Travel Analyst

Contract

This is a NPSA-9 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Personnel Services Agreement. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 2 years of experience, depending on education. More about NPSA-9 contracts.

Background

In the United Nations Development Programme, General Operations (GO) is entrusted with the delivery of travel services to the UNDP and to select partner agencies within the UN system. The Travel Services Section of GO wish to strengthen processes for efficient and quality travel services.

The analyst will work as part of General Operations in the Bureau for Management Services, UNDP Headquarters New York and will report to the Travel Manager. The fall period is a peak for travel and additional capacity is needed during the fall and winter due to peak volume and time sensitive initiatives.

Sets up and coordinates a result-based monitoring and reporting system through:

Coordination of group logistics in close coordination with BPPS stakeholders ensuring relevant data is collected, analyzed and reported on a regular basis.

Provision of guidance to ensure optimal engagement with event beneficeries and business owners contributing to operational effeciencies with event. owners and supplier managers.

Contribute to the development and refinement of travel operational tools.

Oversee the UN travel document certification and endorsement and provide training to HR Assistant to ensure quality results.

Duties and Responsibilities

Provision of quality assurance over UN travel documents certification to ensure submissions are supported and adhere to United Nations Department of Operations Support requirements working in close collaboration with HR Assistant and UN TTS.

Manage collection of UNDP meeting/workshop participant documents via registration platform, verify documents and ensure follow-up with said participants if any documents are missing; Create travel profiles in UNall and AmexGBT portal for all travelers, as needed.

Communicate best practices to event owners and provide input on logistic notes to ensure effective logistic arrangements, facilitating knowledge building and knowledge sharing.

Provide oversight of group activity with travel agency from quotation creation to ticketing. Liase with group desk focal point to ensure group deliverables are met. Provide travel support to the GPN personnel (staff, consultants and secondees), as well as non-UNDP meeting/workshop participants, liaising closely with a UNDP-contracted travel agent and follow-up to ensure that all funded participants receive a confirmed ticket for air travel and, a subsistence allowance in advance of meeting/mission dates, where an advance is due; coordinate and facilitate changes and/or emergency provisions between the traveler and travel agent;

Provide policy guidance and process travel claims of all above-mentioned UNDP and non-UNDP travelers; follow-up with appropriate HQ operations and travel support units to ensure that post-meeting claims and expenditures are processed correctly and on a timely basis;

Follow-up with HQ operations and travel support units to ensure that approvals of all related Travel Requests (TR) and TCs, POs and invoices from HQ are processed in a timely basis, including compiling all necessary information and documentation to facilitate the authorization process;

Maintain an updated and shareable event progress plan as well as a participant finances tracking table , also to be submitted on a bi-weekly basis to the Travel Associate and client focal point.

Competencies

Core

Achieve Results:

LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work

Think Innovatively:

LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking

Learn Continuously:

LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility:

LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands

Act with Determination:

LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner:

LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies (insert up to 7 competencies)

Thematic Area

Name

Definition

Technical

Travel Desk

Ability to process and approve Travel Requests, Travel Claims and Expense Report; knowledge of relevant policy and procedures

Travel policy and procedures

Knowledge of travel policy and procedures; ability to interpret travel policy, the Staff Rules, administrative circulars and financial regulations and rules on travel-related matters

Cross Functional

Business Acumen

Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome

Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks

Effective Decision Making

Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources

Customer Satisfaction

Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs.

Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy.

Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests.

Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.

Monitoring

Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results

Required Skills and Experience

• Minimum a first level university degree in business administration, public administration, management, logistics, accounting or any other relevant area.

• A minimum of two years of administrative or operational management experience, including procurement, finance and travel management functions, preferably within the UN organization and agencies.

• Demonstrated strong client-orientation skills and strong communication skills.

• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel etc.) and web-based management systems required.
• Familiarity with and knowledge of UNall and corporate ERP system (Quantum) or any other UN ERP System that handles travel functions similarly to the UNall / Quantum ERP system.
• Familiarity with certification of UN Travel Documents and G4 visa issuance
• Exposure and understanding of UN and UNDP operations and procurement processes is an asset and highly desired.
• Fluency in written and spoken English required; and working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.