Finance Assistant (SC5) Damascus OA080-2024

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

Syria has been experiencing a prolonged crisis since 2011, severely damaging its economy and social fabric. Currently, almost 33 percent of the people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2024 are internally displaced persons (IDPs) and out of the 7.2 million IDPs, 5.5 million are in need of humanitarian assistance.

The 2024 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) states that around 15.5 million people (66 percent of the population) need food, livelihood support, agricultural assistance, or assistance from national safety nets. At least 12.9 million people are in need of food assistance, including more than 2.1 million who live in camps and a further 2.6 million are at risk of food insecurity. The main causes are the prolonged crisis, economic collapse, eroding purchasing power, the impacts of the Coronavirus disease pandemic, and an earthquake, these pre-exiting effects compound with recent crises including influx from Lebanon, internal displacements following ongoing change in control coupled with dwindling humanitarian funding further  exacerbates food insecurity and strains livelihoods.

As a response to this situation, the World Food Programme (WFP) has developed an interim country strategic plan (iCSP) that addresses the growing food and nutrition needs, livelihood deterioration, and the collapse of food systems. The iCSP began implementation in January 2022, drawing from WFP's experience and lessons learned and collaborating with humanitarian and development stakeholders.

To perform specialized and/or standardized policy and programme-related processes and activities that support the effective design of assistance packages.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Support service at the country office in the finance unit.

CONTRACT DETAILS:

Contract Type: Service Contract (SC5)

Duration: From the start date until 30 April 2026 (with the possibility of extension, subject to funding and position requirements)

Duty Station: Damascus

Number of required employees: 1

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist in providing the procedural and technical support to staff within the areas of finance and budget, to ensure compliance with WFP financial policies, rules, and regulations.
• Maintain the register for all invoices and payment transfers and paperwork, to ensure that all documents are maintained and filed in compliance with WFP standards and guidelines.
• Ensure supplier invoices are processed in a timely manner.
• Monitor and clearing of the day-to-day payments of unreconciled advances; to raise and park receipt vouchers of identified payment on daily basis.
• Monitor and perform reconciliations of all customers and vendor accounts related to UNHAS services.
• Review of Aviation’s fuels, rent, handling, tarmac access, furniture’s, catering and crew and all other aircraft associated costs reimbursement and Casual labour payment requests by ensuring appropriate approvals were granted upfront, computations are free of mistakes and payments are not duplicated.
• Review creation of customers’ accounts forms after receipt from agents for review and certification by FO and submission by Vendor focal point to vendor master department.
• Update Customer payments in Takeflite Accounts and reconciling agent accounts in WINGS and Takeflite on a monthly basis.
• Prepare proforma invoices for special flights requested by customers, and final invoices for special flights after the flights are performed.
• UNHAS funds management including fund reservation management, expenditure forecast, and sustainability report.
• Issuing monthly invoices to all agents based on actual booked tickets throughout the month.
• Costing all flights on Takeflite after verifying flight information with Aviation focal point.
• Prepare/ Park journal vouchers
• Manage staff cash payments including Danger Pay and down payment processing. Coordinate monthly withdrawals
• Post trips as authorized
• Assist with other country office finance unit related matters when required.