Administrative Assistant - Travel , Embassy of United States of America in Tanzania

Closing Date of The Position: February 15, 2016

Vacancy Announcement Number: 16/007

ALL ORDINARILY RESIDENT (OR) APPLICANTS (See Appendix A for definition) MUST HAVE THE REQUIRED WORK AND/OR RESIDENCY PERMITS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION.

The US Mission in Dar es Salaam is seeking eligible and qualified applicants for the position of Administrative Assistant - Travel at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION 

The Public Health Administrative Specialist (Travel/Executive Assistance) serves under the administrative supervision of the Administrative Team Lead with functional supervision from senior staff of the Office of the Country Director (50%) and is responsible for the management of travel requests and travel arrangements for CDC Tanzania staff and the travel arrangements for CDC temporary duty (TDY) staff in Tanzania. Prepares vouchers for reimbursement of travel expenses following completion of travel. 

The incumbent also provides secretarial services and executive assistance to senior level staff in the Office of the Country Director (Public Health Evaluation [PHE] Director, Infrastructure Advisor and Cooperative Agreement Management Advisor). Provides executive assistance to the Country Director and Deputy Country Director in the absence of the CDC Executive Assistant.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Travel Management
50%
The incumbent receives and manages requests for travel from CDC Tanzania staff (FY2009 projected: 57 total staff of which 40 staff are programmatic focused and requires sustainable support for travel). This includes booking official travel and conference attendance for all CDC-supported projects and prepares travel authorization requests. Follows up with traveller, travel agent, CDC management and Embassy staff to resolve issues that arise with travel arrangements and resolves problems encountered. The CDC Tanzania annual travel budget for domestic and international travel is in excess of $1 million. 

The job holder makes all flight bookings according to the travel request both locally and internationally for travellers and assures that travel requests are fully documented with details and meet USG and CDC travel requirements before forwarding to the Deputy Director for approval. Prepares a packet for travellers with tickets, itinerary, booking confirmation numbers and other information needed for the travel. 

Makes hotel reservations for travellers as requested locally and internationally according to the information provided, ensures that rates are within US government rate and makes shuttle bookings with either the hotel or travel agent. 

Maintains a file of current lodging rates in Tanzania and requests special rates for USG employees to meet with the current lodging rate allowance. 

Reconfirms bookings and tickets for TDY visitors, assists in requests for other travel information as necessary and liaises with the CDC Atlanta travel coordinator to assure compliance with CDC standards and procedures. 

Prepares final travel vouchers for approval by CDC Tanzania Deputy Director and then to Mission B&F for further verifications and approval for payment. Follows up as needed to ensure timely re-imbursement and to resolve any issues or obstacles encountered in the re-imbursement process. 

Maintains files and documentation records for all CDC-supported travel. Researches files for information as needed, maintains file security, and is responsible for the completeness and accuracy of travel files and documentation. Files and tracks outstanding travel advances and assures that travel claims are processed promptly. Follows up outstanding travel advances with travellers and informs supervisor or Chief, Management and Operations of delinquencies and problems. Sends out reminders to delinquents. 

Prepares request for country clearance cables for CDC Tanzania staff travelling outside Tanzania and coordinates country clearance cables for incoming official travellers using US Government e-Country Clearance Help System for approval by the Deputy Director. Sends approved cable to respective travellers and copy to file. 

Due to the various mechanisms under which CDC staff are hired (e.g. US Civil Service, US Commission Corps, Title 42/Senior Service Fellows, US Embassy FSN, PSC through Atlanta, Non-Personal Service Contractors through CTS Comforce, Deliotte & Touche, Associate Schools of Public Health fellowships, etc) the incumbent is expected to know the various requirements impacting the individual requests for travel (e.g. Home leave requirements differ across each of these mechanisms). 

Serves as the lead for CDC travel and a resource and primary contact regarding travel policies, procedures, standards and requirements.

Executive Assistance
50% 
Provides secretarial and logistical support in the Office of the CDC Country Director (OCD) to the Public Health Evaluation (PHE) Director, Infrastructure Advisor and the Cooperative Agreement Management Advisor. Receives, reviews, and routes all incoming and outgoing correspondence related to these activities. Drafts routine correspondence and types official CDC correspondence, telegrams, memos, and letters for public health evaluation, infrastructure development and cooperative agreement management activities. Tracks official documents related to CDC program and public health evaluation activities requiring ethical review through the appropriate clearances in country and follows up with CDC Atlanta regarding headquarters clearances. 

Maintains the calendars for supported OCD staff, scheduling appointments without prior consultation. Updates relevant contact lists for OCD staff supported and provides updates to the contacts database according to established procedures. Maintains office travel and location calendar (for all staff). 

