Human Resources Senior Officer At UNOPS

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian, and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement, and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.

Based in the support services structure and reporting directly to HR Team Lead, the HR Senior Officer ensures consistent application of appropriate policies, rules, guidelines, procedures and practices in service provision in a given geography.

Background: AUMCO

The Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO) was set up in August 2019 as a part of the UNOPS Europe & Central Asia Region (ECR). Specifically, AUMCO aims to enable achievement of Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement through global programmes and tailored interventions in the Balkans, South Caucasus, and Central Asia, focused on:

– Infrastructure

– Procurement

– Project Management (full service, back on track)

– HR and Transactional Services

– Grant Management

– Technical and Advisory Services

Background: Job-Specialist

Under the guidance of the HR Team Lead, the HR Senior Officer will support the Multi Country Office’s work in the management, implementation and oversight of the HR systems and service lines to meet its needs and requirements, including those relating to specific initiatives and projects in support of clients and other stakeholders. This includes the provision of recruitment, contract management, learning and development support to management and projects.

The incumbent will support and collaborate with various team members across the region to manage its HR functions, activities and personnel.

The appointment of this role is subject to budget availability.

Functional Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions

1. Support to policy development and implementation
2. Advisory Services
3. Talent Acquisition and Administration
4. Knowledge Building and Knowledge Sharing

Support to policy development and implementation

• Contribute to HR policy development and corporate HR initiatives by assisting to generate and maintaining data on trends, risks and opportunities and sharing local HR best practices.
• Undertake projects in support of the HR initiatives for attainment of business objectives in line with the corporate HR strategy.
• Generate strategic and operational workforce data for planning, including related statistical summaries and movements of UNOPS personnel within the relevant business unit/s.
• Ensure appropriate mapping of HR business processes to enable efficient and effective services and workflows.
• Communicate HR policy changes and new HR initiatives to management and personnel, providing guidance as needed.

Advisory Services

• Provide guidance on HR related systems and processes, including but not limited to, Recruitment, Contracts, Position Management, Benefits and Entitlements consistent with UNOPS rules and procedures.
• Provide advice to personnel on HR services such as the performance appraisal process, learning & development activities, contracts, benefits, entitlements and remuneration and career development.
• In collaboration with IPAS HR, assist to provide guidance as needed on sensitive matters including grievances, potential violations in code of conduct, harassment, abuse, workplace disputes, performance improvement plans, complex employee relations matters, etc.
• Encourage line management responsibility for implementation of HR policies and effective team management, providing guidance and coaching as needed. Foster the relationship between supervisors and personnel encouraging dialogue and two-way constructive feedback.
• Collaborate with leadership to support institutional gender and diversity initiatives, providing education and advice on issues related to equity, compliance, inclusion, and diversity.

Talent Acquisition and Administration

• Implement talent acquisition activities in line with UNOPS policies and processes covering Recruitment, Onboarding, Position Management, Job Classification, Performance Management, Learning and Development, Change Management, Salary and Benefit administration, Contract Administration, Succession Planning and Out-processing.
• In collaboration with IPAS HR, oversee administration of entitlements for all personnel and the efficient administration of contractual modalities, loans, exchanges, and secondments in the region. Inform and advise UNOPS and project personnel, consultants, partners on their conditions of service and entitlements according to their contract modality, expediting actions to facilitate their efficient, timely, and client-focused onboarding.
• Oversee the provision of personnel reporting within the office, ensuring that systems and data are updated and in place.
• Lead recruitment processes ensuring best practices are used for effective and efficient talent acquisition in line with UNOPS policy. Utilize and maintain recruitment plans, tools and policy guidance to efficiently and effectively recruit and retain a diverse workforce to meet the needs of the business objectives. Maintain personnel rosters.
• Liaise with UNOPS’ HR related units such as SSC on all personnel administration matters.
• Partner with business units to take a lead role in engagement and work enrichment initiatives and development of annual training plans in collaboration with PCG.

Knowledge building and Knowledge sharing

• Organize, facilitate and/or deliver training and learning initiatives for personnel on HR-related topics.
• Contribute to HR knowledge networks and communities of practice by providing collaborative synthesis of lessons learnt and dissemination of best practices in human resources management.
• Collect feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices and utilize productively.
• Maintain HR analytic parameters and data.

Competencies

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and enc…

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• Advanced University degree in Human Resources management, Business Administration, social or behavioral sciences. Or a First University degree in Human Resources management or related fields combined with 4 years of relevant experience.

Experience:

• A minimum of two years of professional-level human resources management experience, including HR advisory services, in a major area(s) of human resources management (HR Contract Administration, HR Reporting, Recruitment or Organizational Design) in an international, public or corporate organization at the national and/or international level.
• Experience in a multicultural setting is desirable.
• UNOPS experience is desirable

Language:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Working knowledge of another, official UN language is desirable

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: ICA

Contract level: I-ICA1 – ISC9

Contract duration: Ongoing ICA – ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.’

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization – UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.