Travel Assistant (GSO)

Announcement Number: HANOI-2025-01 Hiring Agency: Embassy Hanoi Position Title: Travel Assistant (GSO) - All Interested Applicants / All Sources Open Period: 01/02/2025 - 01/17/2025 Format MM/DD/YYYY Vacancy Time Zone: GMT+7 Series/Grade: LE - 0910 7 Salary: USD $14,400 /Per Year Work Schedule: Full-time - 40 hours per week. Indefinite subject to successful completion of probationary period. Promotion Potential: LE-7 Duty Location(s): 1 in Hanoi, VM Telework Eligible: No For More Info: HR Section 84-24-38505000/Ext.5136 HanoiHR@state.gov

Overview

Hiring Path:

Open to the public

Who May Apply/Clarification From the Agency: Open to All Interested Applicants / All Sources For USEFM - FP grade is FP-7. Actual FP salary authorized by Washington D.C. Security Clearance Required: Public Trust - Background Investigation Appointment Type: Permanent Appointment Type Details: Full-time, 40 hours per week. Indefinite subject to successful completion of probationary period. Marketing Statement: We encourage you to review the Eight (8) Qualities of Overseas Employees before you apply. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO): The U.S. Mission provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation. Summary: The U.S. Mission in Vietnam is seeking eligible and qualified applicants for the Travel Assistant position in the General Services Office. Supervisory Position: No Relocation Expenses Reimbursed: No Travel Required: Not Required

Duties

The jobholder reports directly to the Travel Supervisor. This position is primarily tasked with managing visa processing and logistical arrangements for official travel and VIP visits. Key responsibilities include processing Vietnamese visa requests for temporary duty (TDY) assignments and VIP visitors, as well as facilitating visa applications for third countries related to official travel. The incumbent will prepare essential documentation to send the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and liaising with Vietnamese Embassies to address any issues that arise. The position requires maintaining a thorough and current understanding of immigration laws and regulations to ensure compliance. Regarding logistical arrangements for official travel and VIP visits, the incumbent will be responsible assisting request for hotel reservations, submitting requests for expeditor services, and motor pool arrangements. This involves preparing and consolidating procurement orders, reviewing requests for accuracy, and ensuring that all services are documented and verified upon delivery. The job also involves doing market research and building good relationships with hotels to quickly secure reservations and meet special requests. It also includes preparing and approving Travel Authorizations while acting as the main backup for the Travel Supervisor, which requires a strong knowledge of U.S. government travel rules. This is a customer service position; the incumbent is expected to provide expedient, friendly, and professional service to Embassy Hanoi clients and DC counterparts.

Qualifications and Evaluations

Requirements: All selected candidates must be able to obtain and hold a security clearance (public trust). All selected candidates will be subject to a background investigation and may be subject to a pre-employment medical exam. Selected candidate must be able to begin working from 45 day to 90 days upon receipt of agency authorization and/or clearances/certifications or their candidacy may end. Education Requirements: College or university studies is required. Please address this factor in your ERA application under Education. Evaluations: You will be evaluated against the qualifications and requirements in this vacancy announcement. You may be asked to complete a pre-employment language or skills test. You must complete the application form and provide the required documents. Your application must address all the position qualifications and requirements including education, experience, language, and any knowledge/skills/abilities listed. If you fail to submit a complete application, then your application may be disqualified for this position. Qualifications: Experience: Two years of work experience in visa processing or logistic arrangement or the travel/hospitality field is required. Please address this factor in your ERA application under Major Duties and Responsibilities. Language: Good working knowledge in Speaking/Reading/Writing is required. (This will be tested.) Fluent in Speaking/Reading/Writing Vietnamese is required. Please address this language requirement in your ERA application. Job Knowledge: Excellent understanding of Vietnamese immigration laws, visa processing systems, and related protocols to ensure compliance for TDY, VIP visitors, and third-country travel. Please address this factor in your ERA application under Major Duties and Responsibilities. Skills And Abilities: Must be customer-service oriented and be able to deal tactfully and effectively in English and Vietnamese with a variety of local and overseas vendors and U.S. citizen clients. Must have exceptional interpersonal skills. Must have basic MS Office skills and intermediate Internet searching capabilities. Please address this factor in your ERA application under Major Duties and Responsibilities.

Benefits and Other Info

Benefits: Agency Benefits: LE Staff working at the U.S. Mission in Vietnam will receive the following allowances and benefits in addition to the annual basic salary listed above.

