Travel Assistant, (GS5), Bujumbura, Burundi, 6 months (Temporary Appointment)

Under the supervision of the Administrative Officer, the Travel Assistant is responsible for the travel services and related system actions as well as the accurate calculation and registration of travel entitlements in the system and their administration.

 TOR Travel Assistant GS5 TA.pdf

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, the Champion

In Burundi, UNICEF has a very diverse portfolio of responsibilities but all with the same objective which is to assist the Government and other stakeholders to fulfill children’s economic, social, cultural, political, and civil rights. The UNICEF country program in Burundi aims to improve the lives of children and women in the following key areas: Child and maternal health, Nutrition, Education, Child Protection, Water, sanitation and hygiene, Social Policy and Advocacy, Adolescent empowerment and community resilience, and Humanitarian response.

(106) To the top I UNICEF Burundi - YouTube

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision of the Administrative Officer, the Travel Assistant is responsible for the travel services and related system actions as well as the accurate calculation and registration of travel entitlements in the system and their administration:

• Liaise with and monitor airlines and travel agents for reservations and ticketing for both local and international travels of staff members, government officials, non-government officials, and consultants.
• Process Travel Agency Invoices and credit notes and follow up on refunds of unutilized tickets. 
• Process local & international travel authorizations for UNICEF staff, Consultants, Government Officials & NGOs as per rules and process staff travel entitlements.
• Process visas for UNICEF staff, (as per Embassies & Ministry of Foreign Affairs regulations) before departure and obtaining visa on arrival for guests/visitors in accordance with the requirements of the United Nations and the country of the duty station locations.
• Ensure an effective and efficient processing of all travel claims submitted by staff members.
• Arrange for confirmation, rerouting, or obtaining fresh tickets for staff/visitors attending workshops and conferences.
• Maintain staff travel and other travel correspondence files. Draft and type all correspondence relating to travels.
• Extracts, inputs, maintains, and verifies the correctness of travel records in the organization’s travel system to ensure accurate transactions related to travel costs and staff travel.
• Arrange airport meet and hotel reservations for UNICEF staff and visitors. 
• Participate in the preparation of the Annual Report by providing necessary statistics on travel.
• Maintain/Control records on travel expenditure and provide this information to the Head of Unit by way of periodic reports.  Also advise weekly Travel Roster
• Advise both staff and visitors on the health requirements for travel in and out of the country
• Monitors travel certification and report back to the Administrative Officer and the team

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Completion of secondary education with five years of general admin/travel-related work with a solid background in travel procedures ground in travel procedures. Candidates with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a minimum of 2 years of experience in the relevant field will be counted as 3 years of work experience. 
• Training in ticketing is desirable. Experience with international and humanitarian organizations is desirable.

• Fluency in French and good working knowledge in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. 

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female applicants and people with disability are encouraged to apply.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.