Human Resources Assistant

The Department of Operational Support (DOS) was established to provide end-to-end operational support, advisory services and other solutions to operating entities across the Secretariat, including departments, offices away from headquarters, peace operations, and regional commissions.

The Human Resources Services Division (HRSD) provides dedicated services in support of human resources requirements of client entities, from process development through service delivery. The Division establishes and manages rosters across all job families, organizes testing and examinations, provides operational support and other advisory service for clients for the full spectrum of their delegated authorities, and supports managers and business partners in the use of non-staff personnel. The Operational Support and Advisory Service (OSAS) serves as an enabling partner to support clients in fulfilling their mandates.

The key services include: guidance to entities on the proper exercise of delegated authorities; advice on the application of human resources policies and procedures; advice to managers related to formal and informal conflict resolution; input/feedback to the development and/or improvement of simplified policies and procedures; support to clients in developing, formulating and implementing customized entity specific HR strategies and plans; and support to clients and shared services in the achievement of their human resources management targets and objectives. The Human Resources Advisory Sections 1 & 2 serve as the primary entry point and point of contact for clients regarding services provided by OSAS.

This position is located in the Operational Support and Advisory Service (OSAS) and in the Human Resources Advisory Section II within the Human Resources Services Division (HRSD), Office of Support Operations (OSO), Department of Operational Support (DOS). The incumbent will report to a Human Resources Officer within the Human Resources Advisory Section II.

Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Human Resources Officer, the Human Resources Assistant will be responsible for the following duties: Advisory Services and Client Relations Management

• Provides consistent, strategic and timely advice in response to entity-specific requests for guidance on all aspects of human resources management as Tier 2 advisory support by researching and responding to human resources practitioners on topics including but not limited to human resources planning, organizational management and classification, staffing, staff development, performance management, and the administration of entitlements.
• Provides advice to client entities on complex human resources procedures and processes (e.g., treatment of potential misconduct issues, negative reference verification outcomes, and delegation of authority issues) on the basis of existing guidance.
• Prepares submissions to the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance requesting guidance on cases requiring exceptional policy clarification.
• Provides advice on the appropriate usage of all types of staff categories and non-staff capacities throughout the Secretariat in the context of operational workforce planning.
• Keeps abreast of the latest changes in human resources policies in order to be able to correctly advise client entities seeking guidance.
• Supports the team in providing advice and support on complex human resources cases by conducting in-depth reviews of relevant information and documentation, preparing precise and detailed summaries of facts, conducting research into relevant regulations, rules and jurisprudence and preparing initial recommendations for review by the HR Officers.
• Liaises with relevant HQ offices, in particular the Administrative Law Division, to gather relevant information to advise client entities in ongoing matters. Operational Support
• Contributes to the development of communication and outreach strategies to client entities by identifying frequently asked questions from multiple entities and by actively engaging with counterparts at the working level in those entities to better understand their requirements.
• Contributes to the analysis of client entities by researching their specific composition, needs, and capacity and by recommending appropriate tools to capture and report on such information.
• Serves as a member of project teams for the provision of customized, entity-specific operational support for the development and implementation of human resources strategies, providing advice, recommendations, and information on human resources matters, as appropriate, to the individual needs of the entity.
• Conducts research and prepares background documents related to specific entities, as required.
• Assists in the coordination of programme or project planning and preparation by monitoring the status of programme and project proposals, taking necessary actions to ensure project documents are completed and submitted to relevant parties for approval.
• Supports entities in the development and implementation of an entity-specific operational workforce planning strategy and associated recruitment plans.
• Supports the identification and prioritization of internal and external capacity-building and knowledge management needs in the human resources community by observing trends in the types and number of queries received and by discussing in regular meetings with supervisors and colleagues.
• Provides inputs into the development of human resources policies, procedures, and processes by observing trends in the nature of requests received from entities and making recommendations to address challenging or unclear areas in the human resources framework.
• Provides feedback and lessons learnt to supervisors regarding policies for consolidation and onward transmission to the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance.
• Provides administrative and coordinating support to cross-Service projects aimed at developing entity-specific human resources strategies by consolidating inputs for reports, ensuring the participation of relevant parties at meetings, producing and distributing meeting minutes, and arranging logistical aspects of brainstorming sessions. Capacity-Building and Knowledge Management
• Contributes to the development of internal capacity within the Division by identifying knowledge gaps based on requests received for advisory services from client entities and making recommendations for the development of templated responses for inclusion in the centralized knowledge management repository.
• Supports the development of policy-related process guides, guidance packages, and standard operating procedures by researching applicable Staff Rules and Regulations and feeding into the discussions. Supports the identification and prioritization of internal and external capacity building and knowledge management needs in the human resources community by observing trends in the types and numbers of queries received and discussing in regular meetings with supervisors and colleagues.
• Provides support to the development and maintenance of a digest of all outcomes of Administration of Justice cases by updating the database with new cases and ensuring uniformity of the data.
• Contributes to the production of catalogues and other reference materials relating to the use of staff and non-staff modalities.
• Supports the collection of data either directly from available systems or through outreach to client entities.

Business Process Improvement

• Recommends changes to human resources policies by observing trends and frequently asked questions from the client entities and counterparts at Headquarters.
• Provides advice in relation to the interpretation of Staff Rules and Regulations and legal risks in connection with new processes or guidance documents developed by the Division or the Department and initiates requests for policy clarifications or amendments from the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance.
• Participates in regular meetings on the topic of reform with the objective of determining which business processes required streamlining or simplification. General
• Provides administrative and logistical support in the dissemination of policy-related process guides and guidance packages, including by coordinating participation for VTCs.
• Trains and provides supervision and guidance to new and lower-level staff in the unit.
• Provides general office support services such as processing, drafting, editing, proofreading and finalizing for signature a variety of correspondences and other communications.
• Sets up and maintains records (electronic and paper) for internal working files.
• Schedules appointments and meeting, including securing venues and any necessary equipment.
• Provides administrative and coordinating support to cross-Service projects by consolidating inputs for reports, ensuring the participation of relevant parties at meetings, producing and distributing meeting minutes, and arranging logistical aspects of brainstorming sessions.
• Serves as the focal point for the Division on all technical aspects of the Delegation of Authority platform by providing direct access to the data while coordinating with other teams inside and outside of the Division to answer any technical questions.
• Performs other duties as required.

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in human resources management, administrative services or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five (5) years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher.
• Experience in the application of staff rules and regulations in an operational environment is desirable.
• Experience advising clients on human resources policies is desirable.
• Experience contributing to business process improvement initiatives is desirable.
• Experience carrying out research in contribution to the formulation of standing operating procedures or guidelines is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is desirable.

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/235973?language=en