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FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and cultureQualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to applyEveryone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's valuesFAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checksAll applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
Organizational Setting
The cooperation between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Ukraine has been designed to reinforce national capacities and to contribute to the broader development of agriculture, sustainable management of forests and fisheries, and animal and plant disease control. FAO is also contributing to building resilience and supporting early recovery in conflict-affected regions by supporting the economic recovery of farmers and rural communities. FAO’s presence in Ukraine has been scaled up across it three offices located in Kyiv, Lviv; Kharkiv and Dnipro under the overall responsibility of the Head of the FAO Office/Designated Responsible Officer in Ukraine.
The recent and large-scale escalation in hostilities in Ukraine is exacerbating the already dire food security situation of the most vulnerable rural households and small farmers. In response to the evolving situation, FAO Ukraine is scaling up its emergency humanitarian and resilience programming in conflict-affected areas of Ukraine, including previous areas of focus such as Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson; Lviv and Zakarpattia in the West; and newly affected and newly accessible areas. In order to address the rapidly deteriorating situation, FAO us guided by its Rapid Response Plan (RRP) that is aligned with the Humanitarian
Response Plan (HRP) and the UN’s Transitional Framework for Ukraine land focuses on responding to immediate needs by providing life and livelihood-saving assistance to the most vulnerable smallholder farming households impacted by the conflict as well as to providing urgent support to the country’s agrifood sector which contributes to both national and international food security. Supporting the capacity of the Government of Ukraine to sustain critical food system services is also a key pillar of the Plan.
The role is in-office, based in Kyiv.
Reporting Lines
The Finance Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the Head of Office, the direct supervision of the Head of Operations, and close collaboration with other Administrative units, Program/Emergency and relevant counterparts in the Regional Office (REU) and HQ, as needed. Additionally, the Finance Specialist maintains a wide range of contacts with managers and staff throughout the Organization as well as with colleagues within the team.
Technical Focus
The Finance Specialist develops and maintains processes related to the financial aspects, tenders, procurement, and other financial functions, ensuring compliance with FAO norms and procedures.
Tasks and responsibilities
• Coordinate and closely monitor the implementation of Finance activities.
• Coordinate Financial transactions and activities with other ongoing activities, especially those of co-financers.
• Maintain imprest accounts and supervise the reconciliation of expenditures, balances, payments, statements, and other data.
• Assist the Procurement Unit in the process of selection of financial partners responsible for the disbursement of cash
• Supervise the process of cash distribution, and work in close cooperation with technical units to develop solid monitoring systems to mitigate risks associated with CBT programmes.
• Coordinate the regular monitoring of Asset Management and ensure compliance with the Finance Rules and Regulations.
• Supervise the yearly physical verification and coordinate the timely reporting of inventory stock count in close collaboration with REU Asset Management & Inventory focal point and SSC FA Services.
• Act as liaison between the program and financial teams to ensure continuity, accuracy, and adherence to key processes related to grant management, systems used, and reporting
• Monitor financial management of grant funds to ensure consistency with the agreed technical plan and actual implementation.
• Facilitate in designing and preparing competitive and straightforward business proposals, including financial analyses.
• Process and settle payment claims, invoices, and obligations in line with relevant regulations and instructions, ensuring all supporting documents and information are complete.
• Reconcile and review outstanding advances, investigate erroneous charges, and take corrective actions in close collaboration with the Finance division in HQ.
• Extract, consolidate, and analyze expenditures, assets, and liabilities from the accounting system to verify accuracy and validity, and assist in monitoring expenditures to ensure they remain within authorized levels.
• Prepare draft cost estimates and budget proposals and participate in the budget analysis and projections for short and medium-term plans.
• Evaluate ongoing financial support requirements, adapt service provision to meet changing needs, and solve operational problems as required in close collaboration with the Finance Division in HQ.
• Maintain VAT reports and ensure their timely submission to the local tax authorities as required.
• Manage petty cash and credit card transactions, maintain proper records, conduct weekly reviews of project balances to ensure adequate cash to meet the project’s payment and fund commitment needs.
• Approve bank reconciliation of the project’s operational account in a timely and accurate manner, including documented review of exceptions.
• Prepare monthly cash-flow forecasts to fund the local bank and petty cash accounts in a timely and accurate manner.
• Provide procedural guidance to managers and staff, including supervising, guiding, and training other finance support staff.
• Maintain regular communication with the Admin and Procurement team to monitor, track, and facilitate the timely processing of planned and pending payments, ensuring cash availability aligns with operational needs.
• Work in close cooperation with program/projects management, M&E, operations, admin, and procurement units to ensure smooth implementation of activities, aligned monitoring systems, and timely financial processing in line with the organisation’s mandate, standards, rules, and regulations.
• Perform other duties as required.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field.
• At least three years of relevant experience in finance, accounting, budget management, and/or financial operations within projects or programmes, including liaison with multiple stakeholders.
• Good knowledge of MS Office applications and office technology equipment. Ability to enter data, perform queries, prepare ad hoc reports and analyses, and present results in an appropriate format.
• Working knowledge (Level C or native) of English
• Working knowledge (Level C or native) of Ukrainian and/or Russian
• National of Ukraine
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
• Proficient user of office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.).
• Knowledge of spreadsheet and data analysis would be considered an advantage.
• Knowledge of financial rules and regulations in Ukraine.
• Experience in financial operations, cash management, and/or internal controls, preferably in a humanitarian or development context, will be considered an advantage.
• An advanced-level degree will be considered an advantage
• Ability to work effectively under pressure, adapt to evolving and complex humanitarian contexts, and operate within multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.
• Strong interpersonal, facilitation, and motivational skills, with a proven ability to work as part of a team.
• Capacity to meet tight deadlines and work independently with minimal supervision.
• Good knowledge of humanitarian principles.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)Applications received after the closing date will not be acceptedPlease note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"> Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.