Human Resources Specialist

Contract

This is a IPSA-10 contract. This kind of contract is known as International Personnel Services Agreement. It is normally internationally recruited only. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education. More about IPSA-10 contracts.

Background

Instructions to Applicants: Click on the "Apply now" button. Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation. Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. Please ensure that CV or P11 and the Cover letter are combined in one file.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.

A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

Travel: UNDP will cover the cost of travel of the individual to the duty station, as well as their return to their home upon completion of their services. Travel costs are covered only in the event that the function will be undertaken physically in the duty station and excludes working from home arrangements.

Office/Unit/Project Description:

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

UNDP’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan emphasizes the critical links between environmental sustainability, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and broader efforts to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP’s Nature, Climate Change, and Energy (NCE) Team promotes and scales up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas.

The NCE Team works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate natural capital, environment and climate concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies; support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and implement the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming on environment, climate change, and energy. This multi-billion dollar portfolio encompasses: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services including forests; Sustainable Land Management and Desertification including food and commodity systems; Water and Ocean Governance including SIDS; Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation; Renewable and Modern Energy; Extractive Industries; Chemicals and Waste Management; Environmental Governance and Green/Circular Economy and SCP approaches. This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, digital transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South learning.

In addition to UNDP’s bilateral partnerships on natural capital, environment and climate, UNDP is an accredited multilateral implementing agency of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Multilateral Fund (MLF), the Adaptation Fund (AF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) which includes the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund (GEF Trust Fund); the Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund (NPIF); the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF); and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF)). As part of UNDP’s partnership with these vertical funds, UNDP provides countries specialized integrated technical services for eligibility assessment, programme formulation, capacity development, policy advice, technical assistance, training and technology transfer, mobilization of co-financing, implementation oversight, results management and evaluation, performance-based payments and knowledge management services.

Under the supervision of the Director and Executive Coordinator – Environmental Finance & Global Lead - Nature, Climate, and Energy, and in close collaboration with the BPPS Human Resources Business Partners and Strategy and BPPS Systems Management (SSM) unit, the Human Resources Specialist will provide support to the NCE Global Lead, NCE Team managers and staff with effective and transparent HR management. The Human Resources Specialist will additionally work closely with the NCE Operations Specialists, and programme and project teams at Headquarters and based in the Reginal Hubs for the effective delivery of human resources services.

Institutional Arrangement

• The HR Specialist will work from home;
• The HR Specialist will report to, and be directly supervised by, the Director and Executive Coordinator – Environmental Finance & Global Lead for NCE, based in New York, USA;
• The HR Specialist will be given access to relevant information and systems necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
• The HR Specialist will be responsible for providing her/his own workstation (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to reliable internet connection when working from home-base;
• Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the HR Specialist is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

Under the supervision of the Director and Executive Coordinator – Environmental Finance & Global Lead for NCE , the HR Specialist will provide support in the following areas:

Provide technical guidance and support to HR Personnel management, information, and tracking

• Maintain internal personnel databases on all staff and personnel, including information on contracts, performance, deployment, demographics and learning;
• Prepare documents, statistics, and reports both pro-actively and as required or requested;
• Provide personnel information to internal and external parties as appropriate;
• In collaboration with BPPS HR Business partners and BPPS/SSM, monitor all transactions related to positions, recruitment, hires, benefits, and separations through Atlas and/or SSM portal to ensure accuracy of data;
• Track contract status, management, and administration of all NCE Unit’s temporary, fixed, and permanent appointment staff, UNVs, I/NPSAs, and conversions of Service Contract holders both at headquarters and in the field, and act proactively to extend, or conclude, them in a timely manner;
• Facilitate performance appraisal process for NCE Unit’s staff, including monitoring and team performance evaluation ensuring completion within established corporate deadlines;
• Elaboration of performance evaluation indicators in consultation with the Senior Management. Provide guidance on performance issues and ensure strategies for under-performing staff are implemented;
• Develop NCE Unit’s learning plan by liaising with OHR, BPPS/SSM unit, and external units/organizations regarding learning opportunities for NCE Unit’s staff and coordinating training as required;
• Responsible for the timely follow-up and completion of all corporate learning requirements by established deadlines;
• Ensure effective succession management and workforce planning through timely and accurate projection of vacancies and staffing requirements;
• Provide guidance and assist NCE Unit’s Management with talent tracking and career management;
• Support Region-based teams on HR management processes and provide timely response to specific issues and queries to optimize overall HR performance and portfolio delivery;
• Review, and in consultation with OHR, provide advice on requests for exceptions to policies, regulations, and rules;
• Provide advice on various contractual modalities and monitor adherence to supporting regulatory framework;
• Monitor and develop efforts to meet Human Resources Management scorecard targets;
• Prepare and/or coordinate the preparation of audit response and submissions to oversight bodies;
• Provide support to extended leave, mediation, rebuttal, and harassment issues;
• Provide support to the implementation of NCE GSS Action plan.
• Coordinate with NCE procurement support teams and/or BMS/CPU efforts to ensure optimal approach is adopted to contract external experts, including feeding rosters with identified recommended candidates.

