Human Resources Specialist (Retainer), Multiple positions

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.  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 organisations.  With over 6,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it.  By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.

The People and Culture Group (PCG) helps UNOPS empower people, driving organisational excellence and managing change across the organisation in order to help UNOPS deliver on its strategic intent. We are seeking qualified HR Specialists, who can act as subject matter experts and Project Managers on a retainer basis to support our team.

The HR Specialist will work in close collaboration with the different streams - Talent Management, Outreach, Policy, and Learning - within PCG, and may also engage with various stakeholders globally. The role will be home-based, however there might be periodic travel.

The HR Specialist will work for a fixed daily fee on a retainer basis. The specific number of days will be agreed prior to each assignment.

We are looking for motivated HR Professionals who have previous Project Management experience in at least one of the follow areas:

Talent Management- career development, organisation culture, performance management, well-being, or recruitment for senior management/ leadership positions.

Learning and Development- specifically, design and facilitation of virtual and face to face  workshops/ info webinars or cohort based learning programmes. 

Under the supervision of the Head of Talent Management and/or Head of Learning and/or Head of Policy or his/her delegate, the incumbent will be working together with PCG and other relevant stakeholders to design and/or implement the assigned HR projects.  

For each assigned project a scope and detailed plan will be provided. 

In general terms you will:  

1. Contribute to the assigned work package either as a lead or member of the project team. 

2. Work on a specific project involving one or more HR areas, with clear deliverables and timelines. These projects could range from developing content for a specific learning programme/mentoring programmes/career development to designing, facilitating and rolling out talent management, employee engagement, outreach, culture management and policy interventions.

3. Provide recommendations on best practices and trends within the project area.

4. Contribute to design and/ or implementation of the assigned HR project. 

5. Lead and conduct initiatives on capacity development and knowledge building for HR personnel.

6. Develop, implement and facilitate training initiatives for UNOPS personnel if relevant to the assigned project. 

7. Contribute to develop communication materials as needed.

• Advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) preferably in a relevant discipline. 
• A combination of a Bachelor's degree with two additional years of work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in the area of HR. 
• Relevant experience in designing and/or leading the implementation of global and/or country level HR projects, ideally in the UN or other international environment (such as NGOs, private sector, government) is required.
• Previous experience in facilitation and design of cohort based programmes is highly desirable.
• Previous UN experience is highly desirable.
• Previous experience in virtual facilitation is desirable.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• 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 (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.