Travel Assistant

Provide general administrative support to the department.

Application deadline in 15 hours: Saturday 18 Jul 2026 at 23:59 UTC

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Overview

Provide general administrative support to the department.

You have:

  • University Diploma in Transportation, Logistics, Fleet Management, Tourism Administration or related fields of study.
  • 3 years’ experience in administrative work in similar international organizations.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and African Union IT systems.
  • Fluency in one of the African Union's official working languages (French, English, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili, and Arabic). Fluency in another AU language is an asset.
  • Research and analytical skills essential for preparing reports and operational work schedules.
  • Interpersonal and negotiation skills to coordinate with various stakeholders and departments.
  • Communication, report writing, and presentation skills to effectively convey information.

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AU Values

• Respect for Diversity and TeamWork • Think Africa Above all • Transparency and Accountability • Integrity and Impartiality • Efficiency and Professionalism • Information and Knowledge Sharing

Organization Information

Reports to: Travel Officer Directorate/Department: Administration and Human Resources Management Number of Direct Reports: 0 Number of Indirect Reports: 0 Job Grade: GSA5 Contract Type: Regular Location: Accra, Ghana

Purpose of Job

To provide general administrative support to the department for effective implementation of departmental work plan and daily routine work.

Main Functions

  • Provide timely operational support
  • Assist in activity planning
  • Prepare operational work schedules and follow up implementation
  • Coordinate and/or Engage in technical assistance and/or logistical work
  • Assist in the creation, improvement and maintenance of operational processes and systems
  • Prepare office communication and draft reports.
  • Handle communication at operational level and provide update
  • Assist in the compilation and maintenance of data and information for preparation, implementation and monitoring of budgets, activities etc..

Specific Responsibilities

  • • Assister le service Voyages et Hébergement dans ses activités quotidiennes, notamment la coordination des déplacements au sein de la mission. • Contribuer à l'administration de tous les déplacements officiels de la mission, y compris le traitement des demandes de dédouanement. • Calculer les tarifs aériens, les franchises bagages, les frais d'aéroport, les indemnités journalières de subsistance du personnel et des personnes à charge en mission, etc. • Informer le personnel sur les itinéraires les plus directs et économiques et planifier les itinéraires en conséquence. • Vérifier l'exhaustivité, l'exactitude, la validité et la conformité des demandes de remboursement de frais de voyage et des pièces justificatives avec les règles de l'UA avant de les transmettre à la section Finances. • Assurer la coordination avec la section Finances concernant le remboursement des frais de voyage. • Associer les demandes de remboursement aux autorisations de voyage ou autres documents d'engagement. • Préparer les modifications aux documents d'engagement existants, le cas échéant. • Garantir la validité des affectations budgétaires et des codes de dépenses attribués. • Vérifier le système de gestion de l'information afin d'éviter les doublons et de mettre en place un système de recouvrement des frais liés à tout écart par rapport à l'itinéraire autorisé. • Déterminer les montants remboursables pour chaque voyage. • Contacter le service compétent pour obtenir des clarifications ou des informations complémentaires et rencontrer les responsables. • Se renseigner auprès des services concernés afin de discuter des détails des réclamations et d'expliquer la nature des problèmes, des retards et des engorgements. • Vérifier que les services fournis par les compagnies aériennes sont satisfaisants et conformes au contrat avant de traiter les factures. • S'assurer du respect de la procédure d'appel d'offres et de l'achat des billets d'avion aux prix les plus compétitifs du marché. • Coordonner tous les déplacements officiels effectués à bord des avions d'AU. • Communiquer les informations relatives aux arrivées aux services concernés et aux autres membres du personnel concernés. • Exécuter toute autre tâche demandée par les cadres supérieurs ou le responsable direct.

