Finance Specialist

Organizational Context

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supports the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems to improve production, nutrition, the environment, and livelihoods. The Shared Services Centre (SSC) in Budapest, Hungary, manages processes, ensures quality assurance for transactional processes, and drives service excellence through standardization and automation, aiming to enhance customer satisfaction while reducing costs. This position is based within the FAO Shared Services Centre.

Job Purpose

The Finance Specialist, reporting to the National Officer, will be responsible for the accurate and compliant processing of all Accounts Payable transactions. This includes managing payment requests, supplier invoices, consultant payments, and staff entitlements. The role involves reviewing and approving invoices, investigating and resolving discrepancies, reconciling accounts, and ensuring adherence to FAO's financial rules and regulations. The incumbent will also play a role in system improvements, responding to inquiries, and reporting any irregularities to the supervisor, contributing to the efficient financial operations of the Shared Services Centre.

Responsibilities

Process Payment Request Forms (PRFs), including supplier invoices, consultant payments, and uncommitted invoices, ensuring compliance with FAO Rules and Regulations and matching to purchase orders or budget holder accounts. Review banking instructions for straight-through payment processing. Process and verify staff entitlement invoices (e.g., Salary advance, Rental advance, Settling-in Grant). Review and approve invoices processed by others within delegation of authority. Investigate and correct transaction errors, reconcile accounts, and ensure proper accounting. Review and release Terminal Emoluments and Held salaries. Process accounting adjustments for paid invoices. Verify accuracy of calculations, budget codes, and procedural compliance. Actively participate in system improvement initiatives. Respond to inquiries regarding invoice processing via Service Now and Teams. Report irregularities, unauthorized expenditures, or inadequate documentation to the supervisor. Monitor and follow up on aged Accounts Payable items. Process cancellations for international travel invoices. Run Electronic Fund Transfer payment batches, reviewing and correcting transactions. Monitor and manage returned payments, including repairing banking instructions and creating re-payment invoices. Liaise with FAO’s corporate bank on payment issues. Create payment batches and submit Agency Service requests to UNDP offices. Follow up on deselected or rejected invoices. Assist in the preparation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and participate in system improvement projects. Perform other duties as assigned.

Work Experience

Requires at least one year of relevant experience in the area of Finance. A Secondary School Education is necessary. Working knowledge (Level C) of English is required. Must be a national of Hungary or a resident with a valid work permit.

Skills

Core competencies include Results Focus, Teamwork, Communication, Building Effective Relationships, and Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement. Functional skills include knowledge of communication and documentation standards. Knowledge of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, or Spanish) is an asset. Proficiency in MS Office applications and Oracle ERP or similar ERP systems is required.

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