Finance Officer, NOA

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP? 

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.

• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.

• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.

• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT:

In 2018, WFP re-established its presence in the Caribbean with an office in Barbados. The WFP Caribbean Multi-Country Office (MCO) supports 22 countries and territories across the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean. WFP Caribbean’s capacity strengthening programme focuses on vulnerability analysis and mapping; end-to-end supply chain management; shock-responsive social protection; food systems strengthening; and climate risk financing.  In times of crisis, WFP works with partners to provide direct assistance when events surpass national and regional capacities by delivering food, cash or voucher assistance, or through emergency logistics or emergency telecommunications service provision.

Job holders typically report to a more senior Finance Officer. They operate as part of a finance team in a Country Office (CO), providing general financial support. Depending on the size and needs of the office or unit, the job may cover all aspects of finance, budget, and administration, or it may emphasize finance or more of these aspects. Job holders at this level are likely to be working under the supervision of a more experienced staff member, receiving guidance and regular feedback on work performed. They support the collation, maintenance, analysis and reporting of information to maximise the effectiveness of financial services.

The role will report to the Head of Enabling Services or their designate.

THE ROLE

To support the stewardship of WFP’s resources, monitoring budgets, forecasting, reporting on key data and providing basic administrative and human resource functions that enable effective management of funds, and ensure assistance to beneficiaries is undertaken in the most efficient and effective way possible.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):

• Maintain awareness of corporate finance and resource management strategies and major ongoing programmatic initiatives, participating where appropriate using finance and resource management expertise.

• Contribute towards the development of country specific plans and processes, aligned with Regional and wider WFP strategy, policies and processes to meet the food assistance needs of beneficiaries within the Country.

• Report on key data for financial status and outcomes of projects in accordance with corporate governance requirements, ensuring accuracy, deadlines, and accounting processes are complied with.

• Monitor budgets, and carry out forecasting for new and ongoing projects according to established corporate procedures and requirements.

• Perform bank reconciliations, disbursements, clearance of receivables, overall cash management and monthly financial closures on a regular basis in accordance with corporate requirements.

• Where necessary, deliver core administrative services, working with contractors and following standard processes to provide cost-effective, quality and timely services to WFP staff.

• Where necessary, undertake basic human resource functions related to staff benefits, recruitment of local staff, and training.

• Collate data and contribute to preparation of accurate and timely reporting, providing management with financial, staffing and resource usage information to enable them to make informed decisions.

• Track and collate data to support others to improve policies, systems and procedures in order to minimise financial risks, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operations, and ensure services are aligned with business objectives.

• Contribute to the delivery of financial controls and insight into WFP performance, supporting periodic risk and internal control assessments to identify areas which may present potential audit, compliance or financial risks.

• Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with more complex analysis and queries.

• Represent unit/CO at internal meetings, external meetings and events with other UN agencies, banks and other financial institutions, or other partners and entities as required.

• Follow standard emergency preparedness practices to ensure WFP is able to quickly respond and deploy food and needed resources to affected areas at the onset of the crisis.

• Other as required.

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS (details to be determined by Post Managers):

This role will also support the delivery of quality, customer-focused, value for money administrative services including:

• Support management of existing resources in the area of responsibility (e.g., WFP managed facilities, assets, and travel management, etc.) and assist in identification of new requirements aiming at efficiency, cost-effectiveness and timeliness of operations and services.

• Facilitate the compliance of the services provided (e.g., WFP managed facilities, assets, and travel management, etc.) with the corporate Occupational Safety and Health Policy. Where necessary, deliver core administrative services, working with contractors and following standard processes to provide cost-effective, quality, and timely services to WFP staff.

• Support a culture of environmental sustainability throughout WFP by role modelling actions that drive sustainability in all administrative activities.

WFP provides emergency response support to the 22 English and Dutch-speaking countries in the Caribbean. In this role, the incumbent may be required to:

• Support the Finance and Administration Unit's emergency response activities.

• Deploy to affected countries to assist with Finance or Administration operations as required.

• Work beyond regular working hours to support emergency response efforts.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• Has performed basic financial analyses at a national and/or operational level.

• Has experience managing financial transactions.

• Has provided coaching or training to new staff members within area of expertise.

• Has experience in deriving insights and conclusions from data, trends, and performance metrics.

• Has experience developing customer-focused solutions and actions plans.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education:

• Advanced University degree in Finance, Business Administration, Accounting, or related fields, or First University degree in the same subject(s) with additional years of related work experience

• Plus membership in an international recognized professional accountancy body such as Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Institute of Certified Public Accounts (ICPA) or equivalent.

Experience: One to Three years of relevant professional experience.

Language: Fluency (level C) in English language.
 

Who Can Apply?

• This position is open to nationals of Barbados, individuals legally authorised to work in Barbados and CARICOM member states and associate members. CARICOM Nationals applying for National position outside of their home country bear sole responsibility for required actions or expenses related to relocation, accommodation, repatriation and any other living expenses,etc. A CARICOM Skilled National Certificate is a pre-requisite of employment for successful candidates who are not from the country for which the position is advertised.

Employment Particulars

• Type of position: Fixed Term, Full Time

• Type of Contact: General Service Level NOA (NO-A)

• Duration on Contract: 12 months with the possibility of extension, based on operational requirements and satisfactory performance .

• Duty Station: Bridgetown, Barbados

• Travel Requirements: The WFP Caribbean Office cover the 22 English and Dutch speaking Caribbean countries. The selected candidate may be required to travel from time to time, both regionally and internationally, to support missions, emergency responses, training etc. As such full medical clearance will be required.

Benefits and Entitlements

• Competitive Salary

• Up to 30 Days of Annual Leave

• Pension

• Learning and Development Opportunities

• Health, Life and Disability Insurance

• Sick Leave and Compassionate Leave

• Parental Leave (birth and non-birth parents)

• Dependent allowance (applicable as per duty station and WFP policies)

• Remuneration: The salary related to the position can be found in the  https://onehr.un.org/salary-survey/#/salary_scale. To view the salary scale please select the applicable duty station.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our recruitment process is inclusively crafted to welcome candidates of all backgrounds, celebrating diversity and ensuring a respectful environment for all. We aim for an accessible and fair recruitment journey. Should you need any reasonable accommodations or have accessibility concerns, please reach out to us confidentially at global.inclusion@wfp.org. Our DEI team is here to ensure your full participation in our recruitment process.

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).

• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

• Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language

• Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter

• Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time

• Please contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application

• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.