Additional Responsibilities (Without Prejudice to Existing Duties):

  • Assist with the day-to-day functions of the Travel Unit by coordinating travel-related matters within the Secretariat.
  • Process travel bookings and purchase orders for submission to the Travel Services Supplier for the issuance of air tickets for staff undertaking official missions and other authorized travel, using the Amadeus reservation system.
  • Process travel bookings, purchase orders, and ticketing arrangements for meeting participants, delegates, and invitees to the Secretariat.
  • Utilize the SAP system effectively to create travel requests, process purchase orders, administer staff travel entitlements, and generate monthly travel reports for use in travel claims clearance.
  • Provide guidance to staff on the most economical and value-for-money travel routes and plan itineraries accordingly, in line with applicable travel policies.
  • Review travel claims and supporting documentation to ensure completeness, accuracy, validity, and conformity with African Union travel rules and procedures prior to submission to the Finance Section.
  • Provide support to Finance Officers supporting missions by addressing travel-related issues, including verification of ticket eligibility for refunds.
  • Promote and advocate compliance with the applicable travel policy and related administrative instructions.
  • Ensure that outstanding travel obligations are monitored and closed in a timely manner.
  • Draft reports, correspondence, and other documentation related to travel operations, as required.
  • Review relevant information management systems to ensure that travel claims are not duplicated and that appropriate recovery arrangements are initiated for any costs arising from unauthorized deviations from approved itineraries.
  • Perform any other related duties as may be assigned by the Supervisor, consistent with the scope and level of the position.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

  • University Diploma in Transportation, Logistics, Fleet Management, Tourism Administration or related fields of study.
  • 3 years’ experience in administrative work in similar international organizationsDesired Requirements and Relevant Experience
  • IATA Diploma in Travel and Tourism and/or related fields of study.
  • Certificate in Global Distribution System (GDS), AMADEUS preferably
  • Working Experience with an airline or travel agency is required.
  • Working experience with Global Distribution System (GDS) such as Amadeus preferably
  • Experience in using Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP) SAP is added advantage
  • Familiarity with African Union or international organizations’ procedures and systems is desirable

Required Skills

• Communication, report writing, and presentation skills

• Planning and organizational skills

• Research and analytical skills

• Interpersonal and negotiation skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and African Union IT systems

• Proven experience using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) or knowledge of SAP SuccessFactors

• Fluency in one of the African Union's official working languages ​​(French, English, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili, and Arabic); fluency in another AU language is an asset

Leadership Competencies

Flexibility

Risk Awareness and Compliance

Core Competencies

Teamwork and Collaboration..

Accountability awareness and Compliance

..Learning Orientation

Communicating Clearly

Functional Competencies

Trouble shooting

Job Knowledge Sharing

Task Focused

Continuous Improvement Awareness

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EQUAL OPPORTUNITY:

The African Union Commission is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

TERM OF CONTRACT AND START DATE:

This position is a regular 3-year contract, with the first 12 months being a probationary period. Thereafter, the contract is renewable for a further two years, subject to satisfactory performance and achievements.

SALARY:

As an indication, the base salary for this position is US$15,758.00 (GSA 5, Step 1) per year. In addition to this salary, other benefits are provided, such as a post allowance (48% of the base salary), a housing allowance (US$16,813.44 per year), and a tuition allowance (100% of tuition fees and other related expenses up to a maximum of US$10,000 per child per year) for international staff and US$3,330 per child per year for local staff.

Applications must be submitted no later than 23:59 GMT on 18 July 2026

-Only candidates who meet all job requirements and are selected for interviews will be contacted.

-Consideration will be given only to those candidates who have submitted a fully completed online application with a curriculum vitae (CV), an African passport, and the required academic qualifications, such as Diplomas, Bachelor's degrees, Master's degrees and any relevant certificate in line with the area of expertise. -Candidates from less represented countries within the African Union are strongly encouraged to apply for positions that fit their profiles. These countries include Algeria, Angola, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Sahrawi D.R., Sao Tome and Principe., Seychelles, Somalia and Tunisia.

Requisition ID: 3015

Potential interview questions

Describe a time when you had to handle multiple administrative tasks at once. How did you prioritize? This question assesses your organizational and prioritization skills in a busy environment. Share specific examples that highlight your time management skills and ability to multitask.
What methods do you use to ensure all travel arrangements are accurate and compliant with regulations? The interviewer wants to understand your attention to detail and knowledge of travel policies. Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you provide an example of how you resolved a conflict when coordinating with colleagues from different departments? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you keep yourself organized when managing travel schedules and logistics? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What steps do you take to ensure confidentiality and privacy when handling sensitive travel data? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Have you ever had to adapt to sudden changes in travel plans? How did you handle it? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What experience do you have with budgeting and financial documentation related to travel? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you evaluate the effectiveness of logistical processes in your previous roles? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 29 days ago - Updated 1 hour ago - Source: au.int