Staff Assistant (Accounts Payable)

Post Context

Headquarters Allied Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFCNF) provides a resilient, static Joint headquarters to plan, prepare and conduct operations across all domains in peacetime, crisis and conflict, in order to support NATO’s three core tasks, at the Joint Operational level, as directed by SACEUR.

The Finance Directorate (J8) is responsible for all financial management operations and the correct application of all appropriated and non-appropriated funds approved for use by JFCNF.

The Finance and Accounting Branch is responsible for all financial and accounting activities related to international, multi-national credits, NATO Security Investment Programme (NSIP) projects and reimbursable activities.

The incumbent is responsible for the accurate and timely processing of accounting transactions, payments and receipts.

Principal Duties:

• Assist in the processing of routine transactions related to headquarters’ operations.
• Verifies data is properly charged to correct accounts and coordinates changes/adjustments with other headquarters, NATO activities and national agencies.
• Assist with the collection of reports and data needed to produce the financial reports for NATO operations.
• Supports geographically separated finance and accounting offices to ensure financial continuity is preserved at all times
• Conducts routine reconciliations of the accounting data and reports discrepancies to concerned parties to innitiate corrective actions.
• Assists during training sessions for personnel supporting finance offices at deployed sites.
• Organises and arranges financial reports for funding sources related to operations and exercises.
• Enters financial data in the NATO Financial System (FinS) from approved accounting documents.
• When appropriate assists in the co-ordination of other fiscal and ccounting activities.
• Undertakes work as part of a project team or working group as directed or assigned.
• Proactively participates in defining, mitigating and managing the risks within the functional area of responsibility in the Finance Directorate/J8 and actively contributes to implementing and maintain the internal control framework of the Finance Directorate/J8.

Essential Qualifications

• Higher Secondary education and completed higher vocational training  in accounting, finance, management, business administration, public administration or related discipline  leading to a formal technical or professional certification with 3 years function related experience, or Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training  in that discipline leading to a professional qualification or professional accreditation with 5 years post related experience
• Knowledge of computerized financial systems.
• Minimum of three years of combined government and commercial accounting experience including a minimum of two years of double-entry accounting.
• Strong educational background with some financial accounting training.
• 3 years’ experience of working with Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) or other recognized formal Accounting Standards.

Language

English - SLP 3322 - (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)

Desirable Qualifications / Experience

• Formal training or experience in automated financial management systems is desirable.
• NATO Financial System (FinS) or equivalent.
• Knowledge and experience in government or commercial accounting. Knowledge and experience in computerised financial systems operation and accounting software.

Attributes/Competencies

Personal Attributes: Must have demonstrable analytical skills developed from a broad experience in NATO budget, finance, disbursing and funding in order to provide analyses appropriate to the achievement of objectives. The incumbent must have influencing qualities to ensure that the significant data analysis can be understood by all staff officers as the data will influence their decision making. He/she must therefore be aware of management concerns (management identification) and be able to address these concerns through coherent and logical analysis techniques.

Professional Contacts: Internal contacts at all staff officer levels of the command ranging inclusive of Branch Head and up to Financial Controller level. External contacts include higher headquarters, other headquarters and financial support suppliers. Internal and external contacts are for information and discussions.

Contribution To Objectives: The successful accounting of the international budgets is an important contribution to the Command’s objectives and the resource planning mechanisms. The incumbent plays a significant role in this process and the performance impacts on the division, command and region achievements and helps the Financial Controller in establishing financial objectives for the Command.

Security Clearance

The successful applicant will be required to apply for and receive a NATO SECRET Security Clearance prior to final confirmation of contract and commencement of employment.

Contract

Serving NATO International Civilian staff will be offered a contract in accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations.

Newly recruited staff will be offered a three-year definite duration contract.

Notes for Candidates

The JFC Norfolk Career Site gives full details on the eligibility criteria and application processes to be adopted by all candidates.  However, candidates should particularly note:

Please answer each of the pre-screening questions completely in English. Expressions such as: “please see attached CV, please see annex, please see enclosed document, etc” are not acceptable; this is a cause of immediate rejection of the application.

Particular attention should be given to Education and Experience section of your application form, which should be populated with details of your career to date and educational achievements and certifications as they relate to your application.

The candidature of NATO redundant staff at grade G10 will be considered with priority.

NATO will not accept any phase of the recruitment and selection prepared, in whole or in part, by means of generative artificial-intelligence (AI) tools, including and without limitation to chatbots, such as Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (Chat GPT), or other language generating tools. NATO reserves the right to screen applications to identify the use of such tools. All applications prepared, in whole or in part, by means of such generative or creative AI applications may be rejected without further consideration at NATO’s sole discretion, and NATO reserves the right to take further steps in such cases as appropriate.

NATO is committed to diversity and inclusion, and strives to provide equal access to employment, advancement and retention, independent of gender, age, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, cultural background, sexual orientation, and disability. NATO welcomes applications of nationals from all member Nations and strongly encourages women to apply.

This vacancy will close on 12 June 2025 @ 17:59hrs (EDT)/11:59hrs (CEST).