Finance Assistant

Organizational Setting
FAO's commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

The Finance Division 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; reports the financial status of the Organization and its activities to senior management, governing bodies and resources partners; ensures the safe custody of the Organization's financial assets; oversees financial operations wherever performed in the Organization; and ensures the timely recording of receipts and disbursements in accordance with established policies and procedures.

The position is located in the Finance Division (CSF) at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy.
Main Purpose
The Finance Assistant performs a large variety of routine administrative and financial duties in support of the control and maintenance of accounts and in the processing of finance/accounting/budget-related transactions.

The incumbent exercises judgment, identifies errors and supports sound financial practice.

Supervision Received/Exercised
The Finance Assistant reports to one or more professional staff members.The incumbent operates independently in routine matters. Supervision received is focused on the quality of work performed and provides for on-the-job learning.

He/she acts independently in routine matters. Supervision received is focused on the quality of the work performed and provides for on-the-job learning.

Working Relationships
The Finance Assistant interacts with a variety of colleagues within the work unit and with immediate clients served within the Organization, providing routine assistance to promote the effective and efficient delivery of finance-related services.

Key Functions/Results

• Process claims or invoices and other payments requests in line with relevant regulations and instructions.
• Ensure that all supporting documents and information required to justify payment, including receipts, banking details, etc., are complete before releasing payments.
• Settle invoices and claims after verification of supporting documents.
• Compile and verify budget and accounting data by checking files, calculating costs and estimating anticipated expenditures; following authorization, make disbursements from petty cash as per delegation, maintain records of such disbursements and balance accounts as required.
• Assist in the preparation of periodic accounting records, finance and budget documents; record receipts and disbursements (ledgers, cash books, vouchers, etc.).
• Reconcile data for recurring or special reports; maintain contacts with local banks, verify account status and currency exchange rates and obtain approval for cheque clearance.
• Perform other duties as required.

Impact Of Work
The incumbent's work impacts on the timely and efficient delivery of financial support services and on the overall output of the work unit.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
Education: Secondary School Education

Experience: Three years of relevant experience in finance / budget-related support work

Languages: Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English

IT Skills: Good knowledge of the MS Office applications, Internet and office technology equipment.

Residency
General Service Staff are recruited locally. To be eligible for this position, candidates must be nationals of the country of the duty station or possess an existing visa/work permit and reside within commuting distance of the duty station at the time of the application. "Commuting distance" means the distance within which staff members can travel daily between their place of work and their residence.

Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building effective relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical Skills

• Good knowledge of financial rules and regulations, accounting policies and practices.
• Good knowledge of corporate financial systems.
• Good knowledge of communication and documentation standards.

Desirable Qualifications And Skills
Intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Call For Expressions Of Interest - Vacancy Announcement
Job Posting
28/Oct/2025

Closure Date
18/Nov/2025, 11:59:00 PM

Organizational Unit
CSFRD

Job Type
Staff position

Type of Requisition
General Service

Grade Level
G-4

Primary Location
Italy-Rome

Duration
Fixed-term: one year with possibility of extension

Post Number
2004244

CCOG Code
2103

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device
Staff in the General Service category are recruited locally from the Primary Location area, which is where the office is located.

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, 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 checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

FAO's commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for
better production
,
better nutrition
,
a better environment,
and
a better life
, leaving no one behind.