Travel Support Specialist-536289

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), Executive Office (EX), Procurement and Administrative Services Division (PAS), has a requirement for contractor support to its E2 travel operations team. As part of ECA/EX’s effort to increase the PAS travel team’s operational capacity and capabilities, the Government intends to procure two full time E2 travel experts (one at junior level and one at senior level) to assist the travel team with its full range of travel operations. These operations are comprised of six distinct functional areas: E2 Operations, Passport and Visa Processing, Travel Analytics and Operational Assessments, Customer Relations, Policy, and Customer Training. The contractor will complete day-to-day operations in each of these areas, bring both existing E2 and State Department knowledge, as well as industry best practices, to PAS travel team operations.

Responsibilities: 

• The contractor shall utilize existing knowledge and best practices to assist the PAS travel team with all obligations and operations taking place within the E2 travel system. Tasks in the area include the following:
• Following all government-wide and State Department specific regulations, review, edit, return and/or process all travel authorizations and vouchers submitted for ECA, R/PPR, and GEC employees. This is inclusive of all amendments that may be necessary to submitted authorizations and vouchers.
• Attend, either in-person or remotely, all State Department and/or government-wide meetings involving updates or changes that impact ECA E2 travel and operations. Report all pertinent information back to the PAS travel team, making updates to processes accordingly.
• Control and maintain all ECA, R/PPR, and GEC E2 user accounts, ensuring that user lists remain up to date and accurate.
• Monitor government employee travel frequency in the E2 system, enforcing travel card use requirements as appropriate. Administer corrective actions as appropriate, based on incidents of travel card fraud, waste, and abuse.
• The contractor shall assist the PAS travel team in all ECA/EX diplomatic passport and vise obligations. Tasks in this area include the following:
• Create, review, and process all passport and visa sponsor letters requiring the signature of the EX Director. Maintain an archive of signed letters.Serve as a named diplomatic courier, retrieving approved diplomatic passport and visa packages on behalf of the customer base, from embassies located throughout Washington, DC.
• The contractor shall run reports in the E2 system and conduct assessments of ECA travel operations. Tasks in this area include the following:
• Run travel reports utilizing both the E2 system and existing/historical information, compiling diverse data sets into various user-friendly formats and displays depending on the audience.  
• Analyze and complete in-depth assessments of PAS travel team staffing and operations, identifying areas of strength and weakness, internal and external risk areas, underlying causes of problem areas, and suggested solutions.
• Analyze and complete in-depth assessments of ECA, R/PPR, and GEC customer travel operations ,identifying customer best practices, areas of weakness, impacts of problem areas on the PAS travel team, mitigation options for PAS travel, and overall solutions to the identified weaknesses.
• The contractor shall serve as the E2 expert for all ECA, R/PPR, and GEC customers, handling all questions and concerns about system operations, and assisting them in identifying future travel needs. Tasks in this area include the following:
• Operate a dedicated phone line for customer E2 problems and concerns between the hours of 0900 and 1500, Monday – Friday, with the exception of Federal Holidays, troubleshooting reported issues. All requests for assistance must be responded to within on business hour, with the majority expected to be resolved within 24 hours.
• Serve as desk-side support for all Senior Leadership at the 2200 C St. NW, Washington DC, 20037 locations, (Deputy Assistant Secretary/equivalent and higher) for all E2 problems and concerns between the hours of 0900 and 1500, Monday – Friday, with the exception of Federal Holidays. All requests for assistance must be responded to within on business hour, with the majority expected to be resolved within 24 hours.
• Meeting with all customer groups on a quarterly basis and identify all anticipated travel for that time period. Report the results of these interactions to the PWS travel team.
• The contractor shall utilize knowledge of State Department Travel Policy and operation to assist the Government in efforts to draft travel policy and associated SOPs. Tasks in the area include the following:
• Review ECA/EX travel operations, and utilizing knowledge of existing travel policy, draft implemental and supplemental local policy to structure customer, travel team, and E2 roles, responsibilities, and expectations.
• Review ECA/EX travel operations, and utilizing knowledge of existing travel policy, draft SOPs
• The contractor shall create both travel trainings and educational material, and host trainings on travel operations. Tasks in the area include the following:
• Develop training on the E2 system, updating as SOPs, system changes, and best practices emerge, and host trainings on the material for the customers on a quarterly basis.
• Develop onboarding training on the E2 system inclusive of basics such as system purpose and how to obtain a log on, updating as SOPs, system changes, and best practices emerge, and host trainings on the material as needed for onboarding employee groups.
• Develop training on all aspects of traveling within the State Department, updating as SOPs, system changes, and best practices emerge. These trainings may be inclusive of trainings on the local policy and SOPs that are created under this contract. Host trainings on the material for the customers on as the new material arises.
• Create general educational materials, such as brochures, info graphs, and tips and tricks, on State Department Travel. Send these materials to the customer base via month travel notes emails.

• Experience with booking government travel (domestic and international)
• Experience with E2 travel system is a plus
• Ability to obtain a Secret Security Clearance

Other Duties: 
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.