Senior Travel Administration Assistant, GS5, TA

Title: Senior Travel Administration Assistant

Vacancy No: CPH/VN/2021/025

Duty Station: Copenhagen, Denmark

Contract Type: General Service, GS5

Duration of Contract: until 31 October 2022, Temporary Appointment

Application Closing date: 20 April 2022 midnight CET**

Operational Context

This position is located in the Travel Unit, Centre Management Section (CMS) of the UNHCR Global Service Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark. The incumbent reports to the Admin Officer.

The incumbent will be expected to suggest appropriate itineraries for one-way and return tickets but also more complicated multi-city itineraries using an online booking tool, advise on ticket refund, date changes, reroute options, seating, and excess luggage, advise on visa requirements and assist in contacting embassies to submit applications and verify requirements, advise on security, vaccination requirements and Covid-19 regulations for various destinations. Experience working with a travel module in an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is desirable.

Good command of the English language is essential. The incumbent will be expected to speak and write clearly and effectively, correctly interpret messages from others and responds appropriately, asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication. He/she should be able to tailor language, tone, style, and format to match the audience, as well as demonstrate openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. The incumbent is expected to be highly client-oriented through establishing and maintaining productive partnerships with clients/travelers by gaining their trust and respect, identifying traveler’s needs and matching them to appropriate solutions, and monitoring ongoing developments inside and outside the traveler’s environment to keep them informed and anticipate problems.

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The incumbent serves staff members going on mission/official travel and therefore deals with different UNHCR entities as well as external counterparts; the extensive customer exposure encompasses counterparts in other UN agencies, UNHCR field offices, and travel management companies.

The Senior Travel Administration Assistant has a strong sense of service-orientation towards travelers and developing teamwork relations beyond the boundaries of the functional unit.

This job entails as well a significant portion of financial accountability by ensuring compliance with the UNHCR travel policies and triggering confirmation of reservations to the travel agent(s) and payment of travel entitlements to traveller(s).

The Senior Travel Administration Assistant communicates regularly with travelers, requiring a positive, knowledgeable solution-oriented and service-minded approach. To ensure smooth administrative support to travelers, it is of utmost importance that the incumbent is able to work under pressure in an accurate manner and with limited supervision.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties and Responsibilities

· Arrange and confirm travel bookings for applicable staff members, Affiliate Workforce and external meeting participants in line with the rules and regulations in place,

· Creates and processes Travel Authorization (TA), Travel Advances and Travel Claims in accordance with the relevant administrative rules and regulations; respond to any queries and/or comments from the certifying or approving officer

· Advise and assist staff on their travel entitlements, needed documentation and matters pertaining to travel as per operating administrative instructions and procedures.

· Liaise with Finance on payments due from Partners, UN Agencies, staff and other Organisations.

· Advise and assist staff on their travel entitlements, needful documentation and matters pertaining to travel as per operating administrative instructions and procedures.

· Prepare, summarise, and submit invoices for payment of travel related services procured.

· Assist in medical evacuations as required.

· Provide/share required information or data which may be useful for the safety/security of concerned travellers.

· Submit requests and subsequently ensure the issuance of appropriate travel identification documents, in accordance with UN rules and regulations. Initiate requests for visas

· Maintain the filing systems for UN travel identification documents.

· May process emergency visa requests required for official travel and ensure their timely issuance.

· Provide statistics of UN travel documents and visas.

· Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For G5 – 2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Certificates and/or Licenses

Logistics

Air Operation

Business Administration

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

Familiarity with Oracle-PeopleSoft or other ERP system. Good knowledge of UN, UNHCR, other international organization or private sector Travel Policies and Procedures. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Very good knowledge of Excel.

Desirable

Knowledge in UNHCR Logistics rules, procedures and processes. Knowledge in air and travel agencies booking systems i.e. Galileo, Amadeus etc is an asset. Knowledge in how to calculate air tariffs, ticket refunds and cost comparison between routes and airlines is an asset.

Functional Skills

TV-Travel-Galileo (Global reservation system quoting IATA full fare prices)

TV-Travel-Amadeus Altéa Customer Management System

CO-Cross-cultural communication

UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures

Language Requirements

For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

Competency Requirements

Core Competencies

Accountability

Communication

Organizational Awareness

Teamwork & Collaboration

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Client & Result Orientation

Cross-Functional Competencies

Analytical Thinking

Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

Stakeholder Management

Eligibility

This position is open to applications from Group 1, Group 2 and all external candidates, provided that requirements regarding professional experience, academic qualifications, language, etc. are fulfilled.

Applications must be supported by documentation of fully effective performance history and demonstrated potential to assume professional responsibilities.

Your application will NOT be considered if the application form is not duly filled.

Interested staff members should consult the Policy on Recruitment and Assignment of Locally-recruited Staff (RALS).

Staff in the GS category are recruited in the country or within commuting distance7 of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country.

Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member and engagement under a UNHCR affiliate scheme or as an intern is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19.

Location and Conditions

The successful candidate will be based in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Shortlisted candidates might be required to sit for a written test. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified. No late applications will be accepted.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing, training or any other fees).

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.