Finance Officer Pohnpei, Micronesia

Overview

• Pohnpei-based position
• Attractive expatriate package
• Join the principal development organisation in the region

Description

The Pacific Community (SPC) is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, supporting development since 1947. We are an international development organisation owned and governed by our 27 country and territory members. In pursuit of sustainable development to benefit Pacific people, our unique organisation works across more than 25 sectors. We are known for our knowledge and innovation in such areas as fisheries science, public health surveillance, geoscience, and conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

The Micronesia Regional Office (MRO) situated in Kolonia, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), is the main hub for SPC''s projects and partnerships with the Micronesian members of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), the Republic of Palau, and the United States territories of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and Guam. The MRO opened in January 2006.

The role – the Finance Officer will be responsible for the provision of financial services to the Regional Office’s activities and the technical divisions’ programs and projects housed within the Regional Office.

The key responsibilities of the role include the following:

• Provide project financial management services for core and MRO based projects.
• Provide general financial administration services.
• Provide support for all audit exercises or due diligence probes led by central finance, donors, partner organisations or internal auditors where required ensuring maximum level of compliance.
• Support the provision of information to ensure SPC meets its local regulatory requirements in relation to tax and other matters.
• Support the SPC finance shared services agenda, which include knowledge sharing, process refinements/reviews and increasing collaboration amongst finance staff.

• Maintain the accuracy of the Regional Office’s project finance information within Navision and other systems.
• Support the implementation of appropriate systems and internal controls within the regional office.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders where instances of internal control weaknesses are found to strengthen these.
• Coordinate action on audit issues pertaining to the Regional Office.
• Provide finance’s input to the Regional Office’s risk management processes, including in the work-planning process, as it pertains to financial and compliance risk, identifying potential risks, such as, irregular expenditures not approved in work plan.
• Coordinate the Regional Office’s review and implementation of applicable SPC finance policies, as required, including ensuring policy compliance in the Regional Office.

• Ensure all procurement and grant processes undertaken by the Regional Office are in line with SPC and applicable donor policies and procedures where applicable.
• Provide procurement and granting assistance to programmes and projects based in the MRO where required.
• Facilitate the preparation and monitoring of the Regional Office’s annual procurement plan. Support the corporate SPC annual procurement planning process as required for core and projects managed directly by MRO.
• Take remedial action where practices are not in accordance with SPC policies and guidelines.

• Maintain an efficient information and record’s management system for the Regional Office, especially documentation supporting financial transactions for audit readiness.
• Assist in coordinating operational support and orientation for all new staff members and consultants including providing financial training to new staff where required.

For a more detailed account of the key responsibilities, please refer to the online job description
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• Degree in accounting, finance, business administration or public administration or equivalent body of knowledge and experience.

• At least 3 years’ experience and demonstrated…