Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) was established in 1949 by the United Nations General Assembly to provide retirement, death, disability, and related benefits for staff of the United Nations and other member organizations of the Fund. UNJSPF administers benefits of more than 90,000 beneficiaries residing in more than 190 countries, paid in 18 currencies, and services more than 130,000 participants who work in the 25 member organizations of UNJSPF. The Fund has offices in New York (United States) and Geneva (Switzerland) and two liaison offices in Nairobi (Kenya) and Bangkok (Thailand), respectively. The United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund-Pension Administration (UNJSPF-PA) comprises about 282 staff from diverse countries and cultures, based across four prominent duty stations (New York, Geneva, Bangkok, and Nairobi). We are a career employer offering unique opportunities for growth within the United Nations system. Our office is located in the heart of Manhattan, within walking distance from the Grand Central Station hub, in a state-of-the-art facility (the One Dag Hammarskjöld building). Visit www.unjspf.org for more details. This position is located in the Operations Support Section (OSS) of the Operations Coordination and Liaison Unit, Operations Service (OCLU, OS) in the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund-Pension Administration (UNJSPF-PA). The incumbent reports to the Chief of OCLU under the overall guidance of the Chief of OSS. Operations Service is responsible for ensuring that all eligible participants, retirees and other beneficiaries are serviced in accordance with the Regulations, Rules and Pension Adjustment System of the Fund, while fully adhering to the communications, quality management and internal control policies as outlined in the Fund's management charter.

Responsibilities

Within limits of delegated authority, the Benefits Assistant is responsible for the following duties:

Provide assistance in support of planning, implementation activities/processes and preparation of operations support activities for a large and highly complex programme of work of the Operations Coordination and Liaison Unit to ensure a smooth and rapid processing of pension benefits.
Serve as the focal point for coordination, monitoring and expedition of OCLU project implementation activities, involving extensive liaison with internal organizational units and member organizations to initiate requests, prepare standard terms of reference against project objectives, obtain necessary clearances, process and follow up on administrative actions, analyse data related to projects and resolve issues related to project implementation.
Collaborate with operations managers and provide assistance on establishing standard operating procedures for the separation process, with guidelines to be followed by all member organizations for the submission of separation documents.
Participate in the training activities related to the OSS work, including the preparation of training material, and compilation of relevant information.
Audit administrative actions and analyse data entry for completeness, accuracy, consistency and apply the necessary quality control checks relating to Fund participation taken in the context of development/enhancement of human resources and financial interfaces with member organizations which include automation of the information exchange between the Fund and the member organizations and updating of workflow status in the Integrated Pension Administration System (IPAS).
Research, compile, analyse, summarize, and present data on specific enhancements to the current human resources as well as future financial interfaces such as validation of data and automatic voiding of redundant workflows.
Establish automated follow-up measures through the business intelligence tool of the Fund and assist in maintaining reports to the Staff Pension Committee Secretaries aimed at following up on missing documents and pending cases to speed up their processing and to reduce the number of workflows that are waiting for receipt of documents.
Prepare, maintain and update files (electronic and paper) and internal databases; design and generate a variety of periodic and ad hoc reports, statistical tables, graphic content, and other background materials/notes to facilitate inspection and other reviews.
Assist with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information-sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision-making.
Assist with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures.
Provide guidance and training to new/junior staff.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of the Regulations, Rules and Pension Adjustment System of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund or that of a similar international organization. Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of pension and staff benefits administration. Understanding of the functions and organization of the work unit and of the organizational structure and respective roles of related units. Ability to perform analysis, modeling and interpretation of data in support of decision- making. Ability to identify and resolve a range of issues/problems and to work well with figures, undertake basic research and gather information from standard sources. Demonstrated ability to apply good judgment in the context of assignments given. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.
Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients" and seeks to see things from the clients' point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in programme or project support, administration, or a related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience in collecting and compiling complex statistical data using an ERP system and business intelligence tools is desirable. Experience in analysing and presenting data using MS Excel and MS Office is desirable. Experience within a post-employment benefit scheme is desirable. Experience within the United Nations common system is desirable. One year or more of experience in dana analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

Language	Reading	Writing	Listening	Speaking
English	UN Level II	UN Level II	UN Level II	UN Level II

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Please note that this is a temporary job opening, open to internal as well as external candidates. This position is available until 31 December 2026 with a possibility of an extension, which is subject to extension of the mandate and/or the availability of the funds. The selected candidate is expected to start as soon as possible.

The United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) is an independent inter-agency body established by the United Nations General Assembly. The applicable human resources procedures are governed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Any candidate from a member organization of UNJSPF applying for this post is considered as an internal candidate provided he/she has been appointed through the appointment and promotion procedures applicable in his/her respective organization.
This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for positions in the General Service and related categories must be authorized to work for the United Nations in the duty station where the position is located. Please upload proof of citizenship or permanent residency in the country of the duty station. Alternatively, please upload a copy of your legal status and work authorization document in the country of the duty station. Staff members subject to local recruitment are not eligible for allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.
Staff members are subject to the authority of the head of the entity and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.
The United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations 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. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile 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. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

BENEFITS ASSISTANT