Allowances:

Unique Conditions of Work Allowance: 7% of Annual basic salary (subject to review every year). Miscellaneous Benefits Allowance: US$1,000 per annum for FSN-09 and below, and US$3,000 per annum for FSN-10 and above.

Benefits

Tet Bonus - one-month basic salary Merit Based Compensation - annual salary increase based on performance Annual leave - 120 hours per year and the annual leave hours will increase every five years of creditable service according to local labor law Sick leave according to local labor law Family leave - up to 5 days and other special leave as stipulated in the local labor law American and Vietnamese holidays up to 21 days per year Invest in yourself - 1 day Contribution to mandatory insurances according to Vietnam's Government law and regulation including social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance Supplemental Health Insurance that the U.S. Mission covers 90% of the premium for employees and each eligible family member Mission cash award for outstanding performance Training opportunities abroad, in-country, on-the-job and online sources for professional career development For Eligible Family Member (EFM) applicants, benefits should be discussed with the HR Office. The pay plan is assigned by the HR Office and confirmed by Washington, D.C. Other Information: HIRING PREFERENCE SELECTION PROCESS:  A hiring preference is extended to eligible and qualified applicants in the order listed below. It is essential you accurately describe your status in your application, failure to do so may result in a determination that you are not eligible for a hiring preference. HIRING PREFERENCE ORDER

Appointment Eligible Family Member (AEFM) / U.S. citizen Eligible Family Member (USEFM) who is a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran*
AEFM / USEFM
Foreign Service (FS) on Leave without Pay (LWOP) and Civil Service (CS) with reemployment rights **

* IMPORTANT:  US citizen Eligible Family Member (USEFM) applicants who claim status as a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran must submit a copy of their most recent DD-214 (“Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty”) preferably Member Copy 4, Letter from Veterans’ Affairs which indicates the present existence of a service-connected disability, equivalent documentation, or certification.  A “certification” is any written document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions within 120 days after the certification is submitted by the applicant. The certification letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service.  Acceptable documentation must be submitted in order for the preference to be given.  ** This level of preference applies to all FS employees on LWOP and CS with re-employment rights back to their agency or bureau. For complete definitions of AEFM, USEFM, EFM, Member of Household, etc., please visit the 3 FAM 7210 Definitions. ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT CONSIDERATIONS The following apply to EFMs, USEFMs, and AEFMs only:

Current employees who used a hiring preference to gain employment who are within their first 90 calendar days of employment are not eligible. This does not apply when the hiring mechanism is TEMP or the work schedule is intermittent or irregular.
Candidates with a hiring preference who have already accepted a conditional offer of employment may NOT be extended a second conditional offer of employment unless and until they withdraw their candidacy for the first position in writing.

The following apply to Locally Employed (LE) staff only:

Current employees serving a probationary period are not eligible.
Current employees with an Overall Summary Rating of Needs Improvement, Unsatisfactory, or an MBC score of less than 100 points on their most recent Employee Performance Report are not eligible.

How to Apply

How to Apply: Click the “Apply to This Vacancy” button at the top of the page to begin your application. For an instructional video on how to apply click here. Please address all relevant experience, education, language skills (including English), and job related skills or requirements in your application. You may edit your application any time before the vacancy closing date. If you fail to submit a complete application by the vacancy closing date of this vacancy, then your application may be disqualified for this position. A copy of the complete position description listing all of the duties, responsibilities, required qualifications, etc is posted with the vacancy announcement on the U.S. Mission internet website: https://vn.usembassy.gov/jobs/. You may also contact the Human Resources Office via HanoiHR@state.gov to obtain it. To request a reasonable accommodation, please contact the HR Office. We foster a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible workplace where employees can be themselves. We invite qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply. Required Documents: Please upload all applicable documents to your application. If you fail to submit a complete application, then your application may be disqualified for this position. All Applicants:

College/University's degree (required)
Proof of Citizenship (required)

In addition, Eligible Family Member (EFM) Applicants must submit:

Copy of Sponsor's Travel Orders/Assignment Notification (or equivalent)
Passport copy
DD-214 - Member Copy 4, Letter from Veterans’ Affairs, or other supporting documentation (if applicable)
SF-50 (if applicable)

Next Steps: The HR Office will contact successful applicants. For more information on applying for jobs or employment with us, please visit the U.S. Mission internet website: https://vn.usembassy.gov/jobs/ or follow us at Facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/usembassyhanoi or https://www.facebook.com/USConsulateHCMC Thank you for your application and your interest in working with us.