Travel Assistant

The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) is a global multi-stakeholder partnership organization that works to improve the lives of poor people. The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is the legal and administrative host of WSSCC.  Founded in 1990, WSSCC’s mission is to ensure sustainable sanitation, better hygiene and safe drinking water for all people, especially the poorest and most marginalized members of society in developing countries. In order to achieve its mission, WSSCC manages the Global Sanitation Fund, facilitates sector coordination at national, regional and global levels, supports professional development, and advocates on behalf of the 2.5 billion people without a clean, safe toilet to use.  More information on WSSCC can be found at: www.wsscc.org.

The incumbent will be based in the WSSCC office and will be responsible for processing travel for staff members, consultants and meeting participants. The incumbent will liaise with colleagues in UNOPS and WSSCC to ensure that all travel arrangements and related payments are made on time. S/he will report to the WSSCC Travel Associate and, as secondary supervisor, the Portfolio / Grants Manager of the UNOPS Geneva office. 

Travel Planning and Preparation:

• Facilitate timely submission and approval of Quarterly Travel Plans and communicate with the Senior Management Team on regular basis regarding any emerging issues.
• Provide information to staff, consultants and meeting participants on the most direct and economical route, and book itineraries in line with UNOPS rules and regulations. Apply UN negotiated fares and other travel related service providers and websites, using a major GDS such as AMADEUS or GALILEO for direct reservations.
• Ensure that management and security are kept informed of all incoming and outgoing missions and staff on regular basis.
• Ensure that UN Trip Security Clearances and FAMPI insurance coverage are requested for all trips at time of Travel Authorization approval.
• Process visa applications for all staff members and coordinate with local authorities if necessary to ensure timely processing of visas.

Travel Booking and Processing

• Support in the management of travel entitlements such as Daily Subsistence Allowances (DSA), perform reservations and ticket issuance for all Staff members, consultants and meeting participants. Process Travel Authorizations in line with travel entitlements for staff, consultants, and meeting participants ensuring that travel arrangement follows the UNOPS Administrative Instructions of most direct and economical route. 
• Contact designated service provider in case of rebookings and cancellations.
• Assist in conducting the travel management process focusing on achievement of cost saving measures.
• Ensure that all travellers are well-informed of any changes to their travels (airline schedule changes)
•  Arrange and make hotel reservations for staff, visiting officials, consultants, and other travellers, as instructed;
• Arrange for airport pick-up and drop off for new staff, visiting officials, consultants, and other travellers, as instructed.
• Arrange for and support customs and immigration procedures, when required.  

Travel Settlements, Payments etc.

• Assist in reviewing and completing travel claims and supporting documentation for completeness, accuracy, reasonableness, validity and conformity with UNOPS rules, and initiate related payment process. Ensure availability of budget and maintain tracking of expenditure on travel.
• Ensure that all travellers are well-informed of all payments made to them (DSA and TECs).
• Make sure that AirPlus monthly statement is settled by Finance Unit on timely basis to avoid delayed payment penalties.
• Maintain filing of all travel-related documentations, in line with internal policy.

• High school diploma is required. Secondary Education with specialized certification in Accounting and Finance, Business or Public Administration is an asset. 

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant administrative experience in the areas of administration and travel including travel arrangements  with UN travelers or using standard industry systems.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and experience in handling of web based management systems.
• Professional knowledge of IATA policies and procedures is desired.

• Ability to perform a variety of standard specialized and non-specialized tasks related to visa application, ticketing and sourcing, hotel reservation, including direct booking through major GDS such as AMADEUS, GALILEO, SABRE, etc.
• Ability to review a variety of data, identify and adjust discrepancies, identify and resolve operational problems.
• Ability to perform work of confidential nature and handle a large volume of work.
• Good knowledge of administrative rules and regulations.
• Demonstrate strong IT skills 
• Ability to provide input to business processes re-engineering, implementation of new system;
• Demonstrated conference and event administration skills 

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. 
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations.

With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it.

A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale.