Travel Assistant

Job Posting Organization:
The job posting organization is the FAO Shared Services Centre (SSC), which is dedicated to ensuring effective process management and procedures. The SSC focuses on quality assurance activities related to transactional processes and service delivery. It aims to enhance customer satisfaction, whether internal or external, while pursuing a continuous improvement agenda that drives service excellence and reduces costs through process standardization, automation, and self-service capabilities. The SSC operates in Budapest, Hungary, and is part of a larger organization that likely has a global presence, although specific details about the number of employees or countries of operation are not provided in the job ad.

Job Overview:
The Travel Assistant position is crucial for coordinating and performing a comprehensive range of travel support and administrative processing functions. The incumbent is responsible for ensuring the quality, transparency, and consistency of data, processes, and services within their area of responsibility. This role contributes significantly to the smooth functioning of the unit's operations. The Travel Assistant will report to the National Professional Officer of the Travel Unit and will receive guidance from the Travel Associate. The position requires a degree of independence, as the incumbent will make decisions regarding work priorities while focusing on the quality of work output. Additionally, the Travel Assistant will provide guidance and advice to other travel support staff, indicating a leadership role within the team.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Travel Assistant will have a variety of duties and responsibilities, including but not limited to: processing travel expense claims by verifying travel performed against entitlements and computing costs within FAO liability; identifying and claiming refunds of travel costs from carriers, travel agents, or travelers, and taking necessary follow-up actions; processing lump sum payments and post-factum claims while verifying correctness with FAO travel agents in cases of complex fares; providing guidance and advice on travel rules and procedures to SSC/Divisions, Offices, Centres/Field Offices staff; managing the Travel E-mail account to address queries related to travel payments, recoveries, and entitlements; verifying the correctness of records related to travelers in corporate systems to ensure proper accounting transactions; reviewing daily rejections lists related to travel payments and investigating incorrect entries; reconciling monthly recoveries reports for submission to Accounts Receivable; assisting Accounts Payable in clearing consultants' honoraria payments; addressing and initiating requests in the Service Now customer portal; and supporting corporate initiatives in line with the Corporate Environmental Responsibility Strategy. The Travel Assistant may also be required to perform other duties as needed, emphasizing the dynamic nature of this role.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must meet several minimum requirements to be considered for the Travel Assistant position. These include having a secondary school education and a minimum of four years of relevant experience in office, travel, and/or accounting support work. Additionally, candidates should possess a working knowledge of English at a proficient level (C). IT skills are also essential, with a very good knowledge of MS Office applications, the Internet, and office technology equipment being required. Furthermore, residency requirements stipulate that General Service Staff must be recruited locally, meaning candidates must be nationals of Hungary or possess a valid visa or work permit to work in the country and reside within commuting distance of the duty station at the time of application.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for the Travel Assistant position is a secondary school education. This foundational level of education is essential for understanding the administrative and operational tasks associated with the role, particularly in the context of travel and accounting support work.

Experience:
The position requires candidates to have a minimum of four years of relevant experience in office, travel, and/or accounting support work. This level of experience is crucial for ensuring that the incumbent is well-versed in the complexities of travel coordination and administrative processing, as well as the financial aspects related to travel expenses and claims.

Languages:
A working knowledge of English at a proficient level (C) is mandatory for this position. Additionally, it is desirable for candidates to have intermediate knowledge (level B) of another FAO official language, which could include Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish. This multilingual capability would enhance communication and collaboration within the international context of the FAO.

Additional Notes:
The job posting indicates that the position is for General Service Staff, who are recruited locally. Candidates must be nationals of Hungary or possess a valid visa or work permit to work in the country. They must also reside within commuting distance of the duty station at the time of application. The term 'commuting distance' refers to the ability to travel daily between the workplace and residence. The job does not specify the contract duration, seniority level, or whether it is full-time or part-time, nor does it provide details on compensation or benefits.