TRAVEL ASSISTANT

Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Environment Programme is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for ‘sustainable development’. One of the key agreements adopted at Rio was the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Convention has three main objectives: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) is located in Montreal and is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme. This post is in the Convention on Biological Diversity, Administration Division (AFC) – Finance and Budget Unit. Under the overall supervision of the Head of the Administration Division (AFC) and the direct supervision of the Finance and Budget Officer, the incumbent will perform the following duties:

Responsibilities

A) Arranges official travel of CBD Staff, consultants, contractors and funded delegates: a) Ensures that all travel requests are properly authorized and are in accordance with UN regulations, rules and procedures; b) Assures accuracy of entitlements; c) Requests for index numbers when needed; d) Liaise with the Finance and Budget Officer to ensure that coding blocks are accurate and valid; e) Approves travel requests and ensures of the accuracy of airfare, daily subsistence allowance, terminal expenses and other appropriate entitlements; f) Liaises with travel agencies regarding their services and issuance of ticket; g) Informs and advises staff members on routings and itineraries; h) Maintains travel credits and refund long for staff and participants. B) Prepares travel claims: a) Monitors and reviews travel claims and supporting documentation for completeness, accuracy, validity and conformity to the UN rules; b) Coordinates with the appropriate office for clarification or additional information and meets with officials from relevant offices in order to discuss the details of particular claims and to explain the nature of the problem. C) Other administrative tasks: a) Respond to complex queries from a variety of sources by producing targeted information or by redirecting to the most appropriate source; b) Review correspondence or information materials relevant to the area of work prepared by other support staff; c) Provide information and guidance to staff at all levels within the organizational unit/division to ensure understanding of intent and deadlines; d) Prepare and/or consolidate complex reports, documentation including the production of forms, tables and charts; prepare complex correspondence, briefing notes and other documentation as requested; e) May be required to guide, train and daily supervise junior support staff; f) Process and approve delegated administrative actions in accordance with UN rules and regulations; g) Brief/debrief and inform staff including rules and regulations, policies and practices and documentation required to their specific area of responsibility; h) Evaluate, develop, and recommend procedures; i) Participate in discussions on new/revised procedures and practices; interpret and assess the impact of changes and make recommendations on follow up actions; j) Coordinate with other service units and liaise frequently with specialized staff at the duty station of assignment and outside the duty station; k) May be required to undertake missions; I) Perform other related duties as required. D. Data Management: a) Assists with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making. b) Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of administrative, budgetary, financial and human resources policies and procedures. Ability to apply various United Nations administrative rules and regulations in work situations. Conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis. Ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. Ability to identify issues, formulate opinions, make conclusions and recommendations. 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. Commits to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work. TEAMWORK: Works cooperatively 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 client’s point 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

Completion of secondary school is required.

Job – Specific Qualification

Supplementary training in administration, travel and or related area is desired.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven (7) years of progressive working experience in travel services is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five (5) for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Work experience in administrative services, or related areas is desirable. Work experience with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is desirable Experience in an international organization such as the United Nations is desirable. One (1) year or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN language is desirable. NOTE: Fluency equals a rating of “fluent” in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and “knowledge of” equals a rating of “confident” in two of the four areas.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include a substantive assessment which will be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Appointment against this post is for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension. This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in 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. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. External candidates will be considered only when no suitable internal candidate from the duty station is identified. The candidate is responsible for any travel expenses incurred to take-up the appointment. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. When completing the Candidate Profile form, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you. 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. 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. All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. Online applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira “Contact Us” link.

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.