Background Information – UNOPS

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

Background Information – Job-specific

UNOPS Hub in Amman

The UNOPS Hub in Amman implements projects in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen, in partnership with bilateral donors, national governments, and other UN agencies. With an established presence across the region, the office runs operations including large-scale procurement, project development, and technical management, and provides financial, human resources, and infrastructure-related services. The functional objective of UNOPS Hub in Amman is to deliver its projects in an efficient and effective manner and in line with the principles, rules and regulations of UNOPS, in order to support the response to the current needs and national priorities in the region.

Under the direct supervision of HR Specialist, the Human Resources Officer delivers high-quality and consistent delivery of effective HR services (recruitment, contract and performance management of talent) to the client office, ensuring full compliance with UN rules and regulations, UNOPS policies and procedures and internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in HR management. Under the guidance, the HR Analyst provides solutions to a wide spectrum of complex HR issues in a collaborative, client-oriented manner.

The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

UNOPS is committed to achieving a fully diverse workforce.

Functional Responsibilities

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 compiling and maintaining data on trends, risks and opportunities and sharing local HR best practices.
• Provide technical or administrative services in support of 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 business unit/s.
• 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, Benefits and Entitlements consistent with UNOPS rules and procedures.
• Provide advice and answers to personnel on routine cases for HR services such as the performance appraisal process, learning & development activities, contracts, benefits, entitlements and remuneration and career development.
• 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, 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, Performance Management, Learning and Development, Change Management, Salary and Benefit administration, Contract Administration, Succession Planning and Out-processing.
• Administer contracts, entitlements, loans, exchanges, and secondments. Inform and advise UNOPS personnel, consultants, partners and project personnel on their conditions of service and entitlements according to their contract modality, expediting actions to facilitate their efficient, timely, and client-focused onboarding.
• Support 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 technical inputs into, and organize straightforward components of, regional and national personnel realignment exercises, including job fairs, to ensure timely competency elaboration, sourcing, selection, placement of required talent and transitions as well as due process.
• Identify key talent areas and provide elements of coherent, well-developed plans for obtaining, developing, and managing critical talent. Utilize 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 groups on personnel administration matters.
• Guide business units in engagement and work enrichment initiatives and development of annual training plans.

  4. Team Management

• Support efficient planning and management of the HR unit, including drafting annual recruitment plans, implementing designated projects in line with the corporate HR strategy, overseeing personnel file systems as well as provision of related statistical summaries and tracking movements of UNOPS personnel within relevant business unit/s.
• May supervise other personnel members in the provision of HR client services by assigning work, facilitating work planning, managing performance, motivating, developing and coaching team members to deliver high quality results and services.
  1. Knowledge building and knowledge sharing
• Organize, facilitate and/or deliver training and learning initiatives for personnel and other personnel on HR-related topics.
• Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice by synthesizing of lessons learnt and dissemination of best practices in human resources.
• Substantively contribute to the planning and development of the HR components of the office annual report.
• Collect feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices and put to use productively.

Perform other related duties as assigned by supervisor

Monitoring and Progress Controls

The effective and successful achievement of results by the Human Resources Officer directly impact on the efficient performance of key elements of HR systems and services of the relevant business unit. These affect aspects of client satisfaction as well as of the readiness and capabilities of the human capital of the unit, to effectively develop and implement the programmes and projects of UNOPS. This contributes to the credibility of the organization as an effective service provider in project services and management.

Competencies

Strategic perspective: Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.(for levels IICA-2, IICA-3, LICA Specialist- 10, LICA Specialist-11, NOC, NOD, P3, P4 and above)

Integrity: Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Leading self and others: Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

Partnering: Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Results Orientation: Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Agility: Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Solution Focused: Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Effective Communication: Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

• Advanced University degree in Human Resources management, Business Administration, social or behavioral sciences.
• A first-level university degree in combination with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above.
• A minimum of one year of experience in professional-level recruitment and/or HR generalist services in an international, public or corporate organization.
• Some experience in UN system organizations preferably in a developing country is desirable.
• Proficiency in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Office)
• Fluency in English is required.
• Working knowledge of Arabic language is desirable

  Contract type, level and duration

• Contract type: International ICA
• Contract level: I-ICA 1
• Contract duration: Ongoing ICA – ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-of…

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Work life harmonization – UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

  It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
  Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.