Chief of Operations Service

Org. Setting and ReportingThe 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. ResponsibilitiesWithin 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. EducationAdvanced 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 QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceA 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. LanguagesEnglish 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).