Background

Under the direct supervision of the Head of General Services and Travel Unit and overall guidance of the Operations Manager, the Travel and Logistics Assistant provides travel related services in a large CO (Country Office) ensuring high quality and accuracy of work in order to obtain the optimum travel services. He/she analyzes and interprets rules and guidelines regarding travel and entitlements and provides solutions to a wide spectrum of complex issues related to travel.  The Travel and Logistics Assistant closely monitors travel expenditures and internal cost and ensures their timely and accurate billing, settlement and cost recovery.   The Travel and Logistics Assistant promotes a collaborative, client-focused, quality and results-oriented approach in the delivery of travel services.
    
The Travel and Logistics Assistant works closely and collaborates with other travel support staff, Management Support and Business Development, Programme and Operations teams in the CO to ensure consistent service delivery.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Full compliance of UN/UNDP rules and regulations, policies and strategies on travel management.
• Ensure implementation of cost saving measures through negotiation with travel service provider, arrangement of the most economic route and appropriate itinerary.

• Processing of Purchase orders for travel in Atlas. Ensures availability of budget.
• Processing of cost-recovery bills in Atlas for the travel services provided by UNDP to other Agencies.
• Follow-up with contracted travel agents to ensure provision of high quality professional service and most competitive prices.
• Issues travel tickets to UN/UNDP staff and other travelers and makes sure that travel agents payment are settled by Finance Unit on timely basis.
• Provision of information to the staff on travel including entitlements, travel route and hotel arrangement.
• Arranges and applies for security clearance when required.
• Processing travel authorization and travel claims in line with travel entitlements for staff, consultants, UN and visitors, ensuring that the travel arrangement follow the UNDP rules of most direct route.
• Arranges and make hotel reservations for new staff, visiting UN/UNDP officials, consultants, advisors and trainers.
• Arranges for airport pick-up and drop off for new staff, visiting UN/UNDP officials, consultants, advisors and trainers.
• Arranges for airport pick-up and drop off of high-level officials and support to expediting of customs and immigration procedures, as necessary.
• Prepares welcome files and kits, and makes sure that mobile phones and sim cards for new staff, visiting UN/UNDP officials, consultants, and advisors are prepared and delivered to them upon their arrival and withdrawn upon their departure. 
• Processing requests for visas for all UN/UNDP travelers, as well as requests for Resident Permit and Diplomatic Identification Cards for international staff and coordinate with local authorities to ensure timely processing of visas.
• Prepares and issues requisitions and correspondence to Yemeni authorities and foreign embassies for all office-related immigration matters, obtain movement clearances for travelers and undertakes protocol duties when required, and establishes good communication network with relevant authorities.
• Reconciliation of Travel Agents payments with Finance Unit.
• Ensure that travelers are well-informed of any changes to their travel.
• Ensures that management and security are kept informed of all incoming and outgoing missions and staff on regular basis.
• Performs any other duties as requested by Head of Unit.

• Collection and analysis of market situation on travel service area. Conduct of surveys/biddings of travel services.
• Conduct of DSA survey; survey and analysis of most competitive hotel prices and quality of hotel services; submission of report to HQ and distribution of the Hotel list to all UN agencies.
• Assist in preparation of LTAs for travel and hotel services on behalf of UN Agencies;
  

• Participation in the training for the programme, operations and projects staff on travel.
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
  

Competencies

• Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure.
• Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback.
  

• Shares knowledge and experience;
• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more practice areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.
  

• Ability to perform a variety of standard specialized and non-specialized tasks related to visa application, ticketing and sourcing, hotel reservation, transportation and customs clearance.
• 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.
• Strong IT skills
• Ability to provide input to business processes re-engineering, implementation of new system;
• Leadership and Self-Management:
• Flexible and willing to work extra hours after regular working time when required
  

Required Skills and Experience

• Secondary Education preferably with specialized certification in Accounting and Finance. University Degree in Business or Public Administration would be desirable, but it is not a requirement.
  

• Minimum 5 years of relevant administrative experience in the areas of administration and travel and logistics services.
• 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 will be an advantage.

Language Requirements:

• Proficiency in English and Arabic is required.