Senior Travel Administration Assistant

Deadline For Applications

October 13, 2025

Grade

GS5

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

General Service

Reason

Temporary > Temporary Assignment/ Appointment

Hardship Level

A (least hardship)

Family Type

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Residential location (if applicable)

Target Start Date

2025-11-01

Target End Date

2025-12-31

Standard Job Description

Senior Travel Administration Assistant

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The incumbent serves staff members going on mission/official travel and therefore deals with different UNHCR entities as well as external counterparts; the extensive customer exposure encompasses counterparts in other UN agencies, UNHCR field offices, and travel management companies.
The Senior Travel Administration Assistant has a strong sense of service-orientation towards travellers and developing teamwork relations beyond boundaries of the functional unit.
This job entails as well a significant portion of financial accountability by ensuring compliance with the UNHCR travel policies and triggering confirmation of reservations to the travel agent(s) and payment of travel entitlements to traveller(s).
The Senior Travel Administration Assistant communicates regularly with travellers, requiring a positive, knowledgeable solution oriented and service minded approach. To ensure smooth administrative support to travellers, it is of utmost importance that the incumbent is able to work under pressure in an accurate manner and limited supervision.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR's core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
- Arrange and confirm travel bookings for applicable staff members, Affiliate Workforce and external meeting participants in line with the rules and regulations in place,
- Creates and processes Travel Authorization (TA), Travel Advances and Travel Claims in accordance with the relevant administrative rules and regulations; respond to any queries and/or comments from the certifying or approving officer
- Advise and assist staff on their travel entitlements, needed documentation and matters pertaining to travel as per operating administrative instructions and procedures.
- Liaise with Finance on payments due from Partners, UN Agencies, staff and other Organisations.
- Advise and assist staff on their travel entitlements, needful documentation and matters pertaining to travel as per operating administrative instructions and procedures.
- Prepare, summarise, and submit invoices for payment of travel related services procured.
- Assist in medical evacuations as required.
- Provide/share required information or data which may be useful for the safety/security of concerned travellers.
- Submit requests and subsequently ensure the issuance of appropriate travel identification documents, in accordance with UN rules and regulations. Initiate requests for visas
- Maintain the filing systems for UN travel identification documents.
- May process emergency visa requests required for official travel and ensure their timely issuance.
- Provide statistics of UN travel documents and visas.

- Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G5 - 2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Logistics, Air Operation, Business Administration
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Familiarity with Oracle-PeopleSoft or other ERP system. Good knowledge of UN, UNHCR, other international organization or private sector Travel Policies and Procedures. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Very good knowledge of Excel.

Desirable
Knowledge in UNHCR Logistics rules, procedures and processes. Knowledge in air and travel agencies booking systems i.e. Galileo, Amadeus etc is an asset. Knowledge in how to calculate air tariffs, ticket refunds and cost comparison between routes and airlines is an asset.

Functional Skills
CO-Cross-cultural communication
TV-Amadeus - Global Distribution System
TV-Galileo - Global Distribution System
UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.


All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Desired Candidate Profile

Operational Context

The AP Transitional support Hub is established to provide transitional, centralized support to country operations across the Asia-Pacific region in the wake of structural and operational changes resulting from organizational reforms. With several field offices operating with limited capacities in support functions due to footprint reductions, the Hub plays a critical interim transitional role in ensuring continuity and quality of transactional services until (Global Shared Services) GSS is fully operational and absorbs the functions of the Hub.

The Admin (travel) Section of the Hub delivers transactional support to selected operations (multiple business units), including support travel arrangements, ensuring the smooth and efficient handling of travel-related activities within the organization, primarily focusing on processing travel claims for all missions conducted across the region. This role involves close coordination with staff and external partners to ensure timely, accurate, and compliant travel reimbursements.

Key responsibilities include reviewing and validating travel claims submitted by staff, ensuring adherence to organizational travel policies, and resolving any discrepancies or issues that may arise during the claim process. The Snr. Travel Administrative Assistant plays a crucial role in maintaining accurate records of all travel transactions for reporting and audit purposes.

In addition to processing travel claims, the Snr. Travel Administrative Assistant will oversee the management of TMC (Travel Management Company) invoices, ensuring that all invoices are accurately received, validated, and processed in accordance with contractual agreements. This includes liaising with the TMC provider to address any discrepancies and ensuring timely payments.

The role requires a high level of organization, attention to detail, and a strong understanding of travel policies and financial procedures. The Snr. Travel Administrative Assistant must also demonstrate excellent communication skills to coordinate effectively with staff, TMCs, and other relevant departments.

Overall, this position is vital in supporting the organization’s operational efficiency by managing travel and ensuring financial accountability for all regional missions.

The Snr. Travel Administrative Assistant will work under the supervision of the Hub Manager, in close coordination with respective operations and Administrative Unit of the regional Bureau. The position requires a strong understanding of financial processes, attention to detail, and a client-service mindset. The Administrative Assistant must also be able to work in a high-volume, fast-paced environment, managing multiple priorities and maintaining high standards of accuracy and compliance.

The work is highly transactional in nature but strategically significant, as it helps operational efficiency in some of the region’s most resource-constrained locations.

The Hub operates in a dynamic, multicultural environment that requires flexibility, adaptability, and a commitment to collaborative problem-solving

Located in UNHCR Office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as part of AP transitional Support Hub, the Snr. Travel Administrative Assistant operates under the supervision of the Hub Manager, with Functional technical dotted line to the Regional Bureau of Asia and Pacific.

The Hub manager will provide general guidance and work plans for identifying work priorities and appropriate approaches. The incumbent will receive technical and functional guidance from the Administrative Unit at the Regional Bureau on the transactional work in line with relevant travel and administrative policies and procedures. Snr. Travel Administrative Assistant should support the effective delivery of transactional services for operations in the region, in alignment with organizational rules, procedures, and internal controls.

The incumbent will contribute towards key performance Indicators in compliance with UNHCR Travel policies and procedures

Skills for such would also be desirable, including the exposure to use of web-based, online tools.

S/he should be a strong team player, good communicator, flexible and proactive to support in managing range of issues, challenges, promoting collaboration and diversity in a multicultural environment.

Desired Candidate Profile:

• Previous experience in travel management, finance, or administrative roles, preferably within international organizations.
• Strong knowledge of travel policies, expense processing, and invoice management.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks efficiently.
• Attention to detail and accuracy in processing claims and invoices.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills to liaise with internal teams and external partners.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications, especially Excel, and experience with ERP.
• Ability to work independently, handle multifaceted tasks, and resolve issues proactively.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of additional regional languages is a plus.
• Past experience of working in a transactional environment providing client services
• Ability to maintain structure and discipline in managing transactional workload
• Client-focused with good communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to manage priorities and meet deadlines in a high-volume environment
• Integrity, discretion, and professionalism

Functional Clearance

This position doesn't require a functional clearance

Required Languages (Expected Overall Ability Is At Least B2 Level)

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Desired Languages

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Additional Qualifications

Skills

CO-Cross-cultural communication, TV-Amadeus - Global Distribution System, TV-Galileo - Global Distribution System, UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures

Education

Certifications

Air Operations - Other, Business Administration - Other, Logistics - Other

Work Experience

Unhcr Salary Calculator

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Other Information

Initial contract duration: 1 November – 31 December 2025, with the possibility of extension.