The United Nations Development Program – UNDP works in more than 170 countries and territories, providing assistance to develop policies, leadership and association skills, institutional capacities and resilience building, fostering development. The UNDP Strategic Plan 2022-2025 describes the future direction of UNDP, continuing to work through its six signature solutions on poverty and inequality, governance, resilience, environment, energy and gender equality. These are where countries’ needs are greatest and where the capabilities and position of UNDP within the United Nations development system best equip the organization to work. Learning from the lessons of the last four years, the signature solutions will be adapted to better match countries’ evolving priorities. Collaborating across the strengthened United Nations system and beyond, UNDP will develop integrated approaches that apply combinations of solutions for greater impact. Powerful enablers – strategic innovation, digitalization and development finance – will further accelerate and scale results.

UNDP is part of the 26 United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programs in Colombia, contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Cooperation Framework for Sustainable Development. The UNDP Country Program Document 2021-2024 seeks to support the efforts of the Colombian government for the transition to peace and the consolidation of its position as a medium-high income country; with three work priorities: 1) Stabilization: “Peace with Legality”; 2) Migration as a development factor; and 3) Technical assistance as an accelerator of the achievement of the catalytic Sustainable Development Goals.

UNDP in Colombia works in 28 departments and 319 municipalities. At the programmatic level, UNDP Colombia is organized into 2 Clusters and 5 Portfolios: The Inclusive Sustainable Development Cluster, which brings together the Sustainable Development and Poverty and Inequity Reduction portfolios, and the Peacebuilding and Inclusive Governance Cluster, which brings together the Portfolios of Democratic Governance, Peacebuilding, Crisis Response and the Rule of Law.

The Human Resources (HR) unit provides support to Country Office (CO) management in ensuring that the office is appropriately staffed with high quality and engaged personnel who receive the guidance, feedback, and development they need to fully contribute to the CO’s agenda and Sustainable Development Goals.  The HR team applies strategic human resource management policies, procedures, programs and solutions – that leverage both technology and analytics – to promote a strong people management culture and high performing, diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace.

Position Purpose

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Human Resources Analyst, the HR Associate ensures execution of transparent and efficient HR services in the CO. The HR Associate promotes a collaborative, client-oriented approach and supports the maintenance of high staff morale.

The HR Associate may supervise and lead clerical and support staff in the HR Unit. The HR Associate works in close collaboration with the Programme, Operations, and project teams in the CO, UNDP HQ OHR Business Partners, and staff in GSSC and other UN Agencies to exchange information and resolve complex HR-related issues.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

• Ensure effective administration and implementation of HR strategies and policies.
  • Ensure full compliance of records and reports with UN rules, regulations, and UNDP policies, procedures, and strategies; effective implementation of the internal controls; and proper functioning of the HR management system and practices.
  • In consultation with the direct supervisor and office management, support CO HR business processes mapping, and provide input to content elaboration and update of internal HR Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) where needed in CO to supplement SOPs issued by GSSC/OHR. Adapt processes and procedures where necessary to meet the needs of CO.
  • Provide information to management and personnel on the implementation of HR policies, corporate strategies, rules and regulations, HR business processes, and proper use of contractual modalities.
  • Collect information and support to UNDP’s participation in inter-agency exercises and surveys, such as comprehensive and interim local salary survey, hardship, and place-to-place surveys, in coordination with the direct supervisor.
  • Collect information on the risk management of Country Office HR activities to proactively manage and mitigate the risk.

• Provide HR services to the UNDP CO and other UN agencies, including recruitment and staffing.
