BENEFITS ASSISTANT (2 posts)

Contract

This is a G-5 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be more than 7,172 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Provident and Insurance Group of International Officials (GPAFI) within the International Civil Servants Mutual Association (ICSMA). The incumbent reports to the Executive Secretary.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Executive Secretary, the incumbent performs the following tasks: • Welcomes clients, including those from ICSMA-affiliated organizations, provides them with accurate information on insurance coverage and ensures that they understand the information; Responds promptly to all requests from existing members and from officials who wish to become members and benefit from insurance services; • Ensures that the insurance system can be easily understood by a multicultural population; • Checks the client's contractual status against the membership conditions; Offers the client and the client's family all relevant insurance coverage options; Checks the sick leave record of clients wishing to take out income protection insurance; • Creates a membership file for new members and ensures that it is complete, that application forms are correctly filled in by the client and that all required documents are included and are legible; If necessary, helps the client with the paperwork; • Registers the new client and/or family members in the GPAFI database and enters their personal and professional details; • Files all application-related and insurance documents, such as application forms, current insurance policies and account statements, in the member's file; • Forwards applications to insurers and works with them to monitor the application process on an ongoing basis; Follows up on pending files and contacts insurers, as necessary, to optimize processing and respond to clients quickly; • Prepares the documents required for the billing process; • Attends operational meetings with insurers; • When cancelling a member's insurance, ensures that deadlines are met; Confirms the cancellation to the policyholder and records it in the database; • Checks processes handled by colleagues (four-eyes principle); • Handles all correspondence relating to members and insurance contracts (changes to coverage, personal details, posting, etc.); • Answers emails and telephone calls; • Generates insurance and policyholder statistics; • Carries out year-end processing, including updating policyholders' salary details, changing age categories, checking and generating insurance statements and tax certificates and sending them to policyholders; • Suggests improvements to optimize GPAFI's effectiveness and reach within affiliated organizations; • For income protection insurance, calculates premiums on the basis of the relevant salary; • Updates policyholders' salaries each year by contacting the payroll department of the policyholder's organization or the policyholder directly, if necessary; • When the human resources department of the member's organization declares a claim, records it in the database; • In the event of a claim, determines the policyholder's entitlement to benefits by calculating the salary supplement to be paid; • Compiles claims files with the documents required by the insurer and those received from human resources and the policyholder; • Prepares payments to be made to the policyholder and enters them in the banking software; • Sends all supporting documents to the insurer to obtain reimbursement of the advance paid to the policyholder; • Records the claim in a file to track the movement of funds; • Records the transaction in the accounts; • Keeps files up to date in case of third-party inspections by insurers, auditors or controllers; • Reconciles GPAFI's payments to policyholders with those received from the insurer to ensure finances are balanced; • Checks from start to finish the income protection insurance processes handled by colleagues (four-eyes principle); • Maintains fruitful communication with the human resources and payroll departments of the organizations concerned to ensure that files are processed in an optimum manner; • Handles monthly recovery and insurance premium payment generation processes with affiliated organizations and banks; • Checks data against insurance contracts, including changes in type of insurance, age category, leaves of absence, retirements, transfers, separations, cancellation of coverage, resignations, non-payment, etc; • Submits files on payable premiums to affiliated organizations' payroll departments and to banks. Receives files on paid premiums from payroll services and banks; • Processes insurance premium payments and checks that the amounts requested correspond to those received; • Enters in the computer system the monthly instalments received and makes any necessary adjustments if different to the amounts requested; Reconciles entries, identifies any discrepancies and processes accounting transactions; • Reconciles detailed invoices submitted by insurers and maintains the database of plan changes, coverage changes, cancellations and enrolments; • Handles communications sent to policyholders; • Attends information seminars organized by international organizations and presents GPAFI's services; • Makes regular presentations of GPAFI's services to ICSMA-affiliated international organizations; • Develops and updates marketing materials such as brochures, online material, website and flyers; • Contributes to the development of computer programs, attends relevant workshops and performs any necessary tests before programs go live; • Creates and/or updates operational procedures for tasks performed by the incumbent.

Competencies

Professionalism: Good knowledge of ICSMA rules and procedures. Very good knowledge of Office 365 (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Teams, Outlook). 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. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.

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.

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.

Education

High school diploma or business-related equivalent.

Job - Specific Qualification

Commercial training or an apprenticeship is desirable.

Work Experience

A minimum of five (5) years of administrative experience is required. The minimum number of years of relevant experience is reduced to three (3) for candidates with a first-level university degree or higher.

A minimum of one (1) year of relevant customer service experience is required.

A minimum of three (3) years of experience in an international organization is desirable.

A minimum of one (1) year of relevant experience in the insurance field is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in both English and French is required.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

The position is funded on an annual basis by GPAFI, an ICSMA entity. The post is under GPAFI only.

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Regulations. Applicants for positions in the General Service and related categories must be authorized to work for the United Nations in the duty station where the position is located. Eligible candidates selected from outside the duty station are responsible for all expenses related to their relocation to the duty station. Locally-recruited staff are not entitled to the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

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.

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.