<p>The Division of Administration/Office of State Travel has a vacancy. </p> <p>The Office of State Travel is responsible for setting Louisiana's general travel regulations, known as Policy and Procedure Memorandum 49 (PPM49).  These regulations provide for more efficient administration of travel policies.  The office sets maximum standards along with clarifying, guiding, reviewing, and approving all waivers to PPM49. </p> <p>The State Travel Analyst is also the state program administrator for both the State of Louisiana's LaCarte Purchasing Card Program and the State's Corporate Travel Card Program.  Its responsibility is to educate agency program administrators and manage both programs to ensure success.</p> <p>The Office of State Travel is an integral part of many state agencies, colleges, and universities. With this in mind, this position will provide support to the Director and peers to ensure compliance with travel regulations, card policies, and assist all agencies that interact with the Office of State Travel. </p> <p>AN IDEAL CANIDATE SHOULD POSESS THE FOLLLOWING COMPETENCIES:</p> <ul> <li>Communicating Effectively:: The ability to convey information, ideas, and emotions using structured communication methods that promote understanding and engagement. </li><li>Following Policies and Procedures: The ability to follow, reinforce, adapt, or develop policies and procedures to maintain compliance with federal and state legal requirements, State Civil Service rules, and organizational policies. </li><li>Making Accurate Judgments:The ability to objectively question, analyze, interpret, and evaluate information to form a conclusion. </li><li>Displaying Expertise: The ability to demonstrate specialized knowledge, skills, and experience to apply subject-matter expertise in diverse and evolving contexts. </li><li>Using Data: The ability to collect, analyze, and use data to generate insights and inform decisions. </li></ul> <p>The Division of Administration is the state government's management arm and the hub of its financial operations.  Division offices perform a wide variety of activities including the following:</p> <ul> <li>Overseeing the state's capital construction program </li><li>Working to provide state and federal grants for community development </li><li>Development of the state budget </li><li>Providing technology services </li><li>Giving agencies guidance in the state purchasing and contracting process as they seek goods and services </li><li>Administering a program that provides federal funds to help Louisiana residents recover from a series of devastating hurricanes </li></ul> <p>Three years of experience in the preparation or analysis of purchase or travel card transactions, program compliance, procurement, or administrative services; OR</p> <p>Six years of full-time work experience in any field; OR</p> <p>A bachelor's degree.</p> <p>EXPERIENCE SUBSTITUTION:</p> <p>Every 30 semester hours earned from an accredited college or university will be credited as one year of experience towards the six years of full-time work experience in any field. The maximum substitution allowed is 120 semester hours which substitutes for a maximum of four years of experience in any field.The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.Job Duties:</p> <ul> <li>Serve as a technical specialist performing in-depth/expanded reviews in programs requiring advanced knowledge, skills, and abilities. </li><li>Independently investigate operational and or compliance violations, for all participating agencies of the statewide LaCarte and Travel Card. These investigations are accomplished by conducting a wide range of highly sensitive, confidential and complex compliance reviews of an agency's purchasing card and travel card program transactions. These compliance reviews will determine if the cardholder and agency are in compliance with all operational/contractual commitments, applicable program policies, purchasing rules, regulations, statutes, executive orders and PPM49. </li><li>Independently, navigate through all OST used software to run reports from contracted vendors, VISA reporting systems and third party audit software with focus on more detailed data analytics, pattern spend, etc. </li><li>Independently review reports, along with statistical sample of monthly, quarterly and annual transactions to determine agency's risk factors as well as to ensure valid conclusions are drawn regarding the overall compliance and integrity of the program for each agency; standard procedures are followed; mandated report schedules are uniformly completed; and program policies and procedures are appropriately and uniformly enforced. </li><li>Independently conducts spot audits of state agencies for internal control deficiencies. Examines records to ascertain weaknesses. </li><li>Independently interprets program's mandated rules and regulations which will impact compliance review at agency, and ensures agency compliance with all mandated changes. </li><li>Independently meet with audit division staff members and representatives of agency program involved in the review to informally discuss problems of non-compliance, special program exemptions and to attempt to resolve discrepancies which otherwise could lead to punitive action being taken up to and including counseling, termination and possible prosecution. </li><li>Traveling statewide, when necessary, to verify the accuracy of data contained in the reports against the agency's program requirements such as storage and location of all supporting documentation. Site visits at Director's instructions to determine full program compliance. Also will assist agencies with program mandated, annual, internal compliance requirements, as requested. </li><li>Provides training to the agency program administrators so that they understand the requirements of the card program policies, procedures, all purchasing rules, regulations, statutes and executive orders and PPM49, if applicable. </li><li>Independently, negotiate terms for disputed compliance review reports, until OST and agency are in agreement with corrective actions. </li><li>Independently composes letters to examined agencies summarizing the findings for non-compliance of program, along with corrective actions and recommendations for strengthening the agency's program or mandated changes. Follows up to determine if corrective action has been taken. </li><li>May conduct more sensitive compliance reviews, investigations or handle matters of great confidentiality related to the program with regards to purchasing transactions. </li><li>As needed, assists agencies with establishing internal controls, policies and procedures. </li><li>Coordinates with Inspector General, Attorney General, Legislative Auditor and possible law enforcement for any possible criminal, suspected misappropriation of funds or fraudulent activities dealing in either program. </li><li>Prepare evidence and serve as a witness in court cases involving extreme violations of a card program's policy, guidelines, procedures, as well as, any statutes, rules, regulations and executive orders. </li><li>Serve as a lead analyst or when conducting a compliance review of such large scale proportions that a State Travel Analyst 1 or 2 requires the assistance of the Analyst 3 to complete in a timely basis. Assists other State Travel Analyst with judgment situation which may arise in a compliance review. If severe violations exist, the analyst must be able to prepare evidence. </li><li>Assists Director with training lower level State Travel Analyst, including training of reporting systems, third party software, card program policies and interpretation of policies, rules, regulations, statutes and executive orders. </li><li>Assists in developing and enforcing standards, policies and procedures for agencies. </li><li>Assists with development of new RFP for both card programs including requirements for contracted vendor and contract vendor's reporting system and capabilities </li><li>All other duties as assigned </li></ul> <p>Position-Specific Details:</p> <p>Appointment Type: This vacancy will be filled by a new hire or by promotion of a current permanent status classified employee.</p> <p>Career Progression :This vacancy participates in a career progression group and may be filled from this recruitment as a State Travel Analyst 1, 2 or 3. </p> <p>Louisiana is a "State as a Model Employer" for People with Disabilities.</p> <p>How To Apply:</p> <p>No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy.</p> <p> </p> <p>To apply for this vacancy, click on the "Apply" link above and complete an electronic application which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the information section of the Current Job Opportunities page.  </p> <p>A criminal history check may be conducted on all new hires as well as employees changing positions including promotions, demotions, details, reassignments and transfers. Also, prospective employees may be subject to pre-employment drug testing. New hires will be subject to employment eligibility verification via the federal government's E-verify system.</p> <ul> <li>Information to support your eligibility for this job title must be included in the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education). Resumeswill not be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections on your application. Applications may be rejected if incomplete.The transcripts can be added as an attachment to your online application. The selected candidate will be required to submit original documentation upon hire. </li></ul> <p> </p> <p> For further information about this posting, please contact:</p> <p>Erica R. Gay</p> <p>HR Specialist</p> <p>Division of Administration/Office of Human Resources</p> <p>Email:Erica.Gay@la.gov</p>