Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Human Resources Management Section of the Executive Office in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). The Executive Office provides human resources, finance and budget, logistics and general administrative support to the Department and other Offices (OSAA, OHRLLS, CEB, RCNYO). The Senior Human Resources Officer reports to the Executive Officer of DESA. Further information on DESA is available on the following website: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/index.html.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Senior Human Resources Officer will be responsible for the following duties: General – Plans, organizes, manages and supervises the work of the Section assigned. – Monitors and ensures the implementation of human resources policies, practices and procedures. – Advises senior management on all aspects of human resources policies, procedures and substance and provides proactive and innovative approaches to delivery of human resources services as well as to strategic and policy issues. – Supports the Head of Entity and Executive Officer in staff-management relations – Represents the Department at inter-departmental bodies dealing with human resources questions. – Acts as departmental focal point for various corporate initiatives on human resources management, including on staff engagement, financial disclosure, diversity, etc. Recruitment and placement – Identifies recruitment needs and priorities, develops and implements recruitment strategies, and conducts targeted recruitment campaigns. – Monitors and follows up with Hiring Managers to ensure timely filling of posts in accordance with established policies and procedures. – Approves issuance of job openings, oversees and clears recruitment, promotion and placement submissions to appointment and promotion bodies. Reviews, provides guidance and implements decisions for lateral reassignments. – Reviews short lists and participates in interviews for high level posts. – Provides guidance on policy relating to recruitment, placement and promotion, and reviews appointments. – Oversees departmental exercises for placement of roster candidates in Young Professionals, Managed Reassignment Programme and Global Mobility exercises. – Manages the department’s internship and other non-staff personnel programmes – Liaises with relevant entities on the release and transfer of selected staff, including those subjects to the inter-organizational agreement on secondments, transfers and loans of UN system staff. Administration of entitlements – Monitors and ensures the implementation of appropriate conditions of service and entitlements. – Provides advice on interpretation and application of policies, regulations and rules. Recommends exceptions to policies, regulations and rules. – In coordination with Finance and Budget oversees the Consultant and Individual Contractor desk. Staff development and career support – Identifies and analyzes staff development and career support needs and coordinates with the Office of Human Resources on financial and expert resources and accessing available programmes to meet identified needs. Oversees preparation of annual learning plans and budget for the department, and related monitoring reports. – Monitors and ensures the implementation of staff development and career support programmes. Liaises with OHR on centrally managed learning programmes, promotes to staff in the Department and coordinates submission of nominations, when required. – Promotes staff development and career support programmes. Provides advice on mobility and career development to staff at all levels in all categories. – Provides performance management advice to staff and management. Assists the Department with the implementation of the performance management system and monitors compliance. Other duties – Advises and counsels staff in respect of rights, responsibilities, code of conduct and difficulties associated with work and entitlements. – Acts as the Conduct and Discipline Focal Point for the department, monitors, advises and acts on disciplinary matters in accordance with established policies and procedures. Mediates conflict, grievance and harassment cases. – Advises the Head of Entity and senior managers on the administration of justice system and prepares or coordinates responses on litigation cases. – Reviews and provides guidance on classification of jobs in Professional and General Service and related categories and submits for approval by the Office of Human Resources, accordingly. – Leads team members efforts to collect and analyse data and provides insight to identify trends or patters for data-driven human resources planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting to senior management and intergovernmental and oversight bodies.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of human resources policies, practices and procedures and ability to apply them in an organizational setting. Ability to identify issues, analyze and formulate opinions, make conclusions and recommendations on complex human resources policy and development issues. Ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision making and convey resulting information to management. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing. Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable. Building Trust: Provides an environment in which others can talk and act without fear of repercussion; manages in a deliberate and predictable way; operates with transparency; has no hidden agenda; places confidences in colleagues, staff members and clients; gives proper credit to theirs; follows through on agreed upon actions; treats sensitive or confidential information appropriately. Judgement/Decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in human resources management, business or public administration, social sciences, law or related area is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programmes or certification in data or business analytics is an advantage.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in the full range of human resources management, administrative services or related area is required. At least five years’ experience in the provision of client support services in the human resources area is required. Experience in managing and/or supervising a diverse team is required. Experience in working in an international or regional intergovernmental organization is desirable. Experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of the other is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfil the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover letter. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 31st July 2024, are strongly encouraged to apply: Angola, Belize, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Sao Tome and Principe, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, China, Cuba, Germany,Hungary,Indonesia,Israel,Japan,Kuwait,Libya,Malta,Micronesia (Federated States of),Monaco, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Turkmenistan, United States of America.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.