Human Resources Senior Officer (internal candidates only)

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 organizations.

Under the direct supervision of the HR specialist and technical guidance of IPAS HR, the HR Senior Officer ensures consistent delivery of efficient and effective HR services. They interpret and apply HR policies, rules, regulations, and internal procedures to the management of key HR service lines and systems to support hiring managers in the sourcing, recruitment, selection, placement, realignment, and retention of the best available talent from internal and external sources.
The incumbent provides solutions to a wide spectrum of complex HR issues, advice to international and national personnel, maintains oversight over the HR management of project personnel, and promotes a collaborative, client-oriented approach, contributing to the maintenance of high personnel morale. 

Located in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) the UNOPS Hub in Central Africa covers eleven countries, including in the Central African Republic (CAR), and has an active portfolio of over $200m, mostly related to infrastructure projects. The office has developed strong working relations with the international partners, UN agencies including UN Missions and Governments across Central Africa over the years. It provides technical support and capacity building in strategic development areas including infrastructure rehabilitation and development across health, education, public works, governance/public administration sectors; procurement, project management and sectoral advisory services; peace and security, environmental preservation and protection among others.

Summary of Key Functions

1. Support to policy development and implementation

2. Advisory Services

3. Talent Acquisition and Administration

4. Team Management 

5. Knowledge Building and Knowledge Sharing

1. Support to policy development and implementation

• Contribute to HR policy development and corporate HR initiatives by assisting to generate and maintain 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 projects. 

• 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.

2. 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.

3. 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 as relevant for the Country Office. 

• 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.

• Provide support in realignment exercises, including job fairs, to ensure timely competency elaboration, sourcing, selection, placement of required talent and transitions as well as due process. 

• In collaboration with HQ, identify key talent areas and provide coherent, well-developed plans for obtaining, developing, and managing critical talent.  Develop, utilize and recruitment plans, tools and policy guidance to efficiently and effectively recruit and retain a diverse workforce to meet the needs of the business objectives. 

• Liaise with UNOPS’ HR related units such as the Bangkok Shared Service Centre (BSSC) on all personnel administration matters.

• Implement organizational changes and realignment exercises affecting personnel in UNOPS in accordance with UNOPS policy, ensuring actions are taken in an efficient manner.

• Partner with business units to take a lead role in engagement and work enrichment initiatives and development of annual training plans in collaboration with the People and Culture Group (PCG).

4. Team Management

• Facilitate the engagement and provision of high quality results and services of the team supervised through effective work planning, performance management, coaching, and promotion of learning and development.

• Provide oversight, ensuring compliance by team members with existing policies and best practices

5. 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. 

Education

• An advanced university degree (e.g. Master) in HR, Business/Public 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 2 years of professional-level human resources experience, including HR advisory services, in a major area 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. 

• Previous 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 as well as web-based management systems.
• Experience in conflict or post conflict countries is an asset.

• Fluency in English and French is required.

• 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.