Travel Services Officer (Internally Only)

UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5.8 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA's services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East with more than 30,000 staff. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. If you are looking for a rewarding opportunity to make a tangible difference for one of the most vulnerable communities in the world, UNRWA would like to hear from you. The incumbent of the post supervises the Travel Assistants and professional staff in the Travel Unit within the Administrative Services Section.

Coordinates and manages travel-related processes for international staff throughout onboarding and separation, in collaboration with HR and relevant departments. Responsibilities include contacting newly appointed staff prior to arrival to provide guidance on travel authorizations, ticketing, visas, United Nations Laissez-Passer (UNLPs), residencies, and duty-free privileges, while ensuring all required documentation is completed. Upon arrival, provides support on travel entitlements and related administrative matters to facilitate smooth settlement. At separation, oversees return travel arrangements, processes travel-related clearance forms, and liaises with customs and government authorities for clearance of personal effects and the release or disposal of duty-free vehicles, ensuring full compliance with organizational procedures and host country regulations. Manages all travel operations, ensuring timely, efficient, and compliant services for all staff and delegations. Responsibilities include certifying and approving travel requests, authorizations, tickets, invoices, and travel claims in line with UNRWA travel rules and regulations. Oversees official, emergency, medical evacuation, and VIP travel, ensuring prompt ticketing, accurate claims, and proper approvals. Monitors travel agents’ performance, certifies their bills and financial transactions. Provides guidance to staff on travel entitlements and maintains records to ensure accountability, transparency, and effective service delivery. Oversees the full lifecycle management of Travel documents, UNLPs, including issuance, renewal, replacement, and cancellation, in close coordination with UNOG/UNHQ. Maintains accurate custody records and reporting controls for both active and cancelled UNLPs, ensuring secure handling, accountability, and compliance with UN travel document policies. Manages customs clearance processes for official shipments, office equipment, and vehicles, as well as personal effects of international staff during onboarding and separation. Coordinates all aspects of duty-free privileges, including VAT refund, the purchase, clearance, registration, and sale of vehicles; renewal of vehicle registrations; and facilitation of driving license issuance and renewal, ensuring full adherence to host government regulations and organizational procedures. Develops and implements standardized onboarding plans, welcome-SOPs, and protocols, providing initial induction, and communicating with new hires after job offer acceptance. Ensures a seamless onboarding process by connecting new hires to respective departments or field offices, facilitating their proper installation at the duty station, and leaving them with a positive impression. Provides operational and managerial support to the supervisor by: Securing of visas, permits, ID cards, exemption cards, driving licenses and other official documents for UNRWA HQ(A) staff (International and Area) and dependents, as applicable, from host government authorities, including record keeping and ensuring return of documents on completion of assignments; secures visas and permits as applicable for official UNRWA travelers including consultants, official visitors and eligible family members as well as domestic workers of UNRWA HQ(A) staff from relevant embassies and/or host government offices. Following up with UNOG to ensure appropriate and timely issuance of visas and UNLPs. Ensuing that travel and accommodation arrangements are made for official travelers in accordance with security requirements and, where applicable, their dependents, including handling and processing of tickets and hotel accommodation invoices and ensures requests for land transport. Reviewing official communications as required and maintains working relationship with the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, Department for Palestinian Affairs, local police authorities and foreign embassies located in Amman; acts as a member of the Protocol Issues Working Group to provide Agency input on a variety of protocol-related matters. Ensures the receipt and preparation of required travel documentation, including issuance of travel authorizations (TT8) in coordination with requesting staff members and offices for proper record and reimbursement process. Drafting official communications as required to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, foreign embassies and other official departments in Amman; prepares circulars on travel, visa and UNLP issues as requested. Provides the supervisor with the following strategic support: Drafting procedural office instructions for approval; revises and where required, develops Agency-wide Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in coordination with the administrative/travel teams in the UNRWA Field Offices in their daily operations. Ensures compliance and provides technical guidance to Field offices for complicated matters and support. Preparing input for reports and enquiries from internal and/or external stakeholders. Preparing all requisite reports to audit, inspection and other governing and oversight bodies in consultation with Compliance and Policy Monitoring Section. Preparing all management reports and statistics on the work of the unit. Monitoring quality and accuracy of outputs made by the Unit staff members. Be responsible for the Agency-wide automation of travel process and functioning of Travel Management System (TMS), including further development of TMS functions and screens for use at all Agency locations to ensure effective and efficient services for internal clients. Prepares and submits monthly operational reports covering travel statistics, financial data, and compliance indicators. Ensures inclusion of carbon emission tracking for all official travel; supports the Agency’s “Greening the UN” initiatives, and monitors adherence to sustainable travel practices in line with UNRWA’s environmental commitments and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Provides analysis and recommendations to management on reducing environmental impact and improving efficiency of travel processes. Promotes continuous learning within the Travel Unit by providing functional guidance and on the- job training to staff.

UN Core Values of Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity, and Core Competencies of Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results apply by default. Relating and Networking. Planning and Organizing. Leading and Supervising. Accountability. Client orientation. Teamwork.

