Travel Associate at UNICEF Ukraine

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, care

The Level 3 Scale-up for Ukraine was activated effective 5 March 2022, for an initial period of six months. With the activation of the procedure, UNICEF has adopted a no-regrets approach in view of the complex situation and increasing humanitarian needs, to ensure that UNICEF continues to provide life-saving response for the children and women in Ukraine in line with the CCCs.

The escalation in the armed conflict in Ukraine poses an immediate threat to the lives and wellbeing of the country’s 7.5 million children. The intensification of the armed conflict is posing severe human costs, causing a growing number of civilian and children casualties, interrupting livelihoods and damaging critical civilian infrastructure, including hundreds of homes, water and sanitation infrastructure, schools and health facilities. Hundreds of thousands of children and their families have been internally displaced and, to-date, over one million forced to flee the country in search of safety – the majority are women and children.

In response, UNICEF has already mobilized organization-wide support. However, the deteriorating situation and complex operating environment requires strengthened capacity and sustained efforts to further expand our presence and work in those parts of the country that can be safely accessed, to strengthen our cluster and overall humanitarian leadership, and to continue scaling-up our humanitarian action, with priority focus on child protection, health, WASH, nutrition, learning, cash interventions and social protection efforts. UNICEF is also coordinating with refugee hosting countries to prepare and respond to the humanitarian needs emerging from population movements.

How can you make a difference?

Travel

• Provides travel assistance to staff members in the office for travel arrangements and entitlements based on the organization’s rules and policies.
• Ensures that the organization obtains the best service and price for all travel.
• Liaise with travel service providers and manages the related contracts.
• Briefs/de-briefs staff members on issues relating to related administrative matters such as visas, and documentation procedures.
• Extracts, inputs, maintains, and verifies correctness of travel records in the organization’s travel system to ensure accurate transactions related to travel costs and staff travel.
• Carries out transactions in VISION pertaining to travel.
• Develops capacity of staff for processing travel authorization, requesting transport.
• Support the coordination of staff transport and management of the fleet and drivers where necessary.
• Provide inputs into discussions on efficiency, coordination with other UN agencies and systems development.

Invoice Processing

• Responsible for collecting invoices and filing documents for approval and, thereafter processing in VISION.
• Uploads electronic files and verifies results to destination system.
• Responds to client transaction status and other inquiries.

Monitoring and coordination

• Monitors travel certification and report back to management.
• Monitors travel expenditures by traveler and category of travel and produces reports using the Travel Dashboard, VISION and other tools, for management information and decision/follow up.
• Ensures travel procedures are followed to ensure trips are correctly categorized, charged and expenses.
• Coordinates with and provides support to sections planning meetings and events which may involve travel, transport, conference bookings etc.
• Liaises with budget focal points and section over costs and needs.
• Other duties as required, related to travel, and transport.

This position is based in Kyiv and the selected candidate will be expected to work on-site. However, depending on the security conditions and advisory, h/she will be required to relocated within Ukraine.

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

• Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the field of work.
• A minimum of 6 years of relevant administrative or clerical work experience is required.
• Training and experience using MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other UNICEF software such as SharePoint; knowledge of integrated management information systems required.
• Organizational, planning and prioritizing skills and abilities.
• Ability to deal patiently and tactfully with customers.
• High sense of confidentiality, initiative and good judgment.
• Ability to work effectively with people of different national and cultural background.
• Knowledge of UNICEF organizational structure, administrative policies and procedures will be considered an asset.
• Fluency in English and Ukrainian is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS).

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that 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 a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.