HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER

Org. Setting and Reporting

The Department of Operational Support (DOS) was established to provide end-to-end operational support, advisory services and other solutions to operating entities across the Secretariat, including departments, offices away from headquarters, peace operations, and regional commissions.

The Human Resources Services Division (HRSD) provides dedicated services in support of human resources requirements of client entities, from process development through service delivery.

The Staffing Service (SS) offers expertise in the areas of talent acquisition and innovation, testing and examinations, operational workforce planning and organizational design across UN Secretariat entities.

The Operational Staffing Design Section (OSDS) facilitates a holistic approach to operational workforce planning with client entities during budget cycles, and provides a methodology to meet the gap analysis between the staffing demand and supply, in particular, by forecasting the future needs in term of rosters, including the rosters for the Young Professional Programme.

The position is located in the Operational Staffing Design Section (OSDS), Staffing Service (SS) in the Human Resources Services Division (HRSD), Office of Support Operations (OSO), Department of Operational Support (DOS). The Human Resources Officer will report to the Chief of OSDS.

Responsibilities

General Management
• Plans, organizes, manages and supervises the work of the team assigned.
• Participates in the recruitment activities within the assigned Section, including by identifying required skillsets, creating job openings, reviewing candidate applications, creating short lists, participating in and chairing interview panels, and making recommendations for selection.
• Reports and coordinates on specific issues through the production of business intelligence and analytical reports and talking points and briefing notes for the attention of senior managers regarding the status of the performance of human resources functions, both internally within the Section and for supported entities.
• Participates as subject matter expert in the capacity building programmes conducted by the Department of Operational Support.
• Promotes staff development and career support programmes within the supervised office.
• Establishes collaborative relationships with all relevant internal and external partners.

Operational Support Services in Workforce Planning and Organizational Design
• Provides guidance and support to entities in the development of entity-specific workforce plans, including participation in operational support concept activities to build the entities’ capacity.
• Develops generic and entity specific operational guidance and tools to support entities in workforce planning and organizational design.
• Provides advice on the appropriate usage of all types of staff categories and non-staff capacities throughout the Secretariat in the context of operational workforce planning.
• Participates in working groups to support entities conducting staffing reviews upon request and workforce planning and organizational design exercises including providing analysis on roster health, talent acquisition, classification, reprofiling of positions, organizational design and other HR related issues.
• Analyzes data and identifies trends in staffing and anticipates future talent needs in terms of the size, type, experience, knowledge and skills of the entity’s workforce.
• Leads and contributes to talent acquisition, roster analysis and roster management planning and activities to support the acquisition of a diverse workforce.
• Advises clients on the management of workforce planning and organizational design activities, including succession planning, recruitment, skills gap analysis, re-profiling and scenario planning.
• Assesses the effectiveness of workforce analytics tools.
• Develops briefing materials and conducts presentations on workforce planning, talent acquisition and organizational design.
• Assists entities in meeting critical human resources management strategic and operational indicators by identifying best practices and lessons learned and advising on their application and suitability to local contexts.
• Collaborates in multidisciplinary support reviews to diagnose issues and assist entities in achieving HR targets while providing support in specific identified areas of concern.

Business Process Improvement
• Provides feedback on and identification of requirements for innovation and continuous process improvements and adaptation to policies and processes based on operational requirements and trends.
• Reviews pain points in business processes with a view to eliminating them while advocating for related improvements to policies, processes and systems and while proactively looking to fill gaps in processes.

Knowledge Management
• Provides feedback on the establishment, maintenance, and utilization of knowledge and/or information management systems related to human resources.
• Contributes to the operational workforce planning and organizational design network(s) and communities of practice and capture of best practices.
• Contributes to the development of guidance packages (e.g. Standard Operating Procedures, templates, lessons learned, etc.) on operational human resources matters for the global human resources community.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of human resources policies, practices and procedures and ability to apply them in an organizational setting. Ability to identify issues, analyze and formulate opinions, make conclusions and recommendations on complex human resources policy and development issues. 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.

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.

Creativity: Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks “outside the box”; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.

Empowering Others: Delegates responsibility, clarifies expectations, and gives staff autonomy in important areas of their work; encourages others to set challenging goals; holds others accountable for achieving results related to their area of responsibility; genuinely values all staff members’ input and expertise; shows appreciation and rewards achievement and effort; involves others when making decisions that affect them.

Building Trust: Provides an environment in which others can talk and act without fear of repercussion; manages in a deliberate and predictable way; operates with transparency; has no hidden agenda; places confidences in colleagues, staff members and clients; gives proper credit to theirs; follows through on agreed upon actions; treats sensitive or confidential information appropriately.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in human resources management, business or public administration, social sciences, education, or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in human resources management, administration, programme management, or a related area is required.

A minimum of two years of experience in an international organization is required.

Experience contributing to the development and delivery of specific human resources initiatives in the area of workforce planning and organizational design is required.

Experience using data to support business process improvements in human resources processes is required.

Experience contributing to the formulation and implementation of new policies, standards, procedures, or guidelines in the area of human resources is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

Appointment or assignment against this position is for an initial period of one year.

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.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side 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.