Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Regional Office for West and Central Africa (ROSEN), Division for Operations (DO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with duty station in Dakar, Senegal. The Travel Assistant will work under the overall guidance of the UNODC Regional Representative, ROSEN, and the direct supervision of the UNODC Operations Officer, and the additional guidance of the ROSEN Programme Coordinator and the Procurement Officer. For more information on UNODC, please visit the website www.unodc.org.

Responsibilities

Within assigned authority, the Travel Assistant will be responsible for ensuring, or carrying out the following specific duties:

Coordinate the travel of staff and affiliate personnel traveling to and from a wide range of locations in connection with duty travel.
Calculate and initiate entitlements for all travel modalities and submit to the unit Supervisor for approval, e.g., airfare, excess baggage entitlements, terminal expenses, airfreight entitlements, daily subsistence allowance for staff and affiliate personnel.
Provide information about frequency of air services and advise staff and affiliate personnel on the most direct and economical airfare rates for such travel as permitted by the rules and regulations.
Provide information on rates and travel schedules for specific itineraries, as requested for budgeting purposes for programme managers.
Contact airlines to make reservations, negotiate least expensive fares e.g prepare documentation with regard to competitive bidding for travel and liaise with the Procurement Unit in respect of such contractor services.
Calculate the residual values of partially used tickets when there is a rerouting and any revised per diem amounts in case of deviation from approved travel.
Arrange for changes or cancellations requested by travellers and ensure tickets are reissued, including obtaining reimbursement, where applicable.
Coordinate departure and arrival times, as needed, and identify class of accommodation corresponding to the nature of the travel.
Review travel claims and supporting documentation for completeness, accuracy and validity, prior to forwarding to the Accounting Section for non-automatic approval Expense Report scenarios; ensure that entitlements are in conformity with Staff Rules. Refer discrepancies back to Administrative and /or Certifying Officers for clarification and possible correction.
Advise administrative office of more efficient and cost-effective routings with regard to complicated itineraries and assist in making travel plans which take advantage of benefits derived from advance purchases or special promotional fares.
Maintain records of all travel authorizations processed, and record savings accrued to the organization as a result of the cost savings techniques employed.
Coordinate with the various Consulates and host government Ministries of Foreign Affairs for the provision of transit visas and resident visas respectively.
Check travel requests and related documents and correct where necessary; classify and record travel request numbers.
Assist with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making.
Assist with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures.
Ensure the timely and efficient settlement of airline ticket payments, including verification and reconciliation of invoices with travel agencies and service providers, and drive the timely clearing of outstanding travel claims in the travel portal; follow-up with substantive teams on pending cases to avoid payment delays and penalties and minimize financial exposure to the Organization, maintaining a responsive, client-oriented service to clients.
Serve as the principal focal point for coordination within the Travel Hub, liaising closely with counterparts across duty stations to ensure timely, efficient and consistent processing of travel-related transactions and adherence to established travel policies and service standards.
Act as Team Leader of the ROSEN Travel Team, exercising managerial responsibility over assigned staff, including allocation and supervision of workload, setting and monitoring of individual performance objectives, coaching and capacity development, and fostering a collaborative and results-oriented team environment.
Act as focal point for resolving complex travel cases and ensuring accuracy and compliance with UN travel policies.
Perform other work-related duties, as required.

Competencies

Professionalism: Has knowledge of travel related processing requirements; plans, manages and resolves conflicting priorities. Has ability to perform analysis, modeling, and interpretation of data in support of decision-making. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; ensures that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches tasks to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and nitiative;actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible work experience in travel administration, including travel rate construction, routing, and travel reimbursement, or related area is required. The minimum number of years of relevant experience is reduced to five for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Work experience with advanced computer applications (MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Internet, Email, etc.) is required. Work experience with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is required. Work experience with SAP/Umoja is desirable.

Languages

Language	Reading	Writing	Listening	Speaking
English	UN Level III	UN Level III	UN Level III	UN Level III
French	UN Level III	UN Level III	UN Level III	UN Level III

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise and a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

The appointment against this position is limited to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. THIS IS A FIXED TERM LIMITED POSITION. Appointment against this post is for an initial period of one (1) year. The candidate selected for this position will be granted a fixed-term appointment limited ("FTA-limited") in accordance with section 2.2 (c) of administrative instruction ST/AI/2025/3 on Administration of appointments. Renewal of appointment is contingent upon continued existence of mandate and availability of funding. If this position is discontinued, the incumbent will be separated from service. United Nations Secretariat staff members who meet the definition of "internal candidate" in staff rule 4.10 who are selected for this position will be reassigned or transferred to the position, without a lien to their parent position. This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for positions in the General Service and related categories must be authorized to work for the United Nations in the duty station where the position is located. Eligible applicants selected from outside the duty station are responsible for any expenses in connection with their relocation to the duty station. Staff members subject to local recruitment are not eligible for allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their career in accordance with established rules and procedures. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. The movement of staff members from the General Service and related categories to the Professional category in the United Nations Secretariat is exclusively allowed through the Young Professionals Programme competitive examinations. Only few staff members pass the competitive examinations. Passing the competitive examinations does not guarantee movement to the Professional category. For further information, please visit https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=GP

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.