TRAVEL ASSISTANT, Temporary Job Opening [Temporary]

The Department of Operational Support (DOS) was established to provide end-to-
end operational support, advisory services and other solutions to operating
entities across the Secretariat, including departments, offices away from
headquarters, peace operations, and regional commissions. Under the strategic
guidance of the Department of Operational Support (DOS), the Kuwait Joint
Support Office provides efficient and client-oriented services with the goal
of moving transactional, non-location dependent administrative functions from
its client entities. These include transactional elements of human resources,
finance, travel and payroll.

This position is located in the Kuwait Joint Support Office (KJSO). The Travel
Assistant at this level will report to the Travel Team Leader and under the
overall guidance of the Chief Travel Officer.
Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Travel Officer (Team Leader), and within
delegated authority, the Travel Assistant at the G-‎6 level will be responsible
for ensuring, or carrying out the following duties:
* Functions as an Umoja Travel Processing Officer (TPO), reviews and processes travel requests and expense reports for different travel categories. Calculates and approves lump sums for entitlement travel and determine the maximum reimbursable amounts for self-tickets Coordinates the travel of civilian and military personnel including civilian police, traveling to and from a wide range of member states in connection with mission duties.
* Calculates and initiates entitlements for all such travel, e.g., airfare, excess baggage entitlements, terminal expenses, airfreight entitlements,
* Provides information about frequency of air services and provides advice to staff and consultants on the most direct and economical airfare rates as per the UN rules and regulations.
* Provides information on rates and travel schedules for specific itineraries, as requested for budgeting purposes for programme managers.
* Contacts travel agencies and airlines to make reservations, negotiates, reduced airfares, group discounts and reduced excess baggage charges, initiates issuance of tickets and discusses discrepancies and problems.
* Calculates the residual values of partially used tickets when there is a rerouting.
* Arranges for changes or cancellations requested by travelers and has tickets reissued, including obtaining reimbursement, where applicable.
* Examines and pre-audits the official itineraries of staff members, civilian police and military staff, in order determine air travel cost entitlement of the proposed official travel of the mission personnel and ensures conformity with established rules, regulations
* 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 Administrative and /or Certifying Officers for clarification and possible correction.
* Advises Administrative Office 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 special promotional fares.
* Other duties as required.
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.

• 
  

  Planning& Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

  
  


• 
  

  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
  IATA certification in Fares and Ticketing is desirable.

  
  

Supplemental training and certification as ERP Travel Management (TPO), is
desirable.
Work Experience
A minimum of seven (‎7) years of progressively responsible experience in
administrative functions, or travel administration, including travel rate
construction, routing, and travel reimbursement, or related area is required.

A minimum of three (‎3) years working experience in travel administration using
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as SAP is desirable.

A minimum of three (‎3) years working experience in a Global Distribution
System such as Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo, Worldspan is desirable.

A minimum of two (‎2) years of experience in serving clients in travel
management is desirable.

A minimum of three (‎3) years of experience in the UN Common system or similar
organization is desirable.
Languages
For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of
Arabic is desirable.

Note: "Fluency" equals a rating of 'fluent' in all four areas (speak, read,
write, and understand) and "Knowledge of" equals a rating of 'confident' in
two of the four areas.
Assessment
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include a written assessment exercise
which will be followed by competency-based interview.
Special Notice
• This position is temporarily available for a period of six months. If the
selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the
selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.
* 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. Applicants may apply and be considered for locally recruited positions no matter where they are currently located (including the current serving staff members at other duty stations), provided they are locally available upon appointment. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.
* As per staff rule ‎4.4 (a), applicants for GS and related positions must be authorized to work in the country regardless of where they live at the time of applying for the job opening. Selected candidates/staff members will have to relocate at their own expense to report for duty.
* The appointment against this position is limited to the Kuwait Joint Support Office.
* 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.
* 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.
* The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving ‎50/‎50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.
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.