Travel Assistant

Job Description

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Management of Travel Functions

• The incumbent is the focal point on all things related to travel and the automated travel system, E2. The incumbent provides a full range of effective travel services to employees and eligible family members with the USAID/Jordan Mission and hosted independent offices, including preparing travel authorizations, arranging travel logistics, and supporting official visits and Mission hosted training events. The full range of official travel include post assignment, Rest and Recuperation (R&R), Home Leave (HL), family visitation, education travel, medical evacuation, Emergency Visitation Travel (EVT), Temporary Duty (TDY), separation/repatriation, invitation travel, and travel for consultations, training, workshops, and conferences.
• The incumbent research, analyzes, reviews, interprets and applies various regulations, and independently provides in-depth guidance and assistance to mission staff on travel and transportation matters. The incumbent is responsible to ensure that travel is arranged and funded in accordance with USG policies and regulations and conducted in the most efficient manner.
• Provides guidance and advice to all Mission personnel on current Mission policies concerning various travel scenarios, including home leave, return to post, home leave transfers, R&R, medical evacuation, invitational travel, emergency visitation travel, educational travel, and TDY. Additionally, the incumbent advises USDH on their entitlement travel, providing justifications and clarification of Mission policies when necessary. For complex inquiries, the incumbent provides regulatory citations for the supervisor’s decisionmaking reference. Furthermore, ensures that any ambiguous interpretations of regulations are welldocumented and justified.
• Offers guidance to employees regarding the Agency’s official and entitlement travel policies and regulations. The role involves independently resolving most complex travel issues, involving researching and interpreting regulations and policies, while presenting innovative solutions to travel concerns within the framework of travel regulations.
• Ensures the prompt and utmost customer satisfaction in the processing of Travel Requests (TR). This involves securing all necessary approval signatures, clearly defining the purpose and official routing, and coordinating with the Travel Management Center (TMC) to arrange reservations and issue tickets.
• Amends existing practices and procedures for all travel activities, streamlining and making more efficient wherever possible, for example, amending lines/the order of travel approvals, designing, and updating travel request forms that comply with new travel regulations/Agency policies. Incumbents regularly resolve problems without assistance. This ability and authority are especially important with travel details that often change daily due to Mission priorities, flight cancellations, weather, and funds availability.
• Prepares electronic and paper Travel Authorizations (TAs) and Open Travel Authorizations (OAs) for official and entitlement travel for all types of employees and eligible family members traveling on official U.S. Government (USG) orders and ensures TAs are completed in accordance with USG policies and
• regulations and funds obligated before travel commences. The incumbent is responsible for issuance of open travel authorizations that cover local travel within Jordan, in addition to open travel authorizations for regional travel outside the United States for SRP and BHA Yemen and BHA Syria employees.
• Provides detailed analysis of cost-constructed travel (authorized vs actual) and ensures USG funding only supports authorized travel.
• Responsible for entering detailed accounting information that accurately reflects authorized expenses in E2. The incumbent provides oversight of travel funded by USAID/Jordan and prepared by another mission to ensure accuracy of calculations and adherence to regulations.
• Ensures all supporting documents sufficient to pass an audit are contained in the file, including authorizations for business class and cost construct calculations.
• Serves as the focal point for the E2 travel system; is responsible for taking the lead to troubleshoot E2 travel system problems and advises Mission personnel on system changes or upgrades. The incumbent also sets up E2 accounts, and changes/adds approvers.
