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 the United Nations Secretariat in NY. The incumbent will report administratively to the Senior Travel Assistant and under the overall guidance of the Chief of 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. • Responsible for providing emergency travel services to support staff and non-staff after normal working hours including during weekends and holidays as required and, on an ad-hoc basis. • Performs ad-hoc assignments as necessary.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of travel related processing requirements; plans, manages and resolves conflicting priorities. 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 situations. • 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 is required.

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. The minimum years of relevant work experience is reduced to 5 years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience in the use of a computer office software package such as Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, Power Point) is required. Experience in airline reservation systems i.e. SABRE/AMADEUS/APOLLO/ GALILEO or equivalent is required. Experience in operational databases such as Enterprise Resource Planning system and booking management tool, or equivalent is required. Experience working in an international organization is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

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. Appointment or assignment against this position is for an initial period of one year. This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for positions in the General Service and related categories must be authorized to work for the United Nations in the duty station where the position is located. Eligible applicants selected from outside the duty station are responsible for any expenses in connection with their relocation to the duty station. Staff members subject to local recruitment are not eligible for allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

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. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile 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.