DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
18 February 2026-23:59-GMT+01:00 Central European Time (Rome)WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.
ABOUT WFP
The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.
To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.
WHY JOIN WFP?
WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).
ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT:
The WFP Wellness and Culture Division provides guidance, analytical expertise, policies, tools and hands-on support to managers, teams and individual employees to improve working and living conditions, to foster a culture of health and well-being and a respectful and inclusive workplace.
This is achieved by managing occupational health risks, by offering an evidence-based, quality controlled and integrated medical, psychosocial and insurance services to employees and their families, and by nurturing trust in clients through professionalism and confidentiality.
Through this holistic approach, WFP aims at enabling all employees to take charge of their health, supported by a robust infrastructure that promotes wellness at all levels of the organization, and to enhance their overall engagement, resilience, and performance, thereby contributing to the organization’s mission of ending global hunger.
Within the purview of the Wellness and Culture Division, the Health Insurance Service is responsible for the design and delivery of service-oriented, efficient, and sustainable medical, life, and disability insurance protection to WFP’s global population of employees, retirees, and families. In close collaboration with a global network of Wellness officers, the Health Insurance Service ensures a swift and coordinated response to health emergencies and medical evacuations, the effective delivery of insurance services and well-being initiatives, and a regular review of insurance policies and procedures to ensure cost-effectiveness and continuing relevance to the evolving needs of WFP’s global workforce.
The role of the Health Insurance Officer will be to ensure the customer-oriented, accurate and efficient delivery of health insurance services to WFP’s global population of insured participants. Reporting to the Chief of the Health Insurance Service, the role will oversee the performance of external contractors such as risk underwriters and third-party administrators by establishing and enforcing performance standards and operational protocols enabling insured participants worldwide to access quality healthcare through satisfactory, timely and cost-effective insurance services.
JOB PURPOSE:
To support the delivery and continuous improvement of WFP’s global health insurance offerings by coordinating with a wide range of internal stakeholders and external service providers. Promote access to quality healthcare in challenging humanitarian contexts, by providing remote and in-person guidance to employees and managers around the world to empower them to take charge of their well-being and achieve optimal health and sustainable performance. Develop partnerships with external contractors and healthcare providers on behalf of the organization.
The position will provide advice and support to the Chief of the Health Insurance Service in the design, administration and stewardship of WFP’s global portfolio of self-insured medical plans and commercially insured life and disability plans, safeguarding their long-term solvency and ensuring adequate coverage, affordable contribution rates, and high-quality customer service.
ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Coordinate the recurring process for identifying, contracting and onboarding third-party suppliers required for the provision of health insurance services to WFP’s global population, in line with corporate Procurement policies and procedures, to ensure consistent access to high-quality, cost-effective healthcare services that meet the needs of a diverse and mobile workforce.
Develop and implement performance standards and corporate processes to ensure that third-party contractors deliver high quality and cost-effective insurance services adopting effective control mechanisms.
Conduct regular reviews of benefits and policy provisions in consultation with relevant stakeholders (e.g. HR Policy and Compliance Branch, Legal Office, Staff Representative Bodies, etc.) ensuring alignment of insurance policies and processes to the broader WFP people management and duty of care regulatory framework and systems.
Promote and facilitate effective collaboration between third-party contractors and WFP’s internal oversight bodies such as the Office of Inspections and Investigations and the Staff Relations Branch to ensure effective prevention, detection, mitigation, reporting and resolution of insurance fraud and abuse.
Monitor financial performance indicators of the insurance plans, identify and mitigate areas of risks, and anticipate financial requirements ensuring maintenance of adequate prudential reserves in line with established standards and in collaboration with the Chief Financial Officer’s Division.
Promote awareness of WFP’s health insurance benefits and services to facilitate access to information related to healthcare in various duty stations. Provide strategic guidance and support to insured staff, HR teams, wellness focal points, and managers, and contribute to service improvement by identifying recurring issues and proposing solutions.
Collaborate with the global network of Wellness officers in the integration of health insurance services into WFP’s broader well-being initiatives to enhance access to quality and affordable healthcare, particularly in underserved duty stations.
Strengthen collaboration with WFP’s Wellness Officers, insurance providers and clinicians, to ensure the effective delivery of health-related services and campaigns tailored to local needs.
Develop and maintain collaborative partnerships with the global community of International Organizations’ health insurance specialists; keep abreast of industry trends to ensure harmonized approaches and sharing of best practices.
Support the Chief of the Health Insurance Service in coordinating governance-related activities and safeguarding the financial integrity and sustainability of insurance plans, and supervising the Health Insurance Service team, acting as role model the WFP values contributing to the creation and promotion of an inclusive, respectful and collaborative work environment.
Assume other relevant duties as required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
Education:
Advanced university degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Accounting, Risk Management, Law, or other relevant field; or First University degree with additional years of experience.
Experience:
A minimum of 5 years of relevant progressively responsible experience in the design and administration of health insurance schemes, preferably in service of international organizations with a global workforce of humanitarian workers operating in remote duty stations with limited access to healthcare services.
Knowledge & Skills:
A thorough understanding of the UN Common System employee compensation package and familiarity with the best practices across UN organizations in the realm of health insurance;
Ability to design, develop, manage and implement performance standards and operational solutions related to the administration of group health insurance plans, especially in service of participants located in countries with limited access to healthcare or impacted by conflict, natural disasters and other humanitarian emergencies;
Ability to provide strategic recommendations and cost-effective, quality, and timely services to employees and to the organization;
Strong analytical and quantitative skills, and ability to plan, monitor and manage financial resources to maximize effectiveness;
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to work effectively and sensitively in diverse teams;
Actuarial function expertise or qualifications are desirable.
Language:
Fluency (level C) in English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or Portuguese (a WFP working language).
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
This is an International Professional position (non-rotational) and is open to all nationalities. Mobility is and continues to be a core contractual requirement in WFP. This position is however classified as "non-rotational" which means the incumbent shall not be subject to the regular reassignment process unless the position is reclassified as rotational. The selected candidate will be employed on a fixed-term contract with a probationary period of one year. This position is open to both internal and external candidates.
WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package in line with ICSC standards (http://icsc.un.org) including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, visa, travel and shipment allowances, 30 days’ annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, a pension plan, and medical insurance.
The selected candidate will be required to relocate to Rome, Italy to take up this assignment.
WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK
WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.
Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact: global.inclusion@wfp.org
NO FEE DISCLAIMER
The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.
REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruitment system. We do not accept CVs or spontaneous applications by email.
If you experience challenges while submitting your online application, please contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org for technical support only.
Please note that applications sent to this email address cannot be considered.
We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).
Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified
All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.