Administrative Specialist (2 Positions)

Administrative Specialist

GIZ-African Union Office

Contract end date: – 31/12/2026

Brief description of the project/ unit

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a global service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world. As a public-benefit federal enterprise, GIZ supports the German Government – in particular the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) – and many public and private sector clients in achieving their objectives in international cooperation in around 120 countries.

Since 2004, GIZ has been a reliable and trusted partner of the African Union (AU) to enhance inclusive growth and sustainable development on the African continent in line with the AU’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. With more than 225 staff, GIZ African Union cooperates with the AU Commission, as well as the AU’s specialized institutions and agencies, such as the Development Agency AUDA-NEPAD, at continental, regional and national level in more than 35 member states. Key areas of engagement include Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention, Governance and Migration, Regional Economic Integration, as well as Pandemic Prevention and Health.

The GIZ African Union Office headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with further staff based in South Africa, Ghana and Germany provides services and support in the areas of procurement, financial management, events and travel, human resources, internal operations, communication and portfolio management to all GIZ programmes and projects that are implemented in partnership with the African Union

The Event & Travel Service Unit is responsible for supporting the planning & organization of GIZ AU events & travel with the focus on Partner Travel World, Regional and Africa wide.

Responsibilities and Duties

The Specialist will perform the following tasks:

Responsibilities:

In your function you perform the specified financial, organizational and administrative tasks correctly and in collaboration and consultation with the team members and your line manager internal requirements and procedures for Travel- and Event organization. You provide support for knowledge management and quality documentation of the Service Unit.

Calculation of payments of Travel Claims for Partners

• Responsible for the accurate calculation and timely processing of Travel claims for Partner of the AU Portfolio, covering the entire Africa
• Receipt and review Travel Claim Settlements: The Specialist receives the travel claim settlements from the traveler, ensuring that all claims reflect the expenses incurred during their business trip [AE1]
• Registers Travel Claims: The travel claims are registered in the travel monitoring sheet to maintain a comprehensive and up/to/date record of claim details and amounts requested by the traveler.
• Verification of Supporting Documents: The specialist examines the supporting documents provided by the traveler, such as air tickets, boarding passes, hotel bills, taxi bills, and other relevant evidence of expenses. This is to ensure that the documents are properly arranged and attached for accurate verification.
• Calculation of Travel Claim Settlements: Based on the verified supporting documents, the Specialist calculates the total amount to be reimbursed to the traveler as per the travel policy and guidelines.
• Preparation of Calculation Sheet: The Specialist prepares a calculation sheet detailing the breakdown of the travel claim settlements and forwards it to the AV for approval
• Management Approvals: Management approvals are sought for the release of payment for the travel claim settlements.
• Sending Documents to the Finance Unit: Once the necessary approvals are obtained, the Controlling Unit sends the travel claim settlement documents to the Finance Unit for further payment processing.
• Updating the Status of Travel Claims: The Specialist updates the status of travel claims in the Payment Monitoring Sheet to provide an accurate record of the progress and completion of the payment process.

Preparing the payment and follow up receivables of the Tickets and Travel Claims for Partners

• Communicate with travel agencies to request and procure flight tickets for partners
• Receiving ticket payments from the travel agency on a weekly basis and following up with the payment process.
• Requesting the travel status for the payment that has been received and keeping the updating team updated about the status and pending payments
• Uploading the payments of travel Claims and Tickets for Partners to the invoice checking system in S4GIZ including the documentation
• Liaising with GIZ ET and GIZ SA country office to follow up and clear outstanding ticket payments on a monthly basis.[PE1]
• Keep in communication with the country offices for feedback or comments made on the payment and receivables management.
• Keep track of the clear receivables and communicate with the staff responsible for liaising with projects if they need to be and the respective units in the country office and HQ.
• Updating monthly the Service Unit Finance t with the data of payments, receivables and documentation for the whole Portfolio of African Union
• Files documents with completed transactions and ensures completeness of files in DMS
• Calculation and Documentation of all other payments related to Events of the African Union portfolio

Knowledge Management

• Assist the staff of GIZ and seconded staff in the case of using the internal travel management system CONCOUR
• Updating and keeping databases up-to-date and preparing routine correspondence, Excel tables, and reports
• Preparing the necessary documentation in line with the rules and regulations of P+R for events and travel within our organization
• Assist in content development for the unit to create and coordinate the drafting processes, or SoP’s (Standard Operating Procedures).
• To assist in monitoring the unit IDA page content to ensure it is updated.
• Maintain and update the events calendar and create meetings and briefing sessions with projects, other service Units or country offices.
• Other tasks as assigned

Qualifications

Required qualifications, competences and experience

Qualifications

• Completion of a college education or similar in the field of business administration, public administration, management, or related field.

Professional experience

• At least 5 years of professional working experience in a similar position[PE1]
• Experience in Event and Travel Management
• Excellent knowledge of service procurement procedures and contract management
• Excellent knowledge of GIZ rules and regulations on travel and Events

Other knowledge, additional competences

• Knowledge of processes for settlement of travel claims and finance processes of GIZ
• Knowledge of the process for settlement of Event- and Travel management in GIZ and their documentation
• Knowledge of audit proofed knowledge in payments (P+R or other rules and regulations)
• Knowledge of donor specialized travel and event related rules (f.ex. EU, DEZA,….)
• High capacities to work under pressure and with last minutes request
• Ability to prioritize and plan work activities and use time efficiently
• High social and intercultural competence
• Strong communication competences with different stakeholders
• High flexibility and collaboration capacities
• Open minded for changes in a diverse professional environment
• Proven ability to maintain confidentiality
• Willingness to upskill as required by the tasks to be performed
• Very good knowledge of Office 365
• Very good English knowledge, French and German is an advantage