A first university degree from an accredited educational institution in Business/Public Administration, International Relations, Transport/Travel Management, or related field.

Not available.

A minimum of Six years of progressively responsible relevant work experience in travel, visa, protocol, or related administrative services, including at least two years in an international or large multi-cultural organization. is required Experience in handling official travel documents, certification of transactions, travel claims, and liaison with government authorities such as ministries, customs, and embassies. is required Proven experience in supervising staff and managing contracts, as well as knowledge of ERP systems such as SAP, is required. Are you a registered Palestine refugee? If yes, please provide your Ration Card Number. It is highly recommended to respond to this question in order to assist us in further assessing your application. Please explain below? Is required. Do you have close relative(s) in UNRWA (mother, father, daughter, son, sister brother)? If yes, please provide full name(s) and relationship. It is highly recommended to respond to this question in order to assist us in further assessing your application. Please explain below. Is required Candidates are required to make a declaration as to whether they have any current or past affiliations with non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, political organizations, military, or have/are engaged in activities or have made any public statements, that could be seen to impact their neutrality, objectivity or independence in the performance of their duties for the UN / UNRWA. Any declaration will not necessarily disqualify candidates from consideration for this post. Proficiency in the use of MS Office and Excel is desirable.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English

and

Arabic are required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult

https://languages.un.org

for details).

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Required Languages

Language

Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking

English

UN Level III

UN Level III

UN Level III

UN Level III

Arabic

UN Level III

UN Level III

UN Level III

UN Level III

The candidate will be required to take a technical test and a competency-based interview.

Type of Contract: Fixed Term Appointment for 1 year, with the possibility of further extension, subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory performance, and continuing need." Grade and Salary: Grade 16 Monthly basic salary JD 1098.90. Other benefits: Other benefits include a monthly Provident Fund contribution (15.4% of basic salary paid by the Agency), compulsory medical insurance, 30 days of annual leave, and dependency allowance (if applicable). Additional benefits: - 2 days of sick leave for each completed month of service. - 14 weeks of Maternity Leave. - 2 weeks paternity leave. This vacancy notice is open to INTERNAL CANDIDATES ONLY. Only candidates residing in Amman, and within commuting distance of the duty station with authorization to work in the duty station at the time of application are eligible to apply. The Agency will not assume responsibility or accountability to support or facilitate the issuance of work permit in Jordan, and without a valid work permit, the appointment may be rescinded. - The incumbent may be required to travel in the Agency’s area of operations. - The incumbent may be required to work outside normal duty hours and on call basis. Preference will be given to registered Palestine refugees and candidates assisting the Agency to meet its commitment to gender parity. Only applications that have been fully completed in UNRWA's online e-recruitment system Inspira will be considered, and no late applications will be accepted. The Personal History Profile (PHP) should be completed with full work experience under the experience tabs as per the requirements in the Job Opening. All university degrees must also be stated where applicable. UNRWA personnel must ensure adding their contract type and grade level. For UNRWA internal staff, they are required to specify and include their current UNRWA grade level. To do so applicants should select under "Category" RLG, scroll down to see all categories, then select their local grade. Given the large pool of applicants, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for further assessment. Applicants applying for positions for Grades 12 to 20 or LDC Bands E to H must submit a cover letter/motivational statement in order to be considered. Providing incorrect or misleading information on an application form will result in the immediate disqualification of the candidate. Advertisements published in English will only accept applications in English, other language submissions including Arabic will not be considered. UNRWA welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities. A roster may be created from the selection exercise, and successful candidates may become eligible for appointment to the same post or a similar post, when the need arises. Equivalency: Equivalency may apply for this post. NB: Work experience alone or formal qualifications with no relevant work experience are not considered an acceptable combination. The Agency disqualifies applicants whose name appears on the UN Sanctions List or a UN database of staff separated for reasons of misconduct or of staff who separated while a misconduct process was pending. UNRWA shares investigation and misconduct information with other UN Agencies, and past and prospective employers about staff members who have been separated for misconduct, or who have separated while an investigation and/or disciplinary process for misconduct is underway; and those individuals may be prohibited from employment with the United Nations. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states, regional bodies, business foundations and individual contributions. The mission of UNRWA is to help Palestine refugees achieve their full potential in human development under the difficult circumstances in which they live. For more details on UNRWA, please visit: https://www.unrwa.org

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA and to assignment by him or her. UNRWA is committed to achieving gender parity at all levels of staffing under the current UN-wide gender agenda and strongly encourages applications from qualified applicants from under-represented groups. At UNRWA, 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. UNRWA is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. UNRWA Considerations UNRWA staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of efficiency, competence, neutrality, impartiality and integrity. This includes respect for and commitment to human rights, diversity and non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. Candidates will not be considered for employment with UNRWA 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. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. The Agency may disqualify applicants who have separated for reason of misconduct, who left a UN Agency while misconduct processes were pending, or who appear on the UN Sanctions List. UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment. Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side 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.

THE UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST (UNRWA) DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE OR REQUEST MONEY FROM CANDIDATES AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDING PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING, ONBOARDING). UNRWA DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.