We are looking for people who are passionate about Africa to join our innovative, growing, and multidisciplinary team. Together, we can grow Africa’s food systems improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Want to join us?
About
the Role
The Travel Officer will be responsible
for managing the travel office, and administering travel related to convenings,
workshops, home leaves, and other work-related engagements for activities
across multiple programs and projects within AGRA.
The ideal candidate will ensure
efficient travel through the coordination of outsourced travel implants,
enforce the AGRA policies that are travel-related, and support staff with
end-to-end travel services. S/he will provide advice and guidance to colleagues
across the institution to help them plan effective and efficient work-related
travel.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Process the day-to-day travel-related
requests by coordinating with travel agents to ensure travel quotes are
obtained in compliance with AGRA travel policy, and the routings and fare types
represent the best value.
Support the Finance team in reviewing
travel claims and checking travel policy compliance, completeness, accuracy,
and following up on necessary approvals.
Coordinate the timely reconciliation
of Travel Authorization (TAs) and Travel Expenditure by ensuring the validity
of claims as per policy and approval authority.
Reconcile all Travel Authorizations
(TAs) with supplier invoices before submitting to Finance for payment.
Verify that the suppliers’ travel
invoices are received weekly and reviewed for posting & payment processing.
Track all outstanding travelers’
Travel Expense Claims that are beyond ten days and sends out reminder emails to
staff ensuring compliance with the travel policy.
Gather information and provide
feedback to procurement on accommodation needs for internal travelers.
Schedule monthly meetings with the
implant team to carry out account reconciliations and to ensure seamless
service delivery.
Facilitate the Africa Food Systems
Forum Summit in travel planning and negotiations of hotel rates and travel
services towards the annual summit and oversee group travel processes to ensure
that each trip is curated to meet the needs of the travelers.
Support and guide country teams and
program teams on travel coordination.
Serve as the Travel Policy focal
reference person across AGRA advising on Travel Policy and travel allowances
rates as requested.
Ensure the AGRA Travel Policy is
communicated to, and adhered to, by all travelers.
Guide staff on travel administrative
procedures to ensure document completeness.
Carry out travel-related induction
training for new staff and conduct 1:1 travel refresher training for staff as
required, and provide advice and guidance to colleagues across the institution
to help them plan and coordinate effective itineraries. This will include
providing advice on visa applications, routings, travel times, etc.
Increasing awareness about different
stakeholders’ responsibilities at AGRA by providing regular training and
publishing regular reports, sharing statistics, and providing timely and
quality information in line with industry standards.
Work with relevant units to plan for
group events e.g., conferences & symposiums.
Work with the Protocol and Liaison
Officer in managing AGRA high-level dignitaries during various fora in ensuring
all their travel requests are timely met.
Review and Process travel
authorizations, confirm budgets, get relevant approvals, and prepare travel
LPOs’ for verification and signatures.
Verify the budget codes and ensure the
availability of budget allocation before travel processing and payment.
Focal coordination for monthly travel
planning alongside unit heads and the COO’s office.
Responsible for maintaining an
up-to-date database tracking the travel movement of staff as an essential
communication tool for the coordination of the team and safety.
Continuously maintain and update the
office filing system both physical and online on shared platforms, safe
custody, retrieval, and archiving of documents, and encouraged use of online
document collaboration.
Provide weekly analysis of travel
trends, bookings, and compliance reports with travel policy.
Liaise with the travel agents to
provide monthly travel reports by 20th of every month.
Escalate any service hiccups related
to ticketing and transfers through an incident report to the line manager
within three days of occurrence.
To lead on the development and design
of the ongoing improvement to the travel booking process to identify
efficiencies and ensure excellent customer service is always maintained.
Key Qualifications and Experience
Required:
Relevant bachelor’s degree or
equivalent in administration, finance, social sciences, or related
qualification.
An IATA Diploma in Travel and Tourism
or any equivalent travel-related training is an added advantage.
Minimum of 5 years working experience
in a busy travel desk.
Experience in an international NGO is
desired.
Experience with collaborating,
supervising, and managing travel staff.
A solid understanding of the travel
industry, including familiarity with travel agencies, hotels, and airlines.
Specialized training in health and
safety, transport, and travel management is preferred.
Approachable and enthusiastic with
experience in providing high-quality customer service.
Possession of knowledge of Food
systems transformation and or economic development pillars will be desired.
Proven travel administration and
coordination experience.
Computer proficiency and familiarity
with a range of software applications.
Demonstrated knowledge of the Oracle
Travel module.
Knowledge of USAID Travel Rates and
their application.
Experience in Management travel
reporting.
Familiarity with working for
non-profit organizations or public enterprises.
Should possess basic to intermediate
training in accounting including but not limited to ability to perform
reconciliations.
Proficiency in organizing and
coordinating travel arrangements, including booking flights, accommodations,
ground transportation, and other necessary travel logistics.
Demonstrated ability to handle
multiple itineraries and prioritize tasks effectively.
Keeps up to date with industry trends,
policies, and best practices.
Meticulous attention to detail is
crucial to ensure accuracy in travel bookings, itineraries, and related
documentation.
Excellent communication skills are
essential for interacting with employees, travel service providers, and other
stakeholders.
Ability to effectively convey travel
information, assist, and address any travel-related issues or concerns.
Strong customer service skills are
necessary to provide a positive travel experience for employees.
should be responsive, approachable,
and helpful in assisting with travel-related queries or challenges.
Must be familiar with travel
management software, online booking tools, and other travel-related
technologies.
Basic financial skills to manage
travel budgets, track expenses, and reconcile travel-related invoices.
How To Apply
Interested candidates who meet the requirements for this
position are requested to submit an application attaching a detailed CV
(including e-mail and telephone contacts) to recruit@agra.org. Please
quote the job reference number TO/OPS/03/2024 in
the subject line of the application e-mail.
Applications
must be received on or before 25th March 2024. Only shortlisted candidates will
be contacted.