This vacancy is open to UNDP / UNCDF / UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments of all nationalities. Other applicants must be nationals of an EU Member State, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland.
Background
UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience so countries can sustain progress. As the UN’s development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our people are united by a common call to action: building a fairer and more inclusive world for those in need through sustainable development.
The Travel Associate is essential in supporting travel-related services to ensure high-quality and effective operations, collaborating closely with various teams and partners to guarantee smooth travel management processes.
The Travel Associate supports travel services to ensure compliance with UNDP policies and guidelines while providing solutions to complex travel-related issues. This role encompasses monitoring travel expenditure, ensuring timely billing, and promoting client-focused travel management.
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration. The position requires an onsite presence of at least 4 days a week.
Duties and Responsibilities
Provides support for implementation of operational strategies
- Full compliance of administrative and travel management ensuring that services are performed in adherence to UN/UNDP rules, regulations, policies and strategies.
- Implementation of cost saving measures through negotiation with travel providers.
- Provide support for creating technical documentation, including guidance documents and capacity-building offerings for end users and for internal users.
- Undertakes such other assignments as may be provided by the Head of the Unit.
Ensures implementation and ongoing fulfillment of effective travel management processes
- Support to Travel Analyst and Travel Manager in setting up travel management procedures.
- Provision of information for the staff on travel including entitlements and travel route including, but not limited, to the identification of the home leave entitlement using the Global Distribution System.
- Review and processing of travel-related requests (e.g. shipment of Personal Effects and Household Goods).
- Support the business process of the travel by provide technical assistance and support to users with the Travel application and other travel-related solutions and systems.
- Work with ITM for consistent application of the business process and relevant policies including user acceptance testing and quality assurance efforts of the Travel Application and other travel-related solutions and systems.
- Assist in the timely delivery of the Travel Management Services provider contract and its deliverables including among monitoring the service level agreement and other key performance indicators, invoice review.
- Assist in timely preparation of Service Level and Cost Sharing Agreements with partner agencies.
- Engage with travel related vendors to review performance, enhance capacity, implement new programs and address client/traveler concerns.
- Liaise with the UN partner agencies and other parties to the contract to ensure that the interests of the UNDP and partner agencies are duly addressed.
- Support the Manager in monitoring travel related contracts to ensure that the terms and conditions agreed are being applied in earnest by the vendor including but not limited to customer service response and survey administration and results compilation.
Drafting and Review of Travel Related Reports
- Generation of management information reports including the review and analysis of information to ascertain the accuracy of information.
- Synthesis of data to conduct a spot check of the various travel-related expenses. Offer of guidance and training to units towards empowering them to carry out the spot checks, and improving their understanding and compliance with policy in the processing of travel-related expenses.
Submission and Processing of Travel Request/ Travel Claims and Approval of PO Invoices
- Submission, review and processing of Travel Requests and Travel Claims in UNall and related PO invoice approval, ensuring the transactions follow POPP.
Promote knowledge building and knowledge sharing for the administrative operations of travel
- Sharing of lessons learnt and best practices in travel-related management through the drafting of knowledge articles, training materials and user documentation.
- Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
- Support consular visa requests with onsite presence of a minimum of four days weeks.
- Support travel arrangements for the Administrator, Associate Administrator and other senior officials, which may include work after hours.
- Carry out other administrative tasks assigned by the Travel Manager.
- Train client requestors’ basic understanding of Travel Policies, Regulations & Rules and application of the Travel Application.
- Provide advice/guidance to queries on travel policy and procedures.
The incumbent performs other duties which make part of this role explicitly open-ended as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: None
Competencies
Core Competencies:
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
- Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination
Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:
Administration & Operations - Travel Policy and Procedures
- Knowledge of travel policy and procedures;
- Ability to interpret travel policy, the Staff Rules, administrative circulars and financial regulations and rules on travel-related matters.
Business Management – Customer Satisfaction/Client Management
- Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs.
- Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy.
- Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests.
- Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.
Business Management– Risk Management
- Identify and organize actions around mitigating and proactively managing risks.
Administration & Operations - Event Management (including retreats, trainings and meetings)
- Ability to manage events, including Venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.
Administration & Operations – ERP travel and expense module
- Knowledge of the ERP Travel and Expense Module; ability to provide help desk support to UNDP and other UN agencies.
Administration & Operations – Procurement Management
- The ability to acquire goods, services, or works from an external source.
Business Direction & Strategy – Business Acumen
- Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome.
- Ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks.
- Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Secondary Education is required.
- University degree (Bachelor’s degree) in Commerce, Business or Public Administration, or other relevant fields will be given due consideration but is not a requirement.
- Specialized certification or training in the Global Distribution System (e.g. Sabre) Travel System is required.
Experience:
- Minimum 7 years (with high school diploma) or 4 years (with Bachelor´s degree) of relevant administrative experience in providing travel services in an NGO or business environment including two years or more international faring experience using the Global Distribution System is required.
- Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.) and knowledge of automated procurement systems, experience in handling of cloud and web based management systems is required.
- Experience travel applications used to process business travel is desired
- Experience working in a travel capacity with UN agencies or NGOs is desired
- Experience applying travel policy and procedures for business travel is required
- Proven experience in analyzing travel-related reports is desired.
- Professional certification in travel management is desired.
Language:
- Fluency in English is required.
- Working knowledge of another UN language (Spanish or French) is desirable.
Equal opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Probation
For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Use of AI by candidates
Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection
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