• Provides travel advisory, as advisories become known; offer alternate travel plans for impacted travelers.
• Liaises with the State Department General Services Office (GSO) Shipping Section on Authorized shipments such as Unaccompanied Baggage (UAB), Household Effects (HHE), Privately Owned Vehicle (POV), Consumables and Layette shipments and storage allowances and ensures that the TAs involving such shipments are sent to the USAID/Washington Travel and Transportation (TT) office for their action and provides the expat traveler the needed contacts in the TT section to assist in managing shipments and storage. The incumbent also provides guidance on pet shipments.
• Works with Human Resources and the Financial Management Office to budget for entitlement travel, such as, Permanent Change of Station (PCS), R&R, HL/Return to Post, HL/Transfer, educational travel, medical evacuation, emergency travel, TDY travel, separation and invitational travel; and travel by employees, dependents, and official visitors for consultation, training, workshops, conferences, programs, and other related travel for USAID/Jordan and hosted offices. For (PCS) travel for incoming and outgoing USDH employees and eligible family members, the incumbent negotiates the budget with the losing and gaining mission personnel and ensures funding is received/sent.
• Performs travel services for all official visitors, fellowships, Temporary Duty Staff and VIP visits. In the case of the latter, the incumbent plays an integral role in the preparation of the VIP visit including all associated travel services needed.
• Maintains an electronic and hardcopy filing system for all travel authorizations, and ensures proper maintenance, filing and storage in accordance with the Automated Directive System.
• Prepares and maintains Evacuation Travel Authorizations for US Staff and their eligible family members and prepares evacuation packets. The incumbent ensures that all necessary travel documents are filed and maintained in the vital records system of the Mission.
• Completes ad hoc reports, such as business class usage, hotel usage, and visitors.
• In coordination with the Human Resources Section, the incumbent ensures that traveling employees have obtained necessary medical clearances to perform official travel. The incumbent enrolls FSN staff in Health and Accidental Coverage Insurance for both authorized and personal travel days and ensures that accompanying members have also obtained necessary insurance to perform travel.
• Develops and maintains relationships with local hotels and monitors performance standards of resources and facilitates resolution of problems with airlines and hotels. Maintains contact with appropriate personnel at the offices of the airlines to facilitate resolution of problems.
• Makes necessary hotel reservations in coordination with the Procurement Team for official USAID/Jordan Visitors, Fellowship staff, and TDYers as appropriate; serves as the main point of contact for travel for incoming travelers.
• Calculates the travel compensatory time for both direct and indirect travel and advises mission travelers on the authorized compensatory time earned according to the regulations.
• Ensures travelers have completed ECC requests and have received approval before ticket issuance. The incumbent ensures travelers have notified the Regional Security Office with travel plans prior to traveling.
• For domestic trips attended by multiple parties, ensures maximum efficiency in the use of the USG resources by consolidating requirements and providing transportation options that adequately support the trip. The incumbent arranges travel in a manner that maximizes USG assets and funds.
• Liaises with the State Department Travel Section on the preparation of the required documents for visa issuance for US Direct hires employees for official travel; the incumbent obtains forms and prepares necessary documentation and follows-up to ensure visas are received in a timely manner.
• Advises employees and administrative assistants on the preparation of accurate travel vouchers.
• Being the final recipient of the Travel Authorization, the incumbent ensures the accuracy and inclusion of all need-to-know offices, such as Human Resources, Procurement, and Finance.

