Administration and Travel Associate

The past fifteen years have seen tremendous gains in reducing the burden of disease and progressing towards malaria elimination. Since 2000, global malaria deaths have been cut by more than half, saving 7 million lives, primarily among children less than five years of age. Expansions in financing, strong political commitments, novel diagnostic and preventative measures, and multi-sectoral coordination have facilitated this progress. Since 1998, RBM Partnership to End Malaria has been central to the global fight against malaria. It has been essential to mobilizing resources and scaling up innovative interventions, putting the world onto a path towards eliminating malaria. The Partnership comprises more than 500 partners committed to end malaria, including malaria endemic countries, their bilateral and multilateral development partners, the private sector, nongovernmental and community-based organizations, foundations, and research and academic institutions.

The RBM Partnership's Vision is of a world free from the burden of malaria. The RBM Partnership is based in Geneva and hosted by UNOPS.

The Administration and Travel Associate is expected to coordinate the travel bookings of all participants attending events organised by the Country and Regional Support Partner Committee (CRSPC) at the RBM Partnership to End Malaria general administration and support in the facilitation of consultant travel and logistical arrangements when required  in accordance with UNOPS Travel Policy and standard operating procedures. The role further involves supporting event management and coordination for the CRSPC.

Under the overall guidance and daily supervision of the Finance and Administration Manager, the Administration and Travel Associate shall perform the following duties and responsibilities, but not limited to:

General Administration:

• Conduct research on destinations and request Travel Agent for provision of the most direct and economical routes.

• Maintain relationships with approved UNOPS travel agents.

• Prepare and coordinate visa support letters for participants and obtain necessary passenger and security clearances for UN and non UN personnel.

• Support in conducting country travel analysis to be used by the team in selecting the most suitable venue for CRSPC events.

• File all relevant documents on participant travels in their respective folders.

Travel:

• Assist in travel bookings for staff and participants in accordance with UNOPS PQMS Travel Policy and SOPs and ensure compliance with applicable travel policies and practices.

• Provide customers with travel inquiries details such as visa requirements and mandatory inoculations required by health authorities.

• Raise Travel Authorizations (TA) for all travels and verify compliance with UN and UNOPS Travel SOPs.

• Validate and conduct independent research on flight options/routes as required.

• Check and verify document requirements for travel and maintain updated records on all travelers.

• Liaise with staff and personnel on travel status concerning entitlements, routes, rebooking, cancellations and payments.

• Coordinate travel bookings for participants attending events organized by CRSPC at RBM Partnership to End Malaria.

• Facilitate consultant travel and logistical arrangements.

• Handle travel issues, conflicts, complaints and refunds.

• Calculate daily subsistence allowances and Terminal Expenses.

• Liaise with the finance team on budget related estimates for tickets and DSA.

Communication and Knowledge Management:

• Communicate with traveling staff regarding their travel arrangements and any updates or changes.

• Prepare and maintain Travel Tracking Sheets for personnel travel and ensure accuracy of the data entered.

• Liaise directly with the suppliers managing the events as and when flight details change and provide the final rooming list to arrange transportation and accommodation for participants.

• Ensure compliance with mission and UN guidelines for travel and booking operations.

• Provide monthly reports on progress activities to the management team.

Education 

• High School (Secondary or equivalent) education is required.

• A First Level University Degree (Bachelor or equivalent), preferably in business administration, business management, hospitality management, or tourism and leisure management, is an advantage but not a requirement  and may  compensate for some of the years of relevant experience.

Work Experience

• With a high school diploma, a  minimum of  6 years of relevant experience in travel administration, operations, aviation, general administration, business administration, project management support or a related field is required.

• Experience in report writing is highly desired;

• Computer literacy is required.

• UNOPS travel management experience and related fields is highly desired;

• Knowledge of UN/UNOPS rules and regulations preferred;

• Fluency in English (writing, reading and speaking) is required.

• Working knowledge of French  (writing, reading and speaking) is desirable.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.