HR Associate, Multiple positions

UNOPS Geneva Office is part of the Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR), and manages one of UNOPS largest portfolios. It provides quality services and integrated solutions to its partners in the areas of operational support (including HR, Procurement, Finance, Travel, Administration and ICT) as well as management of grants and trust funds. The Geneva Office also hosts global entities working in support of health, nutrition, humanitarian support, sustainable urban development and disaster displacement.

Under the direct supervision of the HR Manager and the overall direction of the Head of Support Services as well as the technical guidance of IPAS HR, the HR Associate is responsible for administering and implementing services, plans, and processes covering the array of Human Resources Management service lines for optimal employee and talent management, i.e. recruitment, learning, performance management, transition, organizational development, and contract management. 

• Contribute to HR policy development and corporate HR initiatives by assisting to collect data on trends, risks and opportunities and sharing local HR best practices.

• Assist with projects in support of HR initiatives for attainment of business objectives in line with the corporate HR strategy.  

• Support the communication of HR policy changes and new HR initiatives to management and personnel, providing guidance as needed.

• Provide guidance on HR related systems and processes including but not limited to Recruitment, Contracts, Position Management, Performance Management, Benefits and Entitlements consistent with UNOPS rules and procedures.

• Provide advice and guidance to personnel on administrative procedures, processes and practices.

• Act as liaison between unit and internal and external clients and provides proactive customer service to expedite completion of projects, and provide information. 

• As the first face of HR, ensure that new hires' first impressions are positive and that they have all in-processing information completed.

• Advise hiring management and guide personnel on UNOPS recruitment and performance management processes, and learning and development initiatives, resources, and plans.

• Provide advice to supervisors on good practices, policies and procedures in performance management, including managing of underperformance. 

• Support the implementation of institutional gender and diversity initiatives, providing education and advice on issues related to equity, compliance, inclusion, and diversity.

• Assist in recruitment processes ensuring best practices are used for effective and efficient talent acquisition in line with UNOPS policy.  

• Actively participate in workforce planning at the office and project level and guide clients through recruitment and selection processes. Take lead on requisition initiation, longlisting, testing and interviews, formal approvals, selection minutes, reference checking, fee calculation, offers and rejections, and updating recruitment on-line information system.

• 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.

• Liaise with UNOPS’ HR related groups such as SSC on personnel administration matters and submit transactional HR service data (normally within the ERP system).

• Research precedents and present recommendations to the supervisor, taking into account institutionalized exceptions. Undertake research on a range of HR related issues and assist in the preparation of notes/reports.

• Establish and maintain monitoring systems, advising the supervisor on the status of pending requests and approaching deadlines. Follow up on team work processes to ensure clearance, approvals and timely workflows 

• Answer questions and follow-up with personnel and management to ensure completion of absences requests, performance management cycle, and other HR processes etc. in electronic information systems. 

• Liaise with relevant HQ and UN system units to exchange information and follow up on pending issues.

• Set up and maintain reference files/records. 

• Follow up or process payroll verification.

• Monitor status of HR actions to facilitate timely action by supervisor and line management, including on transactions initiated, expiring appointments/contracts, and pending separation actions. 

• 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 the relevant business units.

• Provide support to the organization, facilitation and/or delivery of training and learning initiatives for personnel on HR-related topics.

• Provides sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice by synthesizing lessons learnt and dissemination of best practices in human resources.

• Collect feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices and utilize productively. 

• Undertake research on a range of HR related issues and provide content for notes/reports including quarterly and year-end reports for monitoring, statistical and review purposes by management.

• Liaise with relevant HQ and UN system units to exchange information and follow up on pending issues.

• Completion of Secondary education is required. First University Degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, or equivalent disciplines is desirable. 

• Knowledge of  UN policies, procedures and practices highly desirable

• Minimum of six years of relevant experience in an international and/or national organization in providing recruitment, and/or HR-generalist services.

• Knowledge of UNOPS HR policy and processes is an asset.

• Some experience in UN system organizations is desirable

• Proficiency in computers and office software packages and experience in handling web-based management systems is required.

• Experience in use of HR information systems, Enterprise systems including OneUNOPS is desirable.

• Fluency in English is essential.

• Knowledge of French is an asset.

• 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.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• 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
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• 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.

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.