Finance and Administrative Assistant – G5(DC) 1

ILO - International Labour Organization; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 300,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading international organization based in Pretoria is seeking a Financial and Administrative Assistant to support various projects aimed at promoting decent work in South Africa. The ideal candidate will have strong administrative skills, a background in finance, and fluency in English along with a local language. This role involves planning, reporting, and providing guidance for project operations, ensuring compliance with organizational standards.

Qualifications

• Five years of experience in clerical administrative work including record keeping.
• Knowledge of financial and administrative rules, guidelines and procedures.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment with gender-sensitive behavior.

Responsibilities

• Assist with planning and preparatory work for project activities.
• Compile and present information on budgets and staffing.
• Prepare Purchase Orders and monitor contractual obligations.
• Provide financial and administrative guidance to project staff.
• Prepare recurring and special reports for donor reporting.

Skills

Excellent knowledge of English

Good knowledge of one of the official languages of South Africa

Basic knowledge of report writing

Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills

Proficient in basic computer software

Education

Completion of Secondary school education plus formal training in accounting

Tools

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Adobe Reader

Job description

Introduction

The position will be located in the DWT Pretoria Office, which maintains overall responsibility for the ILO’s presence and activities in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa. It also serves as the liaison office for the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It supports its constituents in defining programme priorities, activities, monitoring, and overall programme delivery.

Position: Financial and Administrative Assistant (FAA). The FAA will work on the following projects:

• Equipping South Africa’s workforce for a just transition through up-skilling and re-skilling (ZAF/23/03/DEU), funded by GIZ

• Delivering a Gender-Transformative Just Transition (RAF/23/02/DEU), funded by GIZ.

• Promoting Decent Work through Productivity and Workplace Cooperation interventions in South Africa’s clothing manufacturing sector, funded by the Government of Flanders (ZAF/23/01/FLA).

The projects aim to contribute to a just transition and to strengthen guidance, learning and capacity development for the constituents, with activities including research, institutional capacity development, technical advisory services, sectoral and tripartite dialogues, awareness raising and communication.

Reporting lines

Under the overall responsibility of the Director of DWT/CO Pretoria, the FAA will work under the supervision of the National Project Officer of the ZAF/23/03/DEU project and with technical backstopping from the DWT Enterprise and Skills Specialists. Guidance and support will also come from Pretoria Finance and operations colleagues and, when relevant, from the SKILLS Branch and ENTERPRISES Department in Geneva.

Description of Duties

The FAA will primarily provide support to the three projects in all finance and administrative tasks to ensure smooth preparatory work and successful implementation. Activities include:

1. Assist with planning and preparatory work of the three project activities in South Africa. Monitor project status and receipt of documentation for review and approval, verify compliance with rules, regulations, policies and guidelines. Inform supervisor of discrepancies in outcomes and deliverables.
2. Compile, summarize and present information and data on budgets, staffing, programme structures, and related topics.
3. Collect quotations, prepare Purchase Orders (POs) in IRIS, manage external collaborations and service contracts, and monitor contractual obligations to third parties according to ILO rules.
4. Provide administrative and financial backstopping and guidance for project staff and consultants on payments, travel claims, entitlements and other financial requirements. Maintain official records and files.
5. Prepare recurring and special reports for donor reporting, budget preparation, audits, etc.
6. Perform project administrative tasks including logistics for staff, travel arrangements, visas, hotel reservations, and events in South Africa.
7. Maintain and update spreadsheets and databases for internal expenditure control. Prepare budget data, revisions and proposals as needed.
8. Prepare administrative and finance related briefing materials for the National Project Coordinator and DWT Specialists. Support progress reporting and timetable adherence.
9. Process financial transactions and respond to routine inquiries on payments and budget status; stay informed on changes to relevant policies and processes.

Required qualifications

Education

Completion of Secondary school education plus formal training in accounting, finance or business administration from a recognized commercial school or equivalent.

Experience

Five years of experience in clerical administrative work including record keeping and processing of information, with basic knowledge of report writing.

Languages

Excellent knowledge of English and good knowledge of one of the official national languages of South Africa.

Competencies

• Knowledge and understanding of a complex body of financial and administrative rules, guidelines and procedures
• Ability to take ownership, act with integrity and meet commitments within time, cost and quality standards
• Proficient in basic computer software (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Adobe Reader) and ability to use other office software
• Ability to advocate and provide policy advice
• Diplomacy and tact in dealing with people
• Ability to evaluate correspondence and determine best actions
• Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills; leadership where appropriate
• Strong written and verbal communication; ability to write accurate reports and build networks with partners
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment with gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour
• Ability to unite diverse perspectives and build consensus among stakeholders

Note: Assessed candidates who are appointable but not selected may be offered another temporary position at the same or a lower grade if they possess the minimum qualifications.

Recruitment process

All candidates must complete an online application. To apply, please visit the ILO Jobs website. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.

Fraud warning

The ILO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process. Messages from non-ILO email accounts should be disregarded. The ILO does not request or require bank account details from applicants.

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