Human Resources Advisor

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.

Myanmar

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Head of Support Services, the Human Resources (HR) Advisor provides advice to senior management on the transparent implementation of HR strategies, effective delivery of HR services, and management of the HR Unit in Myanmar serving over 400 personnel, ensuring high quality, accuracy and consistency of work. S/he assesses client needs, interprets and applies HR policies, rules and regulations, establishes internal procedures and provides solutions to a wide spectrum of complex HR issues. The HR Advisor provides operational and strategic HR guidance, including local and corporate best practices, establishment and provision of HR advisory support to projects/funds, and recruitment. S/He provides promotes a collaborative, client-oriented approach consistent with UNOPS rules and regulations and contributes to the maintenance of high staff morale.

III. Summary of Key Functions

1. Support to HR Policy Development and Implementation
2. HR Advisory Services
3. Talent Acquisition and Management
4. Team Management
5. Knowledge Building and Knowledge Sharing

1.     Support to HR Policy Development and Implementation

• Contribute to HR policy development and corporate HR initiatives by providing data on trends, risks and opportunities and sharing back information on local HR best practices.
• Maintain an effective level of business literacy about the fund and portfolio objectives and plans, the UNOPS HR strategy, policies and standards. In consultation with the relevant stakeholders, leads the implementation of the UNOPS corporate HR strategy, initiatives and standards at UNOPS Myanmar.
• Communicate HR policy changes and new HR initiatives to management and personnel, providing guidance as needed.
• Partner with corporate HR (IPAS HR) to ensure appropriate oversight and to contribute towards continuous improvement of practices 

• Analyse corporate HR strategy and policies, assessing the local impact of changes and make recommendations on their implementation. Research matters related to conditions of service, salaries, allowances and other HR policy matters.

• Collaborate with leadership to develop and implement workforce planning initiatives, employing HR business processes mapping, to ensure efficient and effective services and work flows. Monitor workforce status and trends.
• Map the HR business processes and elaborate/establish internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), developing procedures and practices that contribute to the enhancement and improvement HR management. Control the HR workflows in the Myanmar Office and ensure they are aligned and compliant with policy.

2.     HR Advisory Services

• Provide guidance on HR policy application for personnel management, assessing and anticipating HR needs to provide value-added consultative service to management on human resource-related issues.
• Define, develop, model and deliver HR services, programs, and communications to add value for prospective and current UNOPS Myanmar personnel.
• Under the guidance of IPAS HR, advise, assist and mediate, as needed, on sensitive matters including grievances and workplace disputes, performance improvement plans, complex employee relations matters, etc.
• Empower and encourage managers to have ownership for implementation of HR policies and effective team management, providing guidance and coaching as needed. Foster the relationship between supervisors and personnel, encouraging dialogue and two-way constructive feedback.
• In collaboration with key stakeholders, encourage continuous improvement and professional growth by advising on, planning, and tracking learning and development activities.
• Collaborate with leadership to support institutional gender and diversity initiatives, providing education and advice on issues related to equity, compliance, inclusion, and diversity.
• Advise management on transparent and competitive processes for recruitment, Terms of Reference (TOR) and request for contracts.
  • Advise management and personnel on competency development and learning opportunities for professional growth.
  • Advise and support management on practices conducive to an inclusive work environment and actively support management in Gender Parity efforts.

3.     Talent Acquisition and Management

• Manage the application and implementation of talent acquisition and management policies and processes covering recruitment, onboarding, performance management, learning and development, change management, compensation and benefits administration, contract Administration, succession planning and out-processing.
• Manage, provide advice and facilitate transparent and competitive recruitment and selection processes in accordance with UNOPS policy.
• Under the guidance of IPAS HR, coordinate the efficient administration of contractual modalities, loans, exchanges, and secondments for UNOPS Myanmar.
• Under the guidance of and in consultation with IPAS HR, coordinate personnel realignment exercises to ensure timely competency elaboration, sourcing, selection, placement of required talent and transitions as well as due process.
• Identify key talent needs for UNOPS Myanmar and provide coherent, well-developed plans for obtaining, developing, and managing critical talent. Ensure that similar talent needs assessments take place.
• Develop and utilize recruitment plans and tools to efficiently and effectively recruit and retain a diverse workforce to meet the needs of UNOPS Myanmar business objectives.
  • Collaborate with IPAS HR and service center (BSSC) focal points for matters pertaining to administration of staff member entitlements and benefits. Manage international staff entitlements and position funding delegated to the HR Unit.

4.     Team Management

• Foster empowerment and a high performing culture whilst acting in accordance with the UNOPS leadership mindset and role modelling UNOPS values
• Facilitate the engagement and provision of high quality results and services of the team supervised - through effective recruitment, work planning, performance management, coaching, and promotion of learning and development.
  • Provide oversight, ensuring compliance by team members with existing policies and best practices.
  • Develop HR Unit personnel capability, in line with corporate focus and UNOPS Myanmar business need.

1. Knowledge Building and Knowledge Sharing

• Organize, facilitate and/or deliver training and learning initiatives for UNOPS Myanmar personnel on HR-related topics.
• Oversee the development of a UNOPS Myanmar learning plan in line with office needs in order to ensure staff are fully acquainted with UNOPS corporate regulations, rules and procedures, and the relevant tools and systems in place.
• Lead initiatives on capacity development and knowledge building for HR personnel, including network development, plans, learning plans and activities, HR practice information and best practice benchmarking.
• Oversee UNOPS Myanmar’s contributions to HR knowledge networks and communities of practice including collaborative synthesis of lessons learnt and dissemination of best practices in human resources management.
  • Guide team’s collection of feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices and utilize productively, sharing relevant information with colleagues in PCG and IPAS HR.

IV. Impact of Results

The effective and successful achievement of results by the Human Resources Advisor directly affects the capacities and performance of the HR Unit in their management and implementation of HR services and initiative. This affects client satisfaction as well as the agility of human capital, promoting credibility of UNOPS as an effective service provider in project services and fund management.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in human resources management, business administration, social sciences or related field required. A first-level university degree with relevant combination of academic qualifications and two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• A minimum 7 years of relevant experience in human resources management at the international level, preferably with United Nations and/or an international organizations, of which at least 4 years at the managerial level.
• A minimum 2 years of experience working abroad and providing HR advisory services
• A minimum 4 years of team management with supervisory responsibility.
• A minimum 3 years of experience conducting and/or managing recruitment.

• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Office 2003 and/or newer versions).

Language Requirements

• Fluency in written and oral English is required.  Knowledge of second UN working language desirable.

• 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.