Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Secretary-General is responsible for the investment of the assets of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF). The Secretary-General has delegated this responsibility to the Representative of the Secretary-General for the investment of the assets of the UNJSPF (RSG). The RSG heads the Office of Investment Management (OIM), which manages a $95+ billion multi-asset class, global investment portfolio, about 85% of which is actively managed in-house. Asset classes under management comprise global equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, private equity, real estate, infrastructure, timber, and commodities. OIM’s staff are all based in New York but come from over 40 countries. For more information, please visit OIM’s website at https://oim.unjspf.org/. The Head of Operational Risk reports to the Chief of Risk and Compliance (D-1). This position will be responsible for leading the development and maintenance of a strong operational risk management framework by working closely with the Investment Teams, Operations, Risk, Compliance, and Audit functions to provide expertise on operational risk matters and provide strong oversight and support to Cyber, Third Party and Fraud Risk.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Head of Operational Risk will be responsible for the following duties: • Design, draft, write, and lead the approving process of the Operational Risk Management Framework. • Develop and execute governance-related aspects of the operational risk program and the corresponding manuals, policies and procedures needed to round up the adequacy of the coverage of the Fund’s different operational risks. • Update and maintain the new operational risk, cyber risk and fraud risk management frameworks and the related policies and procedures across all Risk and Compliance in accordance with industry best practices. • Establish formal governance and oversight over operational risk. Aid in the preparation of process maps, the definition of roles and responsibilities, prepare and maintain risk control matrixes, assess existing internal controls, and develop and implement new controls as needed. • Project-manage operational, cyber, third-party and fraud risk strategic initiatives. • Lead the design and implementation of Key Risk Metrics, Key Performance Indicators, and the preparation of Dashboards. • Aid in the implementation of a new Fund-wide Risk Committee, in which the First Line of Defense reports the status of the risks, with the Second Line of Defense challenging the assessment and discussing action plans. • Participates in committees such as the Investment Risk Committee, the Fund-wide Risk Committee, as well as any other committees or working groups as needed on behalf of the Risk Team. • Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. • Performs other duties as required.

Competencies

Core Competencies: • Professionalism: Ability to identify key strategic issues, opportunities and risks. Ability to generate and communicate broad and compelling organizational direction. Ability to communicate clearly links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals. Demonstrated ability to provide innovative technical leadership by performing and/or overseeing the planning, development, and management of operation. Demonstrated ability to negotiate and apply good judgment. The ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. 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. Able to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. • Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. • Planning & 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. Managerial Competencies: • Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow; empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing. • Judgement/Decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in Business Administration (MBA), Finance, Economics, Law or related field is required. A first level university degree in combination with academic qualifications and experience in investment compliance may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. A professional certification such as Chartered Financial Analyst or Financial Risk Manager is desirable.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience working in risk management or a related role in an investment/financial institution is required. Experience in risk analytics, risk management, risk reporting, and risk advisory or a related function is required. Experience in managing risk frameworks and systems is required. Experience using various management and data processing tools is desirable. Experience in working with and responding to audits is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

• Funding for this position is subject to approval and therefore the selection and onboarding of the successful candidate may be expected in early 2025. • For this position, the lateral and geographical requirement outlined in section 6.4 of the Staff Selection System, ST/AI/2010/3, is waived. • Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General 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 Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. • Appointment at the United Nations is subject to mandatory adherence to the United Nations Financial Disclosure Programme. An appointment to the Office of Investment Management (OIM) of the UNJSPF additionally requires compliance with the rules and regulations pertaining to OIM’s Code of Ethics, Personal Securities, Gift and Hospitality policies. • For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or under-represented in the UN Secretariat as of 30 November 2024, are strongly encouraged to apply: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Grenada, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Sao Tome and Principe, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China, Cuba, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Libya, Malta, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Oman ,Panama, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon, Islands, Somalia, Turkmenistan, United States of America.

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. 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.