operational areas.

• Perform a range of specialised finance support functions and services for operational and payment-related work of the Office, including initiating and processing financial transactions in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system and verifying that information and supporting documentation is in compliance with financial rules and regulations, policies, procedures and applicable standards.
• Monitor expenditure and budget allocations, updating information on project accounts and informing supervisor when funds need to be replenished.
• Maintain and update project spreadsheets and databases for internal expenditure control purposes. Prepare inputs, run reports, and extract and compile financial data and present information on the status of financial resources of the project to support analysis, budget revisions, and reporting needs.
• Respond to requests for general information and routine queries on status of payments and other budgetary issues.
• Review and request additional information on the financial reports of project implementing partners, ensuring compliance with ILO rules, before submitting to the Finance Unit.
• Classify and assign budget codes, verify and process claims for payment, and check payment vouchers, prices and claims invoices.
• Undertake and complete a range of administrative and operational support services. Contribute to the smooth and efficient functioning of the work project team by evaluating requirements, organizing and carrying out work assignments accordingly and proposing improvements to work processes.
• Arrange for the local procurement, maintenance and safekeeping of equipment, furniture, vehicles and supplies for the office and its projects, as well as the maintenance and security of office premises
•  Coordinate and perform the project administrative tasks, including logistical support to the project personal, travel arrangements (including Travel Transactions (TT) request) in ILO`s ERP system- IRIS, visas, hotel reservation, etc., and provide logistics and administration arrangements for meetings, conferences, seminars and workshops
• Ensure the timely preparation, translation, publication and dissemination of documents, presentations, briefing files and related materials. Take minutes and follow upon the implementation of decisions.
• Keep abreast of financial and administrative rules and regulations, policies, procedures, guidelines and processes and share information with concerned parties.
• Ensuring timely and accurate quarterly financial reports are prepared including any additional donor financial reports that may be required. Ensuring proper financial closure of project with the preparation of the final reports and handover of key documents in line with ILOs document retention policies
• Perform other relevant duties as assigned by supervisor

Completion of secondary school education, supplemented by a formal training in an area related to accounting and/or finance, general administration and office support.

At least five years of progressively responsible financial and administrative work, and some training in an administrative field. Experience in donor funded projects and with the UN system or an International NGO and in addition experience of working with an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is an advantage.

Excellent command of English and good working knowledge of another language of the duty station

• Knowledge of financial and administrative management processes, experience with financial rules and procedures. Knowledge of operations in an UN organization would be an advantage
• Ability to work in stakeholder engagement and communications (organization of events, preparation of press briefs, etc)
• Ability to interpret and work within the applicable administrative and financial rules and regulations, policies and procedures.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviours and attitudes.
• A high degree of discretion with sense of responsibility in dealing with confidential matters.
• Knowledge of in-house procedures for the preparation of documents and administrative forms, and for the creation and maintenance of filing systems.
• Good analytical skills. Ability to reason and make sound judgements.
• Ability to maintain financial records and prepare clerical accounting reports and statements.
• Proficient in basic computer software (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Adobe Reader) and ability to use other software packages required by the Office.
• Ability to evaluate correspondence and inquiries for best course of action.
• Ability to respond to work related inquiries in an appropriate manner.
• Ability to obtain services from other work units inside or outside the office for completion of tasks.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Ability to work on own initiative as well as a member of a team.
• Ability to deal with people with tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to coordinate and oversee a broad range of operational activities.
• Good drafting skills.
• Must demonstrate responsible behaviour and attention to detail.