Travel Management and Policy Guidance

• The incumbent is responsible for staying current on travel policy changes and updates while effectively communicating these changes to Mission personnel and hosted offices. Responsibilities include: maintaining the Travel Mission Order, preparing Mission Notices regarding travel-related changes, providing technical guidance to USAID employees, particularly regarding entitlement travel like R&R, HL/Return to Post, and HL/Transfer, and providing recommendations to the Deputy EXO based on research and interpretation of various regulations, such as the Automated Directive System (ADS), Foreign Affairs Manuals (FAM), Foreign Affairs Handbook (FAH), Federal Travel Regulations (FTR), and Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR).
• The incumbent ensures employees are well-informed about post-funded travel matters and offers guidance to both travelers and mission management on travel rules and regulations. Furthermore, the incumbent delivers briefings or presentations on travel policies, procedures, and the E2 system for newcomers, during orientation, or when implementing new procedures or policies.
• The incumbent is also responsible for establishing and maintaining the travel section page on the Mission’s Intranet. This involves ensuring that employees have easy access to travel information, regulations, and needed details and forms, in one place. This also includes uploading and regularly updating relevant documentation to official and entitlement travel, such as revisions to Mission Order(s) concerning travel, per diem rates, and other travel related matters.

Travel Database Monitoring, Maintenance and Financial Reconciliations

• Database Management
  • The incumbent is responsible for the comprehensive management of travel databases and documentation, with a primary focus on expatriate staff entitlement travel for USAID/Jordan and its hosted offices. This entails the continuous monitoring, maintenance, and handling of the database to ensure it remains up-todate, accurate, and fully compliant with relevant regulations. Additionally, the incumbent is responsible for the proper filing of electronic and paper travel authorization records, adhering to the Automated Directives System (ADS) to securely file and store these documents within the Mission’s vital records and filing systems. The incumbent is also responsible for maintaining accurate and reliable travel records, allowing the incumbent to run daily reports on staff whereabouts within and outside the country. Moreover, the incumbent oversees the preparation and submission of vital records and file plans within the travel section, ensuring strict adherence to established procedures to enhance the overall efficiency and integrity of USAID Jordan travel management systems.
• Monthly Financial Reconciliation
  • On a monthly basis, the incumbent reconciles credit card bills, provides supporting and funding documents to allow payment of travel services received by the contracted Travel Management Contractor (TMC) and payment of the traveler’s Declining Balance Card. The incumbent provides recommendations for payment to include airfare charges, TMC fees, Health and Accidental Coverage Insurance (HAC) costs, hotel receipts provided to employees during official travel, and all other associated expenses incurred by the agency and the traveler during official travel.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

Applications will be initially screened for eligibility in accordance with the qualification criteria below.

Applicants must address each criterion in their application to meet the below minimum qualifications for this position.

a. Education: Completion of secondary schooling, and two or more years of post-secondary schooling or community college diploma is required. Also, additional experience may NOT be substituted for Education. Supporting documentation (i.e., a copy of Community College Diploma/ University Degree must be included in the application for eligibility purposes).

b. Prior Work Experience: Three years of progressively responsible experience in travel or travelrelated industry, or in an administrative position with responsibilities for arranging visas, tickets, and hotel reservations, and providing customer service support is required.

c. Language Proficiency: Level IV (fluent) English and Arabic proficiency for both oral and written communication is required. At Level IV, an employee is required to possess a high degree of proficiency in both written and spoken English, including the ability to translate the host country language into precise and correct English, and English into the applicable foreign language. On occasion, an employee at this level might be expected to act as an interpreter in situations where considerable importance attaches to proper word meaning. English proficiency will be tested. A minimum score of 785 on the TOEIC exam (Listening & Reading components only) is required. Examination scores must have been recorded within the last five years; or else, candidates will be tested again.

d. Skills and abilities: The incumbent must have demonstrated ability to operate within a highly functioning diversified team and independently manage the travel section, carrying out a wide range of travel related functions. This includes an in-depth knowledge of world-wide travel and transportation rules and regulations. The incumbent must exercise discretion and confidentiality particularly when dealing with Personal Identifiable Information (PII), medical travel evacuation data, and other sensitive information. The incumbent must demonstrate a high level of persistence, flexibility, problem-solving, prioritization, time management to meet deadlines, accuracy, attention to detail, consistency, punctuality, and quality control when performing duties. The incumbent must possess the ability to analyze and interpret rules and regulations together with ability to explain processes to mission staff and recommend improvements to processes to enhance efficiency. The incumbent must have skills in formulating budgets and estimating, processing, and auditing travel financial related data. The incumbent must demonstrate excellent written and oral communication skills, exercise the highest levels of tact and diplomacy, and must have the ability to produce error free documents and explain complex travel regulations and tailor communication to match the audience. The incumbent must have excellent proficiency in computer and office software, including agencyspecific software, and must be proficient in Windows, Microsoft Office suite, and Google Suite.

DEADLINE: AUGUST 3, 2024