Travel Assistant

Contract

This is a G-5 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be more than 7,199 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

The deadline for applications has been extended to December 2, 2022.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING APPLICATION DEADLINE: please note that the deadline for applications is indicated in local time as per the time zone of the applicant’s location.

1. Organizational Context

1. Organizational Setting

The post is located in the Travel and Mission Support Section (TMS), Procurement and Travel Division, Administration, Finance and Management Sector.

The Section is responsible for the validation and certification of meeting expenses and travel arrangements of WIPO staff for their official travel and for the travel of third party travelers (holders of Individual Contractor Service contracts (ICS), speakers, and financed delegates attending various meetings held in Geneva and abroad). The Section ensures that all arrangements comply with the Financial Regulations and Rules (FRR) and the Staff Regulations and Rules (SRR) of the Organization, and the travel policy for staff and third party travelers. The Section is also responsible for the visa processing of staff and financed third party travelers, as well as the diplomatic privileges support (VAT exemption for staff goods and duty-free shop access for delegates).

2. Purpose Statement

The Travel Assistant provides travel management services to WIPO travelers and ensures that transactions comply with the relevant FRR, the SRR and the travel policy. The incumbent also acts as Certifying Officer designated by the Controller.

3. Reporting Lines

The incumbent reports to the Travel Assistant supervising the work of the group validating and certifying travel arrangements for WIPO staff and third party travelers.

2. Duties and Responsibilities

The incumbent will perform the following principal duties:

a. Certify electronic travel requests and online bookings for staff and third party travelers in accordance with applicable rules and procedures; check supporting documentation, establish travel entitlements and daily subsistence allowances (DSA), check fares and routes, and calculate transportation costs and travel advances.

b. Check and certify requisition requests for meeting expenses in compliance with the rules and related policies.

c. Advise staff and third party travelers on any travel-related matters and provide guidance on applicable procedures and policies; arrange travel or propose different itineraries to staff and third party travelers; escalate complex queries to supervisor when required.

d. Assist staff and third party travelers in difficult situations, emergencies or crises requiring immediate action such as rerouting or rapid evacuation to the duty station or home country. As part of a team, cover the travel agent 24/7 emergency number outside working hours when required.

e. Follow-up on claims, process all ticket refunds via the WIPO travel agent and, in consultation with the supervisor, monitor credit status.

f. Maintain internal databases for follow-up, reference, reporting purposes and control; create and update traveler profiles in external systems.

g. Calculate and process lump sum entitlements for statutory travel, such as home leave, in the absence of the Administrative Assistant.

h. Process and follow-up on visa requests for staff and third party travelers; check and sign respective visa support letters.

i. Contribute to internal reporting and projects.

j. Perform any other duties as required.

3. Requirements

Education (Essential)

Completed secondary education.

Education (Desirable)

Post-secondary qualification in the travel industry.

Experience (Essential)

At least five years of relevant experience in the travel area, including in managing business travel.

Experience (Desirable)

Experience working with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, or in a travel department of an international organization.

Experience working in a travel agency.

Language (Essential)

Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English.

Language (Desirable)

Good knowledge of French and/or knowledge of other official UN or WIPO languages.

Job Related Competencies (Essential)

Competent user of travel global distribution systems (GDS), such as Amadeus or Galileo, and online booking tools (OBT) for travel.

Knowledge of fare calculation and ticketing.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural environment with sensibility and respect for diversity.

Strong organizational skills, with the ability to work under pressure and successfully prioritize tasks in order to manage multiple commitments and deadlines.

High level of client-orientation and problem-solving skills. High degree of flexibility and initiative.

Competent user of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and social media, and the ability to quickly adapt to new software.

4. Organizational Competencies

1. Communicating effectively.
2. Showing team spirit.
3. Demonstrating integrity.
4. Valuing diversity.
5. Producing results.
6. Showing service orientation.
7. Seeing the big picture.
8. Seeking change and innovation.
9. Developing yourself and others.

5. Information

Monthly salary (Net of tax): 6,464 CHF

Please refer to WIPO’s Staff Regulation and Rules for detailed information concerning salaries, benefits and allowances.

Additional Information

General Service posts are subject to local recruitment. Staff in the General Service category are recruited in the host country or within reasonable commuting distance of the Headquarters.

Temporary appointments are renewable, subject to continuing needs, availability of budget and satisfactory performance with a maximum cumulative length of two years.

Applications from qualified women as well as from qualified nationals of unrepresented Member States of WIPO and underrepresented geographical regions are encouraged. Please click on the following links for the list of unrepresented Member States and the list of underrepresented regions and the WIPO Member States in these regions.

The Organization reserves the right to make an appointment at a grade lower than that advertised.

By completing an application, candidates understand that any willful misrepresentation made on this web site, or on any other documents submitted to WIPO during the application, may result in disqualification from the recruitment process, or termination of employment with WIPO at a later date, if that employment resulted from such willful misrepresentations.

In the event that your candidature is shortlisted, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of an identification and of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WIPO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and these will be reviewed individually.

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Additional testing/interviewing may be used as a form of screening. Initial appointment is subject to satisfactory professional references.

Additional background checks may be required.