EUROPEAN COMMISSION

DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR EUROPEAN CIVIL PROTECTION AND HUMANITARIAN AID OPERATIONS (ECHO)

ECHO Office in Pretoria

The European Commission’s Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) funds relief operations for victims of natural disasters and conflicts outside the European Union. ECHO works with about 200 operational partners, including United Nations agencies, the Red Cross/Crescent movement, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Aid is channeled impartially, straight to victims, regardless of their race, ethnic group, religion, gender, age, nationality, or political affiliation.

ECHO is recruiting One National Staff to be based in Pretoria as an Administrative & Financial Assistant.

1. Duties & Responsibilities

The Administrative and Financial Assistant (AFA) will be based in Pretoria and will plan and execute all necessary office administrative, financial accounting and logistic functions. The employee shall carry out finance, accounting and administration duties, crisis support on finance and human resources and other related duties. The Administrative and Financial Assistant will be responsible for the following main tasks, but not limited to: -

Budget & Finance

• Prepares the annual budget and its amendments. Registers and updates the authorised budgets in the system.
• Reviews and ensures eligibility and accuracy of invoices, debit notes, credit notes, missions advances, missions claims, and other reimbursements requests received from internal and external parties.
• Prepares bank and petty cash disbursements to DG ECHO staff and suppliers. Ensures that recipients acknowledge receipt of the payments and receipts are properly issued to DG ECHO.
• Reviews the draft monthly financial reports before closure to ensure consistency and accuracy of financial transactions.
• Maintains the budget forecast tool.
• Manages financial records/reports archive.

Human Resources Management

• Assists in the recruitment process from publication of vacancies till signature of employment contract.
• Maintains national personnel files, follows-up employment contracts amendments and termination of employment contracts.
• Prepares monthly salaries list/salary slips.
• Follows-up staff planning table (staff annual leave, sickness, unjustified absences, training) and prepares monthly report.
• Carries out the training, briefing, and welcoming of newly recruited personnel.

General Administration Support

• Drafts administrative and financial notes on administration, office management, events, ARA (Administrative Request for Authorisation), monthly report/s, etc,
• Plays an active role in procurement of administrative property and various kinds of expendable supplies necessary for the smooth functioning of DG ECHO offices within the said area by foreseeing needs and proposing solutions.
• Maintains records and files of lease, service, maintenance, and insurance contracts, follows-up lease contracts and service contracts.

A detailed Terms of references (including competencies) are available at https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/south-africa_en 

2. Required Qualifications

• A relevant first level university degree or equivalent professional experience
• Minimum 5 years of relevant work experience at national or international level in the area of administration or programme support service including experience in procurement, human resources and finances,
• Previous experience in a Governmental or other International Organisation is an advantage.

3. Required Skills

• Accuracy, high sense of organisation skills, strong motivation,
• Good drafting and communication skills and ability to meet deadlines,
• Fluent written and spoken English are required,
• Good knowledge of French and/or Portuguese language will be considered as an advantage,
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, ERP tool, etc),
• Capable of working under pressure, in a multitasking position and in a multicultural environment.

4. How to apply

Applications, including a motivation letter, a detailed CV, copy(ies) of academic and employment certificates should be uploaded athttps://www.ats.flexi-personnel.com/jobs/ by COB on 14/07/2023. The vacancy reference REF: “ECHO/AFA/PRY” must be clearly indicated in the subject line. This position is open to nationals and other residents of South Africa with a valid work and residence permits.

DG ECHO applies a policy of equal opportunities. Our recruitment policy is based on respect for diversity, maintaining the gender balance, as well as the balance between professional and private life, and support for training and developments opportunities.

For information, the employment conditions that could be proposed includes an initial contract of one year with the possibility of renewal subject to a 3 months’ probationary period and after positive annual evaluation. As an indication, the monthly basic salary is ZAR. 33,754.00, which corresponds to the minimum required experience in the vacancy and will be adapted according to the exact duration of relevant professional experience supported by a work certificate.  The salary is subject to local taxes. In addition to this, the employee will also receive disability/retirement allowance, 13^th month salary as well as a medical coverage.

ECHO employees observe the National Staff code of Conduct which is available on the link:

https://ec.europa.eu/echo/document/download/877ba212-1551-4dbe-83f6-4ce6992deb49_en

Only the short-listed candidates will be contacted. Candidates who will not have been contacted by 15/09/2023 should consider that they have not been selected.  Any form of canvassing, soliciting, or influencing will be treated as grounds for disqualification.

Shortlisted candidates who are successful in the written test and who make it to the oral interview phase but are not in the final selection, could be included (depending on the results of the oral interview) in a reserve list and can be considered if a new procedure takes place for a similar post in the next 12 months.

“Any processing of your personal data will be done in accordance with the applicable EU legislation (Regulation (EU)2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data.” The privacy statement can be found on ECHO website https://ec.europa.eu/echo/system/files/2020-01/privacy_statement_recruitment_ns_final_version.pdf

Disclaimer:

The Authority Authorised to Conclude Contracts (AACC) reserves itself the right to amend the job requirements in line with the local labour market conditions.

*To drop your application, click on 'Apply for this job', then register in our ATS system by filling in all the required details, uploading your documents and answering all the questions asked truthfully. Once done, click on 'submit' and you will receive a confirmation email.