JOB DESCRIPTION

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. The Pension Fund pays benefits in 18 currencies to more than 80,000 beneficiaries who reside in 190 countries, and services more than 150,000 participants who work in the 25 member organizations of the Pension Fund. 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 278 staff members 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. We offer staff competitive benefits, including up to six weeks of annual leave per year, a defined benefit pension plan (not subject to variation of capital markets), parental leave, a comprehensive insurance plan, and flexible working arrangements subject to operational requirements. 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. The Chief of Operations Service reports to the Chief Executive of Pension Administration (CEPA). The Operations Service is responsible for the management and processing of UNJSPF benefit entitlements and for providing quality and consistent client-oriented service to over 230,000 participants and beneficiaries worldwide.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Chief of Operations Service formulates and implements the substantive work programme of Operations Service, oversees the management of activities undertaken by Operations Service, ensures that mandated and programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion, and coordinates work in the different areas both within the Operations Service (Pension Entitlements Section, Operations Support Section, and Records Management and Quality Control Unit), and with other sections of the Pension Fund, as appropriate.

• Leads, supervises and carries out the work programme of Operations Service for the affiliation of new participants into the Fund, for setting up lifetime annuities for retirees and providing pension related services to over 190,000 individuals residing and working in some 190 countries worldwide. Coordinates the work carried out by the New York and Geneva operations, including:
• Pension Entitlements Section: responsible for fund participation and for the calculation and processing of pension entitlements, administering and managing the participation and separation process, and post-retirement matters of the staff of UNJPSF member organizations while at the same time ensuring correct application, interpretation and implementation of benefit entitlements under UNJSPF Regulations and Rules and Pension Adjustment System.
• Operations Support Section: composed of the Operations Technical Support Unit, Operations Coordination and Liaison Unit, and Records Management and Quality Control Unit (RMQCU), and responsible for the relationship between the Fund and the member organizations with respect to the participation and separation process, developing and updating procedures, staff training and knowledge management, including handling various system improvement projects with the objective of facilitating the work of staff as well as the client experience.
• Coordinates and oversees the preparation of reports for presentation to governing bodies such as the Pension Board and its Committees, Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, the General Assembly and other policymaking organs, as appropriate
• Reports to governing bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/ substantive issues, as appropriate
• Ensures that the operational activities undertaken and the outputs produced by Operations Service maintain high-quality standards and comply with the relevant mandates and the UNJSPF Regulations, Rules and Pension Adjustment System
• Assists the Chief Executive of Pension Administration in preparing the Fund”s overall strategies and work programme, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
• Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of Operations Service, including preparation of budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance, interviews of candidates for job openings, evaluation of candidates and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting
• Recruits staff, taking due account of the needs of the Organization
• Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision
• Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in Operations and across organizational boundaries
• Leads and supervises the organization of meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive issues. Manages the substantive preparation and organization of such meetings or seminars
• Ensures the necessary coordination and holds pension-related discussions with representatives of the Fund”s member organizations and other stakeholders
• Represents the Fund at various meetings as required
• Performs other duties and projects as required by the Chief Executive of Pension Administration

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Expert knowledge in pension administration. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues related to pension administration and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to apply UN and UNJSPF rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. 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.
• 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.
• CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from 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.
• 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 that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master”s degree or equivalent degree) in business or public administration, finance, accounting, law, social sciences or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible experience in human resources management, administration, financial management, budget or related field is required. A minimum of five (5) years of experience managing and leading large teams is required. Experience in developing and implementing operational strategies aligned with organizational goals is required. At least five (5 ) years of progressively responsible experience in pension administration is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).

Required Languages

LanguageReadingWritingListeningSpeakingEnglishUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level III

Assessment

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

Special Notice

• The applicable human resources procedures are governed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Fund and the UN Secretariat. Any candidate from a member organization of the 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.
• 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.
• For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 30 September 2025, are strongly encouraged to apply: Andorra, Angola, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China, Cuba, Democratic People”s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Germany, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People”s Democratic Republic, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu.

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.