Job Vacancies Office for Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts, July 2012
Job Vacancies Office for Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts
Position: Benefits Assistant
Location: United States of America ( The )
Closing Date: Saturday, 04 August 2012
Organizational Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the Accounts Division of the United Nations Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts (OPPBA) and reports to a senior General Service or junior professional staff member and to the Chief of Section
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Benefits Assistant duties will include: Health and life insurance plan operations – overseeing the processing of medical, dental, and life insurance coverage for after-service and active participants covered under the various group insurance plans administered out of Headquarters; transmitting applications to insurance carriers and establishing and maintaining liaison with insurance representatives which includes but is not limited to preparing certificates of insurance coverage and drafting memorandums, letters, and faxes to carriers and participants regarding insurance matters. Duties also include covering the client service area and responding to health and life insurance queries from active and retired staff; ensuring that participants making personal inquiries are provided with accurate information as to eligibility requirements, and benefits available under the various plans, etc. in an expeditious and courteous manner and responding to queries from administrative offices of the UN, UNDP, UNOPS, UNFPA and UNICEF. Other duties include maintaining the IMIS system with accurate data for all participants.
Competencies
Core Competencies:
Professionalism:
Thorough knowledge of health and life insurance procedures, including relevant contractual/financial provisions of group plans and the rules governing participation in the various insurance schemes, their benefit structures and claim settlement provisions.
Ability to extract, interpret, and analyze a wide variety of data and to resolve data discrepancies and other problems.
Demonstrated use of initiative and ability to make appropriate linkages in work processes and anticipate next steps.
Knowledge of UN systems and procedures as they relate to Staff Rules and Regulations and other related Financial regulations, rules and procedures, desirable.
Ability to work under pressure and cope with meeting deadlines, required. 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 Technological Awareness:
Keeps abreast of available technology
Understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the office
Actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks
Shows willingness to learn new technology
Education
High school diploma or equivalent. Certificate/coursework/training in insurance, accounting, finance or directly related field is highly desirable.
Work Experience
A minimum of five years of extensive exposure and experience with benefits assistant’s functions, required.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of a second official UN language is desirable.
Assessment Method
Kindly note that you may, as part of the evaluation of your application for this position, be requested to undergo written knowledge-based assessment exercises, which may be followed by a competency-based interview depending on the result of the test.
Special Notice
This position is for local recruitment.
Passing the New York Administrative Assessment Support Test (ASAT) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Service category in the United Nations Headquarters at New York.
United Nations Considerations
The United Nations shall place 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. (Charter of the United Nations – Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
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.
