Global Security and Travel Operations Associate

About the Organization

Vital Strategies is a global public health organization. Our programs strengthen public health systems and address the world’s leading causes of illness, injury, and death. We currently work in more than 80 countries, supporting data-driven decision-making in government, advancing evidence-based public health policies, and mounting strategic communication campaigns. Our priorities include noncommunicable disease prevention, tobacco control, road safety, food policy, environmental health, and data for health. Our programs are concentrated in low- and middle-income countries and cities in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or creed, gender, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, veteran or military status, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other protected basis.

About the Role

The Global Security and Travel Operations Associate supports the organization’s global travel, safety, and security programs by coordinating travel operations, business processes, vendor administration, and operational activities that help enable colleagues to work safely around the world. This is an early-career opportunity for someone looking to build a career in global operations, international travel, and organizational safety. The role offers broad exposure to travel management, duty of care, vendor management, and cross-functional collaboration across an international organization.

The Global Security and Travel Operations Associate reports to the Deputy Director, Global Safety, Security & Travel, and works closely with the Operations Officer on the day-to-day administration of the organization's global travel program. This is a full-time position based in our New York office, where a hybrid, 2-day-per-week office schedule is in place.

Responsibilities

• Support the day-to-day administration of the organization’s global travel program, ensuring travel requests, approvals, documentation, and operational processes are completed accurately and efficiently.
• Support the organization's duty of care responsibilities for personnel traveling globally, including tracking travel data, supporting compliance with organizational travel and safety requirements, and maintaining non-agency travel information.
• Coordinate itinerary tracking and travel documentation across the organization, maintaining accurate, up-to-date records.
• Provide occasional after-hours operational support during significant travel movements, particularly for group travel.
• Analyze travel spend, volume, and compliance data to prepare reports (e.g., monthly/quarterly dashboards) supporting operational decision making.
• Perform monthly reconciliation of corporate travel card activity, investigating discrepancies, and coordinating with travelers, Finance, and vendors to ensure timely resolution.
• Coordinate monthly reconciliation of global travel accounts across various travel agencies and transportation vendors.
• Process and track payments for travel management companies (TMCs), security service providers, and transportation vendors, ensuring accurate coding and timely close-out for each billing cycle.
• Assist in supporting travel program invoices and flagging discrepancies.
• Support operational activities across the organization's global travel and security programs while serving as a key point of coordination for travelers and vendors.
• Support special projects and other operational initiatives as assigned, such as SOP updates, pilot program rollouts, or vendor onboarding.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of travel operations by supporting process enhancements and the use of technology to improve efficiency and the traveler experience.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.

Skills & Abilities

• Strong interest in global operations, international travel, or global travel, safety, and security.
• Excellent organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to analyze information, solve problems, and improve processes.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate across cultures and departments.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Comfort with Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint), familiarity with collaboration platforms, and willingness to learn new technologies and automation tools.
• Comfort with financial reconciliation, invoice tracking, reporting, and operational systems.
• Commitment to inclusion, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Experience

• Required: Minimum two years of professional experience in operations, administration, travel, finance, logistics, project coordination, or a related field — including relevant experience from international programs offices, study/work abroad coordination, national or community service programs (e.g., Peace Corps), or humanitarian/INGO internships.
• Preferred: Experience working in international NGO operations. Experience with corporate card reconciliation or accounts payable. Exposure to process improvement, reporting, or workflow automation.

Working Conditions

• Limited work-related travel based on program needs.
• Ability to work from the New York City office.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $60,000 to $70,000 USD.

Benefits

We offer highly competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits.