HR Specialist at United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

Summary of the key functions

Support to Policy development and implementation 

• Contribute to HR policy development and corporate HR initiatives by providing data on trends, risks and opportunities and sharing local HR best practices.
• Maintain an effective level of business literacy about the office/program/unit's objectives and plans, and in consultation with Management, take the lead on the implementation of the corporate HR strategy and initiatives.
• Design and lead projects in support of HR initiatives for attainment of business objectives in line with the corporate HR strategy.  
• Partner with leadership to develop and implement workforce planning initiatives employing HR business processes mapping, to ensure efficient and effective services and work flows. Monitor workforce status and trends.
• Communicate HR policy changes and new HR initiatives to management and personnel, providing guidance as needed.

Advisory Services

• Provide guidance on HR policy application for personnel management, assessing and anticipating HR needs to provide value-added consultative service to management on human resource-related issues.
• Define, develop, model and deliver HR services, programs, and communications to add value for prospective and current personnel, and UNOPS partners.  
• Under the guidance of IPAS HR, advise, assist and mediate, 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.
• In collaboration with management as appropriate, encourage continuous improvement and professional growth by advising on, planning, and tracking learning and development activities.
• 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 

• Oversee the application and implementation of talent acquisition and management policies and processes covering Recruitment, Onboarding, Position Management, Performance Management, Learning and Development, Change Management, Job Classification, Salary and benefits administration, Contract Administration, Succession Planning and Out-processing.
• Under the guidance of IPAS HR, coordinate the efficient administration of contractual modalities, loans, exchanges, and secondments in the given geography, including oversight of engagement with relevant partners.
• In collaboration with IPAS HR, coordinate personnel realignment exercises, including job fairs, to ensure timely competency elaboration, sourcing, selection, placement of required talent and transitions as well as due process. 
• Identify key talent areas and provide coherent, well-developed plans for obtaining, developing, and managing critical talent.  Develop, utilize recruitment plans, tools and contribute to policy guidance to efficiently and effectively recruit and retain a diverse workforce to meet the needs of the business objectives. 

Team Management

• Facilitate the engagement and provision of high quality results and services of the team supervised through effective recruitment, work planning, performance management, coaching, and promotion of learning and development.
• Provide oversight, ensuring compliance by team members with existing policies and best practices.

Knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• Organize, facilitate and/or deliver training and learning initiatives for personnel on HR-related topics.
• Lead, approve and conduct initiatives on capacity development and knowledge building for HR personnel, including network development, plans, learning plans and activities, HR practice information and best practice benchmarking.
• Oversee team’s contributions to HR knowledge networks and communities of practice including collaborative synthesis of lessons learnt and dissemination of best practices in human resources management.
• Guide team’s collection of feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices and utilize productively. 
• Guide the development and maintenance of HR analytic parameters and data.

Education

• Advanced University degree in Human Resources management, Business Administration, social or behavioral sciences Or;
•  First University degree in related fields combined with 7 years of relevant experience.

Experience

• A minimum of 5 years of professional-level human resources experience, including HR advisory services, in a major area(s) of human resources management in an international, public or corporate organization at the national and/or international level is required. 
• At least 2 years of experience in an international environment leading teams is required.
• Relevant experience in a multicultural setting is desirable;  
• Some experience in UN system organizations preferably in a developing country is desirable;
• Proficiency in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Office) as well as web-based management systems is desirable.

Languages

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