CHIEF OF UNIT, HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Human Resources Unit of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), duty station Abyei. The incumbent will report to the Chief Operations and Resources Management or their designate.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Chief of Unit, Human Resources will be responsible for the following duties:

Strategic Planning
•Participates in the mission planning process throughout the mission lifecycle and plays a critical role in determining the staffing requirements and structures.
•Advises the Senior Management Team on emerging capacity gaps in accordance with the evolution of the mission mandate;
•Advises Senior Mission Leadership on workforce planning, including implementation of succession planning and forecasting of human resources requirements during , mission transition and draw down, including closely coordinating with Headquarters entities to manage the drawdown and retrenchment of staff and works with individual staff to advise them on potential future placements within UN field operations and beyond;
•In coordination with all mission components, develops coherent staffing strategies to support the implementation of the Mission's mandate including recruitment and deployment plan;
•Is responsible for assessment of the workforce per function, skill, level, category, occupational group, gender and geography and for identifying the gap and determining actions to respond to needs taking into account existing vacancies, projected changes due to retirements, returns to parent duty station and turnover rates;
•Advises mission leadership on the implementation of Organization-wide change initiatives especially those related to and have impact on the human resources;
•Reviews mission structures to establish required adjustments that may lead to consolidation, retrenching and reduction of posts.

Budget Process
Participates in the budget development process of the entire mission and provides guidance , staffing table and organizational structure of all sections based on the Field Operations Finance Division (FOFD) guidelines on budget review.
•Coordinates with FOFD on the review of the staffing aspects of the mission's budget and manages preparation of documentation for classification of posts and the implementation of classification result.
•Ensures that expenditures related to staffing are within the budgeted staffing costs, coordinating with the Finance and Budget Units at both the mission and Headquarter levels to ensure availability of funds;
•Ensures the integrity of the staffing table as approved in the budget without discrepancy in sections and locations;
•Advises hiring managers on loaning of posts between sections and movement of posts and staff between locations based on the SOP on Staffing table and post management.

Recruitment and Staff Selection
•Manages the selection and appointment process of highly competent candidates by advising managers on organizational policies and SOPs on the staff selection process and ensuring compliance and required level of skill to conduct and document competency-based interviews for position specific job openings, if required.
•Facilitates the mission's participation in expert panels to evaluate applicants to generic job openings;
•Manages recruitment and selection related process in a transparent, consistent, merit-based and fair manner, complying with policies related to gender balance, geographic diversity, as well as enhancing both the management and staff awareness of these policies;
•Manages the recruitment and selection of national staff ensuring the development of job descriptions for approved posts, liaising with the UNHQ on the classification of such posts, advertising and guiding managers on the selection process in line with UN staff rules and regulations.

Human Resources Management

•Supervises the process of knowledge/awareness building amongst programme managers, senior management and staff members with regard to the staff rules and regulations, and related guidelines in the administration of entitlements and their strict application by the HR Section, including consistent implementation of delegated authority;
•Provides direction and advice on interpretation and application of policies, staff regulations and rules;
•Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of related guidelines, HR rules, regulations practices and procedures, and recommends revisions, where necessary.
•Responsible for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of delegated authorities through inter-alia, the Human Resources Management Scorecard (HRM-S), Service Level Agreements, HRM-S indicators, and the Senior Managers' Compact;
•Represents Senior Mission Management on a variety of joint staff-management advisory bodies in an ex-officio advisory or active capacity, as appropriate;
•Serves as primary interface regarding cross-cutting HR issues between the Head of Mission and UNHQ, with a key proactive role of open communications, advisory services, and collaborative problem resolution;
•As requested by the supervisor, might be required to represents the office in joint bodies and working groups relating to salaries and other conditions of service.

Performance Management
•Supports the mission in the implementation of the performance appraisal system and monitors its compliance, providing guidance and substantive support to mission components on standards for the development of service, section, unit and individual work plans.
•Coordinates with the Integrated Mission Training Center to organize raining/orientation programmes in performance management and supervisory skills as well as work plans.
•Ensures full-compliance of e-Performance and provides input to the establishment of Management Review Committee and Joint Monitoring Committee and Rebuttal Panel and acts as their facilitator and ex-officio member.
•Counsels staff and managers in cases of under-performance and facilitates the implementation of a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) or other remedial measures, when required.

Staff Development
•Advises on training opportunities for HR staff as well as staff in general giving particular attention to developing and implementing career development paths for national staff members.
•Provides regular information on global vacancies and opportunities for the generic rostering system.
•Coordinates with UNHQ as a conduit for headquarters initiatives and as the initiator of individual career advice and counselling, which includes the planning and shaping the progression and movement of staff both within and among missions as part of the global secretariat.

Capacity Building
•Continuously assesses the skill, expertise and knowledge of the HROs and HRAs, ensuring participation of human resources staff in relevant training programmes and designing individual on-the-job and group training programmes on specific subject matters in the area of human resources management, including in the use of HR IT systems (Umoja, Inspira, ERP).

Administration of Justice
•In coordination with interested parties such as the Staff Association(s) and the Conduct and Discipline component, Chief of Staff and/or DOS Advice/OHR, the CHRO will address and mitigate staff grievances with the purpose of resolving them at the lowest practical level.
•Develops preventive activities such as training and sharing best practices and recent jurisprudence related to human resources management.
•In consultation with DOS and DMSPC, coordinates the mission's responses to formal and informal requests coming from different entities under the Administration of Justice (AoJ) system and implement decisions applicable to the mission.

Staff and Management Relations
•Develops an "open door" dialogue between the management and international and national staff unions (Field Staff Union and National Staff Committee) respectively to discuss HR matters and related staff issues;
•Meets frequently with staff representatives to address issues affecting the staff and coordinate the quarterly meetings with the Head of the Mission and Chief of Staff;
•Organizes, as necessary, general or specific meetings for the staff on issues such as HR aspects of mandate implementation, status of HR reforms and other organizational change initiatives etc.

Other
•Develops a set of actionable and targeted change management plans, including coaching and training in order to implement the above responsibilities and reports on possible gaps and risks and recommends corrective action.
•Develops a communication strategy with a dedicated intranet page on HR issues and regular formal and informal meetings.
•Maintains constant dialogue with the Heads of Operations/Administration of UN Country Teams for coordination of national staff salary surveys, cost of living surveys, and other common policies on in-country entitlements for staff.
•In consultation with the mission Chief Security Officer, the Staff Counselor and the Welfare Officers, develops the mission's response to a natural disaster/incident with focus on anticipating, planning and coordinating the overall HR response in coordination with Mission Support.
•Performs other duties as requested.

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. Provides leadership and 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.

Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; Appraises performance fairly.

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 that 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) in human resources management, business or public administration, social sciences, education or related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two years of additional experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Practitioner level certification in Prince2 is desirable.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in Human Resources Management, Administration or a related area is required.

Experience with the planning and delivery of Human Resources services in complex, volatile and conflict and post-conflict environments is required.

Experience managing staffing, administration, and talent acquisition using enterprise resource platforms is required.

Experience in providing strategic Human Resource guidance to senior management is required.

Experience in the coordination and planning of activities related to HR, Administration, Budget and funding is required.

Experience designing and/or implementing strategies to improve gender, diversity and inclusion is desirable.

Experience working in strategic organizational design, staffing table and position classification with the United Nations system or similar international organization is desirable.

Experience in leading matters related to administration of justice, and formulation of response on behalf of the mission’s leadership to formal cases before management evaluation and Dispute Tribunal is required.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required.

Assessment

Previously rostered candidates are not subject to any further assessment and as such, will not be invited for such an assessment.

Special Notice

This "Recruit from Roster" job opening is only open to roster applicants who are already placed on pre-approved rosters, following a review by a United Nations Central Review Body. Only roster applicants who were placed on rosters with similar functions at the same level are considered to be eligible candidates. Eligible applicants receive an email inviting them to apply. Rostered applicants are encouraged to apply only if they are interested and available to take up the position at the duty station/s specified in the Job Opening. Applying to this job opening carries an expectation to accept the offer, if selected.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

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.