Provide technical guidance and support to the successful implementation of policies, practices and

procedures to meet the evolving needs of the unit in the area of recruitment

• Ensure transparent and competitive recruitment and selections processes in line with corporate guidelines and policies, leading to timely sourcing, selection and placement of required talent;
• Advise hiring managers on the best staffing modality and appropriate use of different contract types and recruitment methods;
• Through OHR’s Central Recruitment Unit, facilitate competitive recruitment and selection processes for FTA/TA positions, including reviewing and providing guidance on development of job descriptions, , screening of candidates, preparation of relevant assessment tools and reports, proper panel composition, writing of interview reports when necessary, and preparing submissions to the Appointment and Promotion Board/Panel in collaboration with HR Business Partners where necessary;
• Provide quality assurance to competitive recruitment and selection processes for I/NPSA positions, including reviewing and providing guidance on development of job descriptions, vacancy announcements, screening of candidates, preparation of relevant assessment tools and reports, proper panel composition, writing of interview reports when necessary, in collaboration with HR Business Partners where necessary;
• Facilitate and coordinate the job classification process by obtaining budget clearances, requesting updates or creation of positions, updating organigrammes, undertaking internal circulation and sending job descriptions to OHR for classification;
• Facilitate interview panels, conduct reference checks (including Clear Check for external candidates), and follow upon the approval processes as necessary;
• Provide guidance on the interpretation and application of HR policies, regulations, rules and best practices related to recruitment in consultation with HR Business Partners;
• Development and maintenance of rosters in relation to recruitment and other staffing needs;
• Gather and compile documentation and information related to recruitment within the unit and in eRecruit as required/necessary;
• Maintain internal recruitment database on positions, including information on completion of milestones to determine bottlenecks, suggesting and implementing remedies, and ensuring recruitments are completed within established timelines;
• Facilitate and/or provide inputs to special recruitments and staffing reports as required;
• Monitor and report on the NCE Unit’s gender parity and geographical representation and provide guidance to management on strategies for achieving parity, particularly prior to initiating new recruitments;
• Develop and maintain internal Terms of Reference and SOPs for recruitment processes;
• Prepare and/or coordinate the preparation of audit response and submissions to oversight bodies;

• Review, and in consultation with OHR, provide advice on requests for exceptions to recruitment policies, regulations, and rules;

• Provide recruitment coordination support for the NCE Unit’s Directorate.

Knowledge Management

• Stays up-to-date with changing guidelines and processes with relation to human resources;
• In consultation with the Director and Executive Coordinator – Environmental Finance & Global Lead for NCE or BPPS Business Advisor, provides advice and information on issues related to areas of work;
• Trains other staff on internal Human Resource procedures;
• Briefs and debriefs staff on issues relating to areas of work.

Competencies

Skills

• Experience in providing management advisory services to a globally-distributed client base in multiple locations.

Competencies

Corporate

• Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s vision, mission and values;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
• Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Functional

Client Orientation, Professionalism, and Communications:

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work;
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing to in a simple and concise manner;
• Ability to work efficiently and effectively in the implementation of multiple tasks/processes in parallel and at different stages of implementation;
• Able to work independently and remotely with minimal supervision;
• Ability to work under pressure and time constraints;
• Exercise the highest level of responsibility and be able to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner;
• Knowledge of HR management issues and principles and the ability to apply them to strategic and/or practical situations;
• Ability to perform administrative and procedural activities to ensure that quality requirements and goals are fulfilled;
• Ability to work effectively with diverse groups of professionals in an integrated and proactive manner towards common goals;
• Provide support to HR Finance Interface including position management, chart of accounts, certification of financial resources for position extension, creation, etc.

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Academic Education

• Master’s degree in Business or Public Administration, Human Resources, or related area with at least 5 years of relevant experience

• A Bachelor’s degree in Business, Social Sciences, Public Administration, or other closely field with at least 7 years of relevant experience will also be accepted

Min. years of relevant Work experience

• 5 years of relevant experience with a Master’s degree, or 7 years with a Bachelor’s degree, of progressively responsible HR experience, required at the national and/or international level.

Desired additional skills and competencies

Skills

• At least 2 years of knowledge of an ERP System (such as Atlas), UN Staff Rules and Regulations, and UNDP policies, guidelines, recruitment, and benefits and entitlements strongly desired;
• Certification in Human Resources is an asset;
• Knowledge of other UN languages is an asset;
• Direct experience with, or knowledge of, vertical funds is an advantage.

Required Language(s) (at working level)

• Fluency in written and spoken English