TRAVEL ASSISTANT

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UN DOS - Department of Operational Support

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Application deadline 1 year ago: Thursday 15 Dec 2022 at 23:59 UTC

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Contract

This is a G-6 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 6 years of experience, depending on education. More about G-6 contracts.

Org. Setting and Reporting This position is located in the Travel Analysis and Shipments Team of the Travel Unit in the Travel and Transportation Section at United Nations Secretariat. The incumbent will report administratively to the Senior Travel Assistant and under the overall guidance of the Chief of the Travel Unit.

The Department of Operational Support (DOS) provides operational support to UN Secretariat entities globally, including advisory, operational and transactional support services and, where needed, exercises delegated authority on behalf of clients. DOS supports the entire UN Secretariat, consisting of almost 100 entities located around the globe.

The Facilities and Commercial Activities Service (FCAS) operates the Headquarters complex, striving to provide effective and efficient planning, management, maintenance and operation for all existing physical facilities and assets at the UN Headquarters, New York. FCAS also supports office and conference facilities, property management, travel and transportation services, archives and records management, mail and pouch operations, catering, giftshop and the United Nations Postal Administration.

The Travel and Transportation Section provides travel and transportation services at UN Headquarters (travel, shipments management, UN travel documents (e-UNLP & UN Certificates), visas and host country services, local transportation, materials management and UNHQ garage operations).

Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the Travel Assistant will be responsible for ensuring, or carrying out the following duties: ¿ Supervises a team of travel assistants on daily assignments. Provides guidance on travel and transportation established entitlements, rules and regulations. ¿ Coordinates the travel of uniformed personnel traveling to and from a wide range of member states in connection with mission duties. ¿ Reviews, calculates and approves s entitlements for all official travel including self-ticketing where applicable , e.g., airfare, excess baggage entitlements, terminal expenses, airfreight entitlements, daily subsistence allowance for staff and dependents and non-staff on traveling on official travel. ¿ Provides information about frequency of air services and provides guidance to staff and non-staff on the least costly and most direct airfare rates for such travel as permitted by the rules and regulations. ¿ Provides information on rates and travel schedules for specific itineraries, as requested for budgeting purposes for programme managers. ¿ Contacts airlines to negotiate least expensive fares e.g. discussion with management of travel agency and with senior airline sales management for space on flights, reduced airfares, group discounts and reduced excess baggage charges, discusses discrepancies and problems. ¿ Computes and determines lump-sum entitlements for travel and reviews authorized entitlements for the removal of personal effects. ¿ Arranges for changes or cancellations requested by Travel and Shipment Approver and has tickets reissued including obtaining reimbursement. Calculates the residual values and best use of issued tickets when there is an amendment to the official itinerary of partially used tickets to determine best cost-savings for the Organization. ¿ Liaises directly with contracted travel agency to convert incorrect bookings in accordance with standards of accommodation for official travel in accordance with established travel rules and regulations. ¿ Examines and performs pre-audits the official itineraries of staff members, uniformed personnel and non-staff, as stated in the travel authorization, in order determine air travel cost entitlement of the proposed official travel and ensures conformity with established rules, regulations and relevant directives; ¿ Reviews travel claims and supporting documentation for completeness, accuracy and validity, prior to forwarding to the Accounts Division; ensures that entitlements are in conformity with Staff Rules. Refers discrepancies back to the Travel and Shipment Approver and/or the Accounts Division for clarification and possible correction. Advises Travel and Shipment Approvers of more efficient and cost effective routings with regard to more complicated staff itineraries, and assists them in making travel plans in order to take advantage of the benefits to be derived from advance purchases or airline agreements. ¿ Provides emergency travel support to staff and non-staff during non-official working hours including weekends and holidays. ¿ Performs ad-hoc assignments as necessary.

Competencies Professionalism: Knowledge and understanding of all aspects of international travel and transportation management including administrative policies and procedures, supervisory components, travel and transportation entitlements, international fare construction, tariff rules and regulations, group travel management, host country authorities and immigration and customs formalities at the metropolitan airports and, shipping processing requirements. Ability to work with figures and draft correspondence/reports; Ability to demonstrate flexibility in working hours as airport duties include weekends, holidays and late hours at short notice; Shows pride in work and in achievements; Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; Remains calm in stressful situation. Ability to multitask and prioritize own workload and that of more junior staff. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.

Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education High school diploma or equivalent.

Job - Specific Qualification Relevant training in airlines rules and regulations is desirable.

Relevant training in shipping practices is desirable.

Work Experience A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible work experience in international travel and transportation requirements including administrative functions, supervisory components, rate construction and methods of calculating air fares is required.

Experience in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, Power Point); airline reservation systems i.e. SABRE/AMADEUS/APOLLO/ GALILEO or equivalent and operational databases such as Enterprise Resource Planning system and booking management tool, or equivalent is required.

Prior work experience in an international organization is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is desirable.

Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview depending on the result of the test.

Special Notice - This position is temporarily available until 31 May 2023. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.

  • While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.

  • This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

  • Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Services and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat. Applicants who have not passed the GGST at the time of application may be invited for the test after submitting an application. Having passed the Administrative Support Assessment Test [in English] at the United Nations headquarters, Economic Commission for Africa, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, United Nations Office at Geneva, United Nations Office at Vienna, International criminal tribunal for Rwanda or International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia may be accepted in lieu of the GGST.

  • Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.

  • Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.

  • At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

    United Nations Considerations According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: careers.un.org