Financial Assistant (Designated Billing Office/Voucher Assistant) – US Embassy Botswana

Job Description

U.S. Mission                                     Botswana

Announcement Number:                Gaborone-2023-021

Position Title:                                 Financial Assistant (Designated Billing Office/Voucher Assistant)

Opening Period:                            August 25, 2023 – September 8, 2023

Series/Grade:                                 FSN 0401; Grade FSN-7/FP-7

Salary:                                               P212,674 per annum 

For More Info:                                Human Resources Office: (Motlalepula Mmakgonya)

Telephone: 3953982, ext-2421

Who May Apply:                            All Interested Candidates/All sources

Open to:                                           All Interested Candidates/All sources

Security Clearance Required:     Local Security Certification or Public Trust

Duration of Appointment:          Indefinite

Marketing Statement:  We encourage applicants to read and understand the Eight (8) Qualities of Overseas Employees at https://careers.state.gov/downloads/files/eight-qualities-of-overseas-employees before applying.

The U.S. Mission in Gaborone, Botswana is seeking eligible and qualified applicants for the position of Financial Assistant (Designated Billing Office/Voucher Assistant).

The work schedule for this position is:  Full Time – 40 hours per week.  The position may be subject to overtime work, which will be accordingly compensated.

Start date:  Candidate must be able to begin working within a reasonable period of receipt of agency authorization and/or clearances/certifications or his/her candidacy may end.

Supervisory Position:  No

 Duties:  The incumbent will be responsible for a wide range of administrative tasks in support of the vouchering/payment process and may be called upon to provide backup support as a Voucher Examiner. Provides overall administrative support to the Financial Management Office, including with Value Added Tax (VAT). Once trained and designated by the USDO, the incumbent may be called upon to serve as an Alternate Cashier. Duties will rotate and can include any tasks under the ‘Major Duties and Responsibilities’ section.

Qualifications and Evaluations

 Education: Two years post-secondary education is required. 

Requirements:

EXPERIENCE:  Two years of general finance-related experience is required.

JOB KNOWLEDGE: Must have a good understanding of financial operational environments and practices.

Evaluations:

LANGUAGE:  Level IV (Fluent) speaking/reading/writing of English is required.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:  Must have basic typing skills for data entry, must have good skills in computer applications, MS Word, and Excel. Incumbent must possess good public skills in dealing with contractors, vendors, and Embassy personnel. Must always present a positive and professional image to customers. Must be organized with good electronic filing skills. Operation of computer database equipment, online business applications, and knowledge of creating-/-formatting spreadsheets in Excel and report formatting in MS Word and Excel, writing skills for basic memo drafting. Working knowledge of MS Word, MS Excel, MS Outlook, and SharePoint. The position requires professional written and oral skills. “This may be tested.”

Qualifications:  Local prescriptive privileges must be acquired.  All applicants under consideration will be required to pass medical and security certifications.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO):  The U.S. Mission provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation.

Other information:

HIRING PREFERENCE SELECTION PROCESS:  Applicants in the following hiring preference categories are extended a hiring preference in the order listed below.  Therefore, it is essential that these applicants accurately describe their status on the application.  Failure to do so may result in a determination that the applicant is not eligible for a hiring preference.

HIRING PREFERENCE ORDER:

(1)       Appointment Eligible Family Member (AEFM) / U.S. Citizen EFM (USEFM) who is a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran*

(2)       AEFM / USEFM

(3)       Foreign Service (FS) on Leave With Out Pay (LWOP) and Civil Service (CS) with reemployment rights **

* IMPORTANT:  Applicants who claim status as a preference-eligible U.S. veteran must submit a copy of their most recent DD-214 (“Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty”), equivalent documentation, or certification.  A “certification” is any written document from the U.S. armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active-duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions within 120 days after the certification is submitted by the applicant.  The certification letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service.  Acceptable documentation must be submitted in order for the preference to be given.

** This level of preference applies to all Foreign Service employees on LWOP and CS with re-employment rights back to their agency or bureau. For more information (i.e., what is an EFM, USEFM, AEFM, MOH, etc.?) and for additional employment considerations, please visit the following link: https://careers.state.gov/downloads/files/definitions-for-va

How to Apply:  The HR Office uses https://bw.usembassy.gov/embassy/jobs/  to advertise its positions.  This site has a list of U.S. Embassy’s vacant positions and instructions to log on and apply.  Candidates interested in applying for these positions must apply via the https://erajobs.state.gov/dos-era/bwa/vacancysearch/searchVacancies.hms  site and follow the application instructions to submit an application.

Required Documents:  Please provide the required documentation listed below with the application:

• Two years of post-secondary education.
• Curriculum Vitae
• SF-50 (if applicable)
• DD-214 and supporting documentation (if applicable)

What to Expect Next:  Applicants who are invited to take a language or skills test (if applicable), or who are selected for an interview will be contacted via email.  For further information:  the complete position description listing all the duties, responsibilities, required qualifications, etc. may be obtained by contacting the HR Office.

Thank you for your application and your interest in working at the U.S. Mission in Gaborone, Botswana.