Assistant Project Officer with World Bank in Washington, DC, United States

About the World Bank Group:

Established in 1944, the World Bank Group (WBG) is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, the WBG works with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges.

GLOBAL CORPORATE SOLUTIONS

Reporting to the Managing Director and World Bank Group Chief Administrative Officer, Global Corporate Solutions (GCS) brings together the functions of Corporate Security, Corporate Real Estate, and Corporate Services.  

ABOUT THE UNIT

The Corporate Services (GCSCS) unit within GCS provides services to the World Bank Group in the areas of Travel and Visa services; Translation and Interpretation; Creative Services (which includes Printing Services; Graphic Design, and Editorial Production & Publications); Food and Conference Services, and Audio Visual Services; Mail & Shipping; Staff Services (which includes: Fitness Center, Child Care, and Commuter Services);  and the Art Program. The unit also provides administrative support/oversight to the WBG Family Networkand the 1818 Society, and is responsible for setting the policy framework and service standards, and for delivering services through a combination of staff and vendors at WBG headquarters (HQ) in Washington, DC and in Country Offices.  GCSCS has about 130 staff and about 1,000 contractors. 

Having gone through an internal reorganization, GCS is now implementing a large-scale change program, focused on taking service delivery to the next level, becoming more agile and responsive, and providing value for money, including continual benchmarking of services against external comparators and simplifying and integrating products and services to better serve staff and clients.

To achieve its purpose, GCSCS has restructured the overall work program into two main divisions with an objective of providing seamless services to staff and clients: (I) Travel and Client/Staff Services, and (II) Integrated Business Services. GCSCS also has the GCS Service Desk and Business Unit support team in Chennai.

The Travel and Visa Services Unit is part of the Travel and Client/Staff Services team and is responsible for all pre-trip activities to include the management and oversight of the pre-trip approval process, travel services provided by Travel Management Companies (TMCs), global airline contracts, global preferred hotels, visa processing at HQ, UNLP processing for all WBG staff, unscheduled air charter services, and travel technologies. The WBG spent $450M annually on travel, with approximately 137,000 trips, pre-COVID.

GCS is now recruiting an Assistant Project Officer to join the Travel and Visa Services Unit.

This position will be responsible for managing the TMC contract and the visa services contract for travelers based in the United States. The United States is serviced by one TMC, with a large team of virtual agents providing 24/7 support. Visa services are provided to the United States travelers by a third party supplier that also provides support for the UNLP application process. 

Positions within the Travel and Visa Services Unit are dynamic and therefore rotation of responsibilities could occur over time. With this in mind, candidates with a broad base of travel management skills will be given stronger consideration. 

The position focuses on three main priorities: (1) managing the TMC contract for the United States, including conducting quarterly reviews to ensure contract compliance, while identifying areas for service improvements/enhancements; (2) managing the visa services contract, including oversight for the processing of the UNLPs and conducting quarterly reviews to ensure contract compliance, while identifying areas for service improvements/enhancements; (3) actively supporting other initiatives within the Travel and Visa Services Unit that impact the TMC and visa services suppliers in the United States.   

Responsibilities

•Manage the TMC contract for the United States.

•Monitor contractor performance against defined statement of work.

•Interpret travel policy for travelers, managers, and TMCs.

•Monitor customer feedback/inquiries ensuring responses are timely and appropriate.

•Contribute to strategy, analysis, and policy formation.

•Manage the Visa contract for the United States.

•Monitor contractor performance against defined statement of work.

•Interpret travel-related visa policy for travelers, managers, and TMCs.

•Monitor customer feedback/inquiries ensuring responses are timely and appropriate.

•Ensure UNLP processes are in compliance with United Nations guidelines, including the collection of the UNLPs from WBG staff who leave the organization.

•Actively support the initiatives underway within the Travel and Visa Services Unit.

•Support preferred global hotel program.

•Support preferred global air program, ensuring that TMC is applying discounts correctly and according to policy.

•Support technology initiatives, ensuring that vendors are actively supporting solutions for WBG staff.

•Support data aggregation initiatives, ensuring that vendors are providing data per WBG requirements.

Selection Criteria

•Master’s degree, with 2 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. The equivalent combination of education could be a Bachelors degree with at least 5 years of relevant experience in the corporate travel industry.

•Extensive knowledge of  global travel service delivery and the associated operational processes within TMC space (i.e., ACD phone systems, GDS, mobile apps., MIS, financials).

•Strong inter-personal skills, ability to interact effectively with clients and colleagues from various cultural backgrounds.

•Strong customer orientation and ability to deal with sensitive issues with tact, discretion, and diplomacy.

•Strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

•High level of personal motivation, eagerness to take new initiatives, and ability to work autonomously with limited supervision.

•Strong organizational skills, meticulous attention to detail, and ability to prioritize and meet multiple deadlines.

•Excellent oral and written communication skills.

WBG Values Competencies:

•Commitment to innovation: learning and adapting to find better ways of doing things.

•Highest personal integrity and sound judgment with demonstrated ability to handle confidential matters in a discreet and respectful manner.

•Respect and compassion for individuals and the WBG, its mission, objectives and values.

•Commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, and sensitivity to the WBG’s distinctive demographic and cross-cultural context and influences.

•Ability to inspire trust, to build effective work relations with internal clients and colleagues, and to listen patiently and empathetically without forming hasty judgments.

General competencies:

•Initiative – Self motivated to pursue new opportunities to enhance the traveler experience/travel program.

•Flexibility – Demonstrates the ability to adapt plans, tasks and resources to meet objectives and/or work with others.

•Analytical Research and Writing – Able to undertake analytical research on topics requested by others.  Shares findings with colleagues and other relevant parties.

•Client Orientation – Takes personal responsibility and accountability for timely response to client queries, requests or needs, working to remove obstacles that may impede execution or overall success.

•Drive for Results – Takes personal ownership and accountability to meet deadlines and achieve   agreed- upon results and has the personal organization to do so.

•Teamwork, Collaboration and Inclusion – Collaborates with other team members and colleagues across units and contributes productively to the work and outputs of the team, as well as partners’ or stakeholders’, demonstrating respect for different points of view.

•Growth-mindset and Agile – Proactively action-oriented and outcome-focused. Proposes and implements strategic and practical adjustments to ensure optimal client service and maximum impact.

•Knowledge, Learning and Communication – Actively seeks the knowledge needed to complete assignments and shares knowledge with others, communicating and presenting information in a clear, accurate and organized manner with exceptional attention to detail.

•Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making – Analyzes facts and data to support sound, logical decisions regarding own and others’ work.

Closing Date:

4/30/2021

Language Proficiency: English is Essential

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