Senior Administrative Officer, P5

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Health and Life Insurance Section (HLIS), within the Financial Risk Management Service (FRMS) of the Finance Division, Office of Programme Planning, Finance and Budget (OPPFB) in the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance. The Health and Life Insurance Section is responsible for financial and operational administration of the medical, dental and life insurance programmes of active and retired staff and their eligible household members, and coordinates with various offices within and outside the United Nations (UN), such as insurance carriers and third-party administrators, to resolve eligibility and insurance benefit issues, and manage benefit plan financial matters, including the determination of plan premiums, reviews of insurance claim experience, as well as processing of death claims for life insurance, and following up on the status of health and life insurance claims. The Senior Administrative Officer reports to the Chief of Service.

Responsibilities

Under the general supervision of the Chief of FRMS, within the Finance Division of the Office of Programme Planning, Finance and Budget, the incumbent performs the following duties:

1. Provides policy guidance and advice to the Chief of Service and formulates proposals on policies and procedures in respect of the United Nations health and life insurance programmes, covering staff members and retirees of the United Nations and other participating UN System organizations, including proposals related to premium contributions by participants and benefits provisions and coverage levels.
   • Determines requirements for modifications to rules, benefits and premium contributions with respect to the participation of staff members and retirees in the UN-administered health and life insurance plans; presents and defends the proposals before relevant senior officials and before the Health and Life Insurance Committee (HLIC); implements approved changes; and provides substantive input related to the UN's health and life insurance plans in the preparation of position papers and reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ);
   • In coordination with the Chief of Service, participates in the drafting of administrative issuances in connection with eligibility and benefit coverage and related features of the health and life insurance programmes related to active staff and retirees.
2. Manages the daily operations of the Health and Life Insurance Section (HLIS), ensuring the smooth and effective operation of the work of the Section.
   • Plans and oversees health and life insurance service operations to ensure delivery of excellent client service;
   • Manages, guides and trains the staff members of the Section and evaluates staff performance;
   • Oversees the resolution of benefit issues, including, but not limited to providing responses on Management Advice and Evaluation Section (MAES), United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT), and United Nations Appeals Tribunal (UNAT) cases;
   • Monitors financial performance of the insurance plans and ensures adherence to premium sharing ratios prescribed by the General Assembly;
   • Administers and participates in negotiations with commercial insurance companies regarding health and life insurance contracts for Third-Party Administrators and insured services covering more than 150,000 active and former staff and their dependents;
   • Collaborates and holds substantive discussions with the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) on issues relating to ASHI, including contribution deductions, survivor benefits and related policy and operational matters;
   • Coordinates and oversees special projects and cross-functional initiatives within the Section and liaises with participating organizations of the United Nations System and other relevant stakeholders regarding health and life insurance programme matters.
3. Represents the Organization at Medical Insurance Plan (MIP) meetings and other health insurance-related forums at designated duty stations; serves as focal point on substantive and administrative issues affecting participating staff members and retirees.
4. Functions as Secretary of the Health and Life Insurance Committee (HLIC) and guides the work of the Committee; the incumbent is responsible for preparing substantive documentation on the full range of health and life insurance issues falling under the purview of the Committee.
5. Carries out programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Section, including preparation of budgets, assigning and monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on budget/programme performance, preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, evaluation of staff performance (PAS), interviews of candidates for job openings and evaluation of candidates.
6. Performs ad-hoc assignments as required by the Chief of Service or the Director of the Finance Division.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Ability to provide advice in the area of employee benefits operations and accounting to the Director, Head of Department and senior managers; knowledge of public sector rules, regulations, policies and guidelines related to health insurance; ability to prepare reports or rationale with respect to key insurance decisions; ability to manage health insurance programmes and formulate new strategies and approaches to health insurance issues and related areas; mastery of health insurance matters including current developments and practices within the industry. 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. 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.

COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively. Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately. Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication. Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience. Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

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.

MANAGING PERFORMANCE: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority. Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member. Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills. Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines. Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff. Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative. Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff. Appraises performance fairly.

Education

An advanced university degree (Master’s or Doctorate degree, or equivalent degree) in business administration, finance, accounting or related fields is required. A first-level degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in the specified fields of studies in combination with two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in the administration, including plan design, and management of health insurance programmes is required. Senior managerial experience in a global health insurance environment servicing a large number of clients/participants is required. Leadership experience in resolving complex health administration matters and managing relationships with key stakeholders, including participating in critical committee meetings, is required. Experience managing a large, high-performing team with a global portfolio, dealing with time-critical, sensitive and complex health administration matters is required. Experience in engaging with actuaries to determine end-of-service liabilities for IPSAS compliant financial reporting purposes is required. Experience in negotiating and coordinating of benefits with United States Medicare is desirable. Experience in underwriting health insurance plans is desirable. Experience with SAP, PeopleSoft or similar ERP system is desirable. Experience working with a large global organization’s policies and procedures as they relate to staff 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

Assessment

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

Special Notice

Appointment or assignment against this position is for an initial period of one year. This post is financed by extrabudgetary funds. The appointment or assignment and renewal thereof are subject to the availability of the post or funds, budgetary approval or extension of the mandate.

At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must meet the applicable geographical or lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy, taking into account that selection to the post may itself constitute a qualifying move, in accordance with the relevant administrative issuances. Staff members are encouraged to ensure that all qualifying geographical or lateral moves are accurately reflected in their applicant profile. Please refer to ST/AI/2025/2 on the Staff selection system for more details.

Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.

Individual contractors and consultants (Non-Staff Personnel) who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions and their applications will not be considered.

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 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.

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.