Project Finance and Administrative Assistant - G5 (DC)

The DWT/CO-POS provides advisory services, capacity building and technical assistance to ILO’s constituents (government, employers’ and workers’ organizations) to fourteen (14) member States and nine (9) territories (Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago; along with Anguilla, Aruba, the British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Montserrat, Saint Maarten and Turks and Caicos).

The Peacebuilding Fund Project in Haiti seeks to support conflict-sensitive programming that enhances community resilience, strengthens dialogue mechanisms and reduces drivers of instability. It contributes to laying the foundations for long-term peace and more effective governance. The PROFIT Project in Haiti seeks to enhance income generation by improving market linkages, upgrading local value chains and equipping communities with the skills and resources needed to participate more effectively in economic activities. The Project Business Support Centre for Sustainable Livelihoods, which is funded by the Ministry of Finance, aims to establish an Enterprise Support Centre in Northern Haiti (Cap‑Haïtien) to promote sustainable enterprise development, decent job creation, local economic growth and peace and stability.

The position of  Project Finance and Administrative Assistant will provide support for the PROFIT, Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) and the Business Support Centre for Sustainable Livelihoods (MEF) Projects implemented in Haiti. The position will be based at the ILO Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean in Port of Spain (DWT/CO-POS), Trinidad and Tobago.The Project Finance and Administrative Assistant provides support to the projects in Haiti, by ensuring timely and efficient execution of finance and administrative actions, tasks and duties essential to project implementation. By ensuring that finance and administrative processes are executed with accuracy, consistency and adherence to established procedures, the Project Finance and Administrative Assistant helps maintain the smooth progression of project activities and supports the achievement of project objectives within planned timelines and budgets. 

As an integral member of the team, the Project Finance and Administrative Assistant supports the planning, implementation, execution and monitoring of finance and administrative processes, ensuring that they are carried out efficiently, proactively and in a client-oriented manner, in accordance with applicable rules, procedures and project requirements.

The Project Finance and Administrative Assistant works under the supervision of the Senior Operations Officer in Port of Spain and in close collaboration with the Senior Finance Assistant. Supervision primarily supports the effective execution of finance and administrative tasks, with an emphasis on delivering high quality services, ensuring the timely completion of assigned finance processes and maintaining alignment with related administrative and operational workflows. Work is reviewed to ensure the correct interpretation and application of financial rules, regulations and procedures, particularly in cases where actions may have implications for broader project or unit activities. The role requires strong attention to detail, proactive follow-up and consistent coordination to ensure finance and administrative services are delivered efficiently and in accordance with organisational requirements.

The support to be provided, will be focused on the three projects mentioned at the beginning of this job description:

• Initiate, verify and process financial and administrative transactions in the ERP system, ensuring accuracy, completeness and compliance with applicable financial rules, regulations, policies and procedures, including appropriate supporting documentation.
• Process project payments, manage accounts receivable, petty cash and cash receipts, and ensure all transactions are properly recorded and documented. Provide support to project-related missions and activities, including preparing budgets, coordinating travel and lodging of officials and participants, recruitment and payment of resources persons and taking notes at meetings/seminars.
• Monitor budgets, expenditures and commitments for projects operations; maintain an overview of financial status, highlight variances or shortfalls and inform supervisors of funding or replenishment needs.
• Perform regular bank reconciliations, follow up on outstanding items, liaise with banks and service providers as needed and ensure the timely resolution of discrepancies.
• Maintain an overview of the financial situation of the projects. Prepare and modify budget data as required. Maintain and update financial spreadsheets, databases and control tools, extract, compile and analyse financial data, prepare reports and status updates to support management decision-making and donor/project reporting.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date project and financial records, registers and databases throughout the project cycle, ensuring proper filing, traceability and adherence to record‑keeping standards.  

• Completion of secondary school education.

• Minimum of five years of relevant work experience in finance, accounting and/or business administration.
• Experience of working with an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

• Excellent knowledge of English.
• Working knowledge of French or Spanish will be considered as an asset.

ILO Core Competencies:

Candidates applying for the position should note that the nine core competencies of the ILO, listed below, may be assessed during the selection process: (i) Integrity and transparency, (ii) Sensitivity to diversity, (iii) Focus on learning and knowledge sharing, (iv) Customer focus, v) Communication, vi) Change orientation, vii) Accountability for performance, viii) Quality orientation and ix) Collaboration.  

Other competencies:

• Ability to effectively organize, prioritize and manage work assignments, perform routine work independently, meet deadlines and adapt to changing demands.
• Proficiency in standard office software and systems including Microsoft Office applications and database tools and relevant enterprise systems (i.e. IRIS).
• Ability to coordinate with internal and external unites to facilitate timely completion of tasks.
• Proven capacity to work collaboratively in a team environment and manage a high workload under pressure.
• Thorough knowledge of practices and procedures for preparing financial and administrative documents and maintaining file systems.
• Strong ability to search, retrieve and compile information from various sources and to assess urgency and priority.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to respond effectively to requests from government entities, ILO constituents and partners.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to search and retrieve information from databases and compile reports.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Client-oriented approach with the ability to provide courteous, prompt and efficient service.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment, demonstrating gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.