Assistant Finance Officer at the African Union (AU)

The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent. It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, 1963-1999).  We are an Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Assistant Finance Officer

Requisition ID: 482
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Reports to: Senior Finance Officer (Finance Directorate)
Directorate/Department : Finance
Division: External Resource Management
Number of Direct Reports: 0
Number of Indirect Reports: 0
Job Grade: P1

Purpose of Job

• The African Union Commission (AUC) has secured funding from the European Union for the implementation of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) through the Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Application programme.
• The programme holistically addresses the issue of climate information throughout the entire supply chain of climate services covering access to information, generation and provision of climate services, user interface platforms, and capacity enhancement of critical players including, but not limited to, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of Member States, and Regional Climate Centres (RCCs).
• It aims to enable Member States to develop and incorporate science-based climate information and prediction into development planning and decision-making at all levels, and to better manage risks of climate variability and change, The programme also enhances policy and decision-making at continental, regional, national, community, and individual levels.
• The AUC is responsible for the overall continental coordination of the programme implementation which include the development and application of weather and climate information services, facilitation of capacity building for RECs and Member States, procurement and supply of equipment for Member States and Regional Climate Centres, establishing and operationalization of the continental monitoring and reporting framework, facilitation of preparation of Africa State of Climate Reports and Outlooks, prudent management of financial resources, and monitoring and evaluation.

Main Functions
Under the direct supervision of the Senior Finance Officer, the Assistant Finance Officer:

• Assists in preparation of financial documents and reports and perform various clerical duties.
• S/he keeps books of accounts and makes accurate entries, post journal entries into the SAP system and reconcile accounts.
• Assists in monitoring and reporting on financial transactions, ensures up-to-date filing and adherence to set AU Financial Rules and Procedures.
• Provides support to the AUC and RCCs on financial management, expenditure verification as well as financial reporting.
• Expedites other related financial activities
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned.

Specific Responsibilities

• Assist in the preparation of periodic Financial Statements;
• Assist to maintain and generate accurate financial records, in line with the AU Financial Rules and Regulations and International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS);
• Analyze all financial supporting documents received and ensure their proper filing
• Reconcile receivables and payables from GFCS programme;
• Review of the financial documents and ensure that all payments, receipts and adjustments under are adequately supported;
• Assists with preparation of information and documentation for external and internal audits;
• Assist on preparation of responses to audit queries and assist in the implementation of audit recommendations;
• Liaise with finance counterparts from ECCAS and ACMAD to ensure timely processing of requests and reporting;
• Prepare payment and ensure all documentation is available and payments are done in accordance with AU Rules and Regulations;
• Participate in GFCS Programme Management Unit (PMU) meetings;
• Support in facilitating training on grants management;
• Perform any other related duties assigned by supervisors.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

• Candidates must possess a minimum of University Bachelor Degree in Finance, Accounting, Commerce or Business Administration from a recognized University preferably with at least 2 (two) years relevant work experience financial accounting and reporting function. Strong knowledge of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).
• Demonstrable experience working with standard software (Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint) and working knowledge of ERP (preferably SAP) is desirable
• Experience in performing financial and accounting tasks for donor funded projects (including EU-funded projects) is desirable.
• Possession of professional qualification/certification will be considered as an advantage.

Required Skills:

• Conscientious in observing deadlines and achieving results
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work in a multicultural environment
• Sound planning and organizational skills
• Strong communication skills (oral and in writing)
• Ability to negotiate diplomatically
• Proficiency in one of the AU working languages, fluency in another AU language is an added advantage

Leadership Competencies:

• Change Management .
• Managing Risk.

Core Competencies:

• Teamwork and Collaboration.
• Accountability awareness and Compliance.
• Learning Orientation.
• Communicating with Influence.

Functional Competencies:

• Analytical thinking and problem solving.
• Job Knowledge Sharing
• Drive for result.
• Continuous improvement orientation…

Tenure Of Appointment

• The appointment shall be for an initial period of one (1) year, the first three (3) months of which shall be on probation. It shall be renewable subject to performance and availability of funds.

Gender Mainstreaming

• The AU Commission is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Remuneration
The salary attached to the position is an annual lump sum of US$  70,474.20   (P1 Step 5) inclusive of all allowances for internationally recruited staff, and US$ 55,665.42  inclusive of all allowances for locally recruited staff of the African Union Commission.

Application Closing Date
1st July, 2021.