Human Resources Assistant

Contract

This is a SB-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as Service Board / Service Contract. It is normally only for nationals. More about SB-3 contracts.

Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

UN Women plays an innovative and catalytic role in the State of Palestine since its inception in 1997 as UNIFEM. UN Women focuses its activities on one overarching goal; namely to empower Palestinian women and girls and to allow them to enjoy their human rights. In support of this goal and thoroughly taking into consideration the specificities of the context in Palestine, UN Women concentrates its efforts and interventions toward the realization of three strategic goals: Engendering humanitarian action and increasing the effective leadership and participation of women in peace and security; Supporting women's income security, decent work and economic autonomy; and Promoting a life free of violence for women and girls in Palestine, also, UN Women works in an integrated manner to align its normative and operational mandates through enhanced coordination, coherence and accountability of the UN system for commitments to gender equality and women’s empowerment, and through developing and implementing programmes across thematic areas to support the State of Palestine to address gender perspectives in intergovernmental processes (such as the Beijing Platform for Action, Enhancing the implementation of UNSCR 1325, reporting and implementing CEDAW, etc.).

For this, UN Women in collaboration with its partners aim to contribute to a legislative and policy framework that prevent violence and empower those affected by violence to recover; address structural barriers preventing women from economic participation and provide women entrepreneurs with the needed skills, financial resources and partnership to access a more equal share of the market; and ensure that policy makers have the capacity to effectively implement, monitor and track women’s peace and security commitments and place women’s rights at the center of humanitarian action in Palestine.

Under the overall supervision of the Palestine Country Office Special Representative and direct supervision of UN Women Operations Manager, the Human Resources Assistant supports the Office Operations by performing a variety of standard Human Resources and Administrative processes ensuring high quality and accuracy of work. The Human Resources and Travel Assistant promotes a client, quality and results-oriented approach.

The Human Resources Assistant works in close collaboration with the Operations, Programmes and Projects staff in country to ensure consistent Human Resources and Administrative service delivery.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Human Resources (HR) Assistant will be working under the direct supervision of the UN Women Operations Manager, and will undertake the following tasks, duties and responsibilities:

• Administration and implementation of HR strategies and policies:
  • Support the implementation of UN Women rules and regulations and under the supervision of the Operations Manager provide guidance to the Palestine Country Office (CO); identify ways in which the administrative needs can be met within existing policies; interpret processes and procedures, anticipate and manage operational requirements.
  • Provide input and information on development of HR strategies and plans, UN Women personnel and administrative rules and regulations, implementation of personnel rules, use of contractual modalities, application of entitlements, change management processes as well as on all aspects of HR.
  • Implement corporate human resources management policies and strategies in support of the operations of the Palestine CO.

• Administration of human resources:

  • Under guidance, organization of local recruitment processes including initial drafting/ review of job description (ToRs), provision of input to job classification process, vacancy announcement, screening of candidates, coordination and participation in interview panels and applicants desk reviews.
  • Organize for candidates reference check process, coordinate medical clearances and draft of all types of contracts (Service Contract, Fixed-term Appointment and Individual Contracts); manage contract amendments as needed.
  • Assist the Operations Manager in overseeing the operational and staffing requirements with responsibility in the areas of personnel administration for international and nationals, as appropriate (e.g. renewal of UNLPs, visas; extension of contracts, administration of national benefits and allowances; administration of home leave entitlements; etc).
  • Assist the Operations Manager in the preparation and monitoring of the Office Plan; in responding to audit findings and recommendations; monitoring compliance with the RCA and staff learning and development (training and workshops).
  • Ensure that tools and mechanism for effective and efficient monitoring of personnel activities including monitoring and tracking of all transactions related to positions, recruitment, benefits, earnings/deductions, retroactivity, recoveries, adjustments and separations are implemented in timely manner.
  • Prepare personnel related reports; research and draft responses to enquiries for clearance by the Operations Manager.
  • Maintenance of the staffing table and organograms and monthly share staffing table with HR HQ.
  • Update positions data, association of positions to chart fields (CoAs) in line with the cost recovery policy, update of CoA information in coordination with both HQ HR section and UNDP.
  • Liaise with the Human Resources Section at HQ in HR administration and staffing related matters and local UNDP HR as necessary.
  • Maintain accurate and up to date personnel status files in a confidential and secure manner.
  • Liaise with RO and HQ on office’s compliance with the performance appraisal review.

• Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing:

  • Facilitate organization of trainings for the office staff on all areas of thematic work.
  • Sharing of lessons learnt and best practices in HR.
  • Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
  • Support the Operations Manager in the preparation of Office learning plan and individual learning plans in consultation with the HR Business Partner.
  • Liaise with RO and HQ on office’s compliance with staff learning and development

Competencies

Core Values/Guidling Principles:

• Integrity: Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.
• Professionalism: Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work.
• Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity: Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Ethics and Values: Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity.
• Organizational Awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment.
• Development and Innovation: Take charge of self-development and take initiative.
• Work in teams: Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Communicating and Information Sharing: Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication.
• Self-management and Emotional Intelligence: Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others.
• Conflict Management: Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution.
• Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing: Encourage learning and sharing of knowledge.
• Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making: Demonstrate informed and transparent decision making.

Functional Competencies:

• Ability to perform a variety of specialized activities related to HR management, entitlements and benefits, contract management and reporting.
• Strong IT skills.
• Ability to provide input to business processes re-engineering, implementation of new systems.
• Focuses on result for the client.
• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills.
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure.
• Responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view, and are self-aware.
• Strictly adheres to confidentiality.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Secondary Education. Specialized certification in HR, and/or University Degree in Human Resources Management (HRM), Business, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, and/or Public Administration or related fields is highly desirable, but not a requirement.

Experience:

• 3 – 4 years of progressively responsible experience in administration and/ or Human Resources Management (HRM) is required.
• Experience in contract administration, training, staff development, counseling etc. is very relevant.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and experience in handling of web-based management systems.
• Previous working experience with UN Agencies is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English Arabic is required
• Knowledge of the other UN working knowledge is an asset.