UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Org. Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the Human Resources Section, the Executive Office, of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in New York.
OCHA is the part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response efforts. OCHA’s mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention and facilitate sustainable solutions.
The incumbent of the post reports to the Chief of Human Resources Section, through a senior Human Resources Officer (P-4).
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Human Resources Officer will be responsible for the following duties:
General
• Provides advice and support to managers and staff on human resources related matters.
• Prepares special reports and participates and/or leads special human resources project.
• Keeps abreast of developments in various areas of human resources.
Recruitment and placement
• Identifies upcoming vacancies in coordination with client offices.
• Prepares vacancy announcements, reviews applications, and provides a short-list to those offices.
• Reviews recommendation on the selection of candidate by client offices.
• Serves as ex-officio in appointment and promotion bodies, examinations boards, and prepares and presents cases to these bodies.
• Prepares job offers for successful candidates.
• Monitors and evaluates recruitment and placement related activities of client offices, and recommends changes or corrections related to procedures to these offices.
• Supervises and monitors the work of the Human Resources Assistants in carrying out all human resources administrative transactions including preparation of personnel actions, maintenance of staffing tables, and processing of contracts.
Administration of entitlements
• Provides advice on interpretation and application of policies, regulations and rules. Reviews and provides advice on exceptions to policies, regulation and rules.
• Administers and provides advice on salary and related benefits, travel, and social security entitlements.
• Determines and recommends benefits and entitlements for staff on the basis of contractual status.
• Reviews policies and procedures and recommends changes as required.
• Reviews and recommends level of remuneration for consultants.
Staff development and career support
• Identifies and analyzes staff development and career support needs and designs programmes to meet identified needs. Prepares monitoring reports on staff development and career support programmes.
• Provides advice on mobility and career development to staff, particularly young professionals and staff in the General Service and related categories.
• Provides performance management advice to staff and management. Assists supervisors and staff with understanding and using the performance appraisal system (PAS).
Other duties
• Advises and counsels staff in respect of rights, responsibilities, code of conduct and difficulties associated with work and entitlements.
• Prepares classification analysis of jobs in Professional and General Service and related categories.
• Provides guidance to programme managers on the application of classification policies and procedures and by undertaking whole office review.
• Assists in preparing policy papers, position papers and briefing notes on issues related to examinations and tests.
Competencies
• Professionalism: Knowledge of human resources policies, practices and procedures and ability to apply them in an organizational setting. Ability to identify issues, formulate opinions, make conclusions and recommendations. 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.
• 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.
• Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
Education
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in public or business administration, human resources management or related area. A first level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.
Work Experience
A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in human resources management, administration or related area is required.
Hands on experience with the HR administration module of Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) such as SAP or PeopleSoft is required.
Experience in administration of contracts, benefits and entitlements for emergency field operations is required.
Experience in reporting and data analysis to support strategic HR decision making is required.
A minimum of two (2) years of international field experience in aid operations in the last five (5) years is desirable.
Experience in providing strategic HR related advice to both headquarters offices and field operations in an international organization (or similar entity) is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable.
Assessment
Evaluation of qualified applicants may include a substantive assessment, which may be followed by a competency-based interview.
Special Notice
• The appointment/assignment is for a duration of 9 months with a possibility of extension subject to funding availability and mandate extension.
• While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.
• Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.
• This temporary job opening may be limited to “internal candidates,” who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15.
• Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.
• Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as “retirement.” Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.
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.
The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side 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.