Schedules meetings and appointments for the PHE Director, Infrastructure Advisor and Cooperative Agreement Management Advisor and maintains minutes of official meetings and other events. Coordinates external telephone and conference call requests for these OCD staff. Appointments will frequently involve high level visitors from the host government (the Tanzania Ethics Review Board, NIMR executives), executives of partner organizations, senior PEPFAR officials, CDC headquarters visitors and senior USG representatives. Collects and prepares briefing materials and background materials for meetings and conferences. 

Coordinates with other administrative team members to handle applicable administrative requests and reports (e.g., travel arrangements and reimbursements, procurement requests and personnel actions) for supported OCD staff members. In coordination with Executive Assistant, tracks and sends out-going parcels and correspondence. Tracks pending and suspense issues and updates for supported staff and advises them on progress achieved and any deadlines missed. Monitors e-mails from the NCHSTP Extramural staff in Atlanta and the cooperative agreement mailbox to ensure that relevant staff (including the Cooperative Agreement Management Advisor and CDC Deputy Director) are notified of incoming requests and deadlines. Maintains site visit data base and cooperative agreement management database (under supervision of the Cooperative Agreement Manager). 

Assists the PHE Director on drafting relevant documents for protocol review related to public health evaluation. Tasks will include following up with Government of Tanzanian Ethics and Research Review Board (understanding protocol requirements, forms that need to be completed, etc). Incumbent is expected to closely track and follow-up on in-coming and out-going requests to the Ethics Board and inform PHE Director on any issues pertaining to submission. 

Maintains and updates the electronic and hard-copy centralized file systems for all public health evaluation and research projects, infrastructure improvement projects and CDC cooperative agreements in Tanzania. Ensures that documentation is filed according to established guidelines and procedures. Enters and updates relevant information into the relevant database or filing system. 

Provides executive assistance for the CDC Country Director and Deputy Director in the absence of the CDC Executive Assistant

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

All applicants must address each required qualification listed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item. Failure to do so may result in a determination that the applicant is not qualified.

1. Education: 
   Completion of Secondary school and at least one year of advanced studies in administration, secretarial school, data entry, or related field (or a mixture of classroom training and on-the-job training for one year) is required.
2. Experience: 
   Minimum of 5 years of administrative or secretarial experience in the US Government or an international organization is required.
3. Language:
   Level IV (fluent) in English and Kiswahili (speaking, writing and reading) is required. (This will be tested)
4. Skills and Abilities: 
   The incumbent must possess excellent interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills. Level II (50 wpm) typing skills required. Basic computer skills and familiarity with IT software used in administrative office settings are required. Must be proficient in operating office machines such as copier, shredder and fax and must be able to effectively interact with internal staff and external clients at all levels and individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds is required. (This will be tested)
5. Job Knowledge: 
   Job holder must be familiar with the business environment and practices of the host country to effectively manage external client communications and contacts is required.

SELECTION PROCESS: When qualified, applicants who are U.S. Citizen Eligible family Members (USEFMs) and/or preference-eligible U.S. Veterans are given a preference in hiring. Therefore, it is essential that these applicants make themselves known as having a hiring preference and specially address the required applications above in their application.

HIRING PREFERENCE ORDER: 
1. USEFM who is ALSO a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran
2. USEFM OR a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran
3. FS on LWOP

ADDITIONAL SELECTION CRITERIA:

1. Management will consider when determining successful candidacy: nepotism, conflicts of interest, budget, and residency status.
2. Current OR employees serving a probationary period are not eligible to apply. Current OR employees with an Overall Summary rating of Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory on their most recent Employee Performance report (EPR) are not eligible to apply.
3. Current NOR employees hired on a Family Member Employment (FMA) or a Personal Service Agreement (PSA) are not eligible to apply within the first 90 calendar days of their employment, unless they have a When Actually Employed (WAE) work schedule.

HOW TO APPLY: applicants must submit the following documents to be considered:

1. Universal Application for Employment (UAE)(Form Ds-174), which is available on our website or by contacting Human resources, (see “For Further Information” above); and
2. Any additional documentation that supports or addresses the requirements listed above (e.g. transcripts, degrees, etc.)
3. Copy of Passport, or, National ID, Resident/Work Permit.

IMPORTANT: Applicants claiming a U.S. Veteran’s preference must submit written documentation confirming eligibility (e.g., Member Copy 4 of Form DD-214, Letter from the Veteran’s Administration, or certification documenting eligibility under the VOW Act with an expected discharge no later than 120 days after the certification is submitted) by the closing date of the vacancy announcement. If the written documentation confirming eligibility is not received in the HR office by the closing date of the vacancy announcement, the U.S. Veteran’s preference will not be considered in the application process. Specific criteria for receiving a U.S. Veteran’s preference may be found in HR/OE’s Family Member Employment Policy (FMEP).

WHERE TO APPLY: 

American Embassy
Human Resources Office
P.O. Box 9123
Dar es Salaam