Vacancy Announcement for Administrative Associate (Travel & Protocol), GS6 (Post # 95478) in Operations Section, Global Shared Services Centre (GSSC), Budapest, Hungary

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.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, results.

We are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not a job, it’s a calling.

UNICEF’s Global Shared Services Centre (GSSC) provides services to UNICEF offices around the world in the areas of Finance, Master Data Management, Human Resources Administration, Payroll, and IT Customer Care.

Our mission is to be a Centre of Excellence for the global delivery of efficient services within a culture of customer service, continuous business improvement, knowledge-sharing and innovation to support the effective achievement of UNICEF's programme results worldwide. ​

GSSC has won the 2019 Business Services Firm of the Year in Hungary, 26 regional awards announced at the Central and Eastern European Business Services Summit & Awards held in Warsaw, Poland.

How can you make a difference?

The role of this post is to provide travel and other related administrative support to UNICEF GSSC and other outposted staff collocated in same premises. Coordinate the travel of staff members on authorized travel, including the issuance of the Travel Authorization, preparation of travel documents and visas. Verifies itineraries, routings and ticket costs. Examines travel claims for accuracy and conformity to authorization prior to final settlement, when required. Travel includes official missions, repatriation, transfer, home leave, family visit, education grant travel, and arrangements for consultants and candidates. To ensure timely renewal of resident permits for international staff and their dependents in GSSC. To support in centralization of International Travel.

Key functions/accountabilities:

1. Coordination of travel processes for GSSC staff members, Outposted staff consultants and visitors

• Monitor airline rates submitted by the travel agent by utilizing airline computer system (GBS) and air tariffs.
• Process travel authorization and travel claims in line with travel entitlements, ensuring that arrangements follow UNICEF/UN regulations of most economical rate available and competitive prices.
• Ensure correct travel entitlements and calculation of DSA, taking into account the official itinerary, UN/UNICEF Regulations as they pertain to the specific travel indicated, preferred carrier agreements as they impact on cost savings within guidelines set forth in the Staff Rules, HR Manual through circulars or by precedent.
• Respond to queries on travel including entitlements, travel route and hotel arrangements.
• Support staff in arrangements for security clearance as required.

2. Ensure proper completion of travel requests

• Provide travel assistance to staff members in section for travel arrangements and entitlements based on the organization’s rules and policies. Liaises with relevant travel focal points to ensure that the organization obtains the best service and price for all travel.
• Resolve problems between the travel agency and the traveler in cases where there is a conflict between traveler's plans and the authorized entitlements. Exercise discretion and professionalism in explaining to travelers the pertinent regulations and rules by suggesting various alternatives.
• Determines travel cost to the organization after calculation of ticket costs, terminal expenses, daily substance allowances, and shipment costs. Prepares appropriate travel authorization.
• Arranges quarterly reconciliation of ticket payments with Travel Agents and prepare monthly reports related to travel and protocol.

3. Analyse, examine and investigate all travel claims. Enter travel transactions in VISION

• Extract, input, maintain, and verify correctness of travel records in the organization’s travel system to ensure accurate transactions related to travel costs and staff travel.
• Verify that approved DSA rates are in accordance with ICSC DSA circular in effect at time of travel.
• Ensure Travel Claim is accompanied by supporting documentation.
• Review any additional expenditures which are not part of the original entitlement such as hotel overages, airport taxes, official telephone bills and excess baggage charges to ensure they fall within UNICEF guidelines.
• Assist staff members and their dependents by processing requests for visas and other personnel-related documents.
• Assist in the preparation of budgets on travel costs and maintain travel plan and budgetary control records.
• Monitors travel certification and report back to the staff member.

4. Support in protocol related matters for diplomatic accreditation of UNICEF personnel

• Advises all personnel on general administrative matters relating to protocol, guides and ensures that application forms are completed accurately with adequate accompanying documents. Briefs staff/visitors/consultants on all up-to-date policies and procedures regarding local immigration policies.
• Ensure timely renewal of resident permit for international staff and their dependents.
• Advise staff in Visa requirement and procedure before the travel.
• Liaison with protocol department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary and other relevant local government authorities regarding Hungarian resident permit, Custom exemption, car registrations/deregistration processes.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education:

Completion of secondary education (high school degree) is a minimum requirement. University level courses in business administration and public administration is an asset.

Experience:

• Minimum of six (6) years of increasingly responsible professional experience in operations, administration or logistics is required. A completed university degree from an accredited institution will be counted toward the minimum work experience requirements. i.e. in the form of one year of completed education being equivalent to one year of relevant work experience (for fully completed degrees only)
• Travel administration experience is highly desirable.
• Experience in planning, organizing and delivering administrative support services is highly desirable.
• Advanced knowledge in the Microsoft 365 Products (including MS Word, MS Excel & MS PowerPoint) is required.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills are required.
• Work experience with UN/an international / Shared Service Centre context is an asset.
• Fluency in English (verbal and spoken) required
• Fluency in local language of the duty station is required
• Knowledge of an additional UN Language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish), or local language of the duty station, is considered an asset

Applicants must be nationals of EU countries or in possession of a valid work permit. Please attach a copy of your work permit to your application submission.

General Service (GS) staff are locally recruited staff and therefore, candidates are personally responsible for any travel and accommodation arrangements. UNICEF does not facilitate MFA accreditation for locally recruited staff.

Remarks: Requirement for internal applicants

Please attach the snapshot of the completed courses of Learning Path when applying to the level of this post. You may visit the L&D Portal Learning and Development (sharepoint.com) for more information.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it.

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

To view our competency framework, please visit: https://uni.cf/Competencies

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: UNICEF's Competency Framework here

As an advocate for every child, you will receive…

• Access here the UN Salary Scale for Hungary.
• Holidays and leave, including 2.5 days of annual leave accrual per month
• Parental leave
• Dependency allowance
• United Nations sponsored medical insurance plan, pension plan and optional life insurance plan
• Access to professional development and learning programs, online learning and learning path
• Access to staff well-being and career development support

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to A diverse and inclusive workforce to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of Compensation and benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID). UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

This VA is open to all (internal and external candidates).