Human Resources Senior Assistant

Panamá

Organization: UNOPS - United Nations Office for Project Services
Location: Panamá
Grade: Administrative support - LICA-5, Local Individual Contractors Agreement
Occupational Groups:
- Human Resources
- Administrative support
Closing Date: Closed

Background Information - Job-specific

The portfolio of transactional projects centralized in the Panama office (PAPC) has its specialization and focus on providing transactional services in the area of HR to other organizations within the United Nations system in Latin America and the Caribbean. The HR Assistant will primarily be responsible for processing new contracts, extensions and payroll as part of the administrative and transactional services that needs to be provided according to the Global Agreement with UNOPS partners, including the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), UN Medium Environment (UNEP) and UN Habitat and the specific case of UCIP (Panama Government).

Functional Responsibilities

The UNOPS office is looking for national candidates from Panama or Costa Rica. The local scale will be determined according to the place of residence of the selected candidate.

Functions / Key Results Expected

Support to policy development and implementation
Advisory Services
Talent Acquisition and Administration
Team Management
Knowledge Building and Knowledge Sharing

Support to policy development and implementation

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.

Advisory Services

Provide advice and guidance to personnel on administrative procedures, processes and practices for delivery of HR services with partner personnel
Act as liaison between partner clients and provides proactive customer service to expedite completion of contracts, amendments and payments,

Talent Acquisition and Administration

Support the completion of recruitment processes including offers and rejections, and updating recruitment on-line information system in line with UNOPS policy related with Partner personnel.
Undertakes reference checking, and organization of testing and interviews;, minutes of general-service recruitments, related with partner personnel
Inform and advise, partner personnel and/or focal points on routine aspects and elements of their conditions of service and entitlements according to their contract modality.

Knowledge building and knowledge sharing

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.

For more details about the responsibilities of the position, please review the attached document.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

Completion of Secondary education is required.
First University Degree preferably in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, or equivalent disciplines is desirable and may substitute some years of required experience.
Knowledge of UN policies, procedures and practices highly desirable

Experience

Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience (or less according to educational degree level) in providing HR advisory or recruitment, and/or HR-generalist services.
Some experience in UN system organizations is desirable
Proficiency in computers and office software packages (MS Office and Gsuite) and experience in handling web-based management systems is required.
Experience in use of HR information systems, Enterprise systems including OneUNOPS is desirable.

Language

Full knowledge of spanish is required
Full knowledge of english is required.
Knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.

UNOPS is an inclusive employer, so we invite women and men to apply regardless of their ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. We are committed to promoting equitable representation. We appreciate that people who self-determine themselves as Afro-descendants, indigenous as well as people with disabilities, members of the LGTBIQ+ communities and/or other underrepresented groups in national contexts, voluntarily indicate so in the motivation letter when applying for this vacancy.

Competencies

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: LICA ( Local Individual Contractor Agreement)
Contract level: Level 5. The UNOPS office is looking for national candidates from Panama or Costa Rica. The local scale will be determined according to the place of residence of the selected candidate.
Contract Type: This contract is established in the form of a Regular Month Contract, i.e. a continuous provision of services is required during the contract period, with payments associated with the contract being made at the end of each calendar month.
Contract duration :Open-ended: ended subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and/or to satisfactory performance.

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
Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Information

Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions

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 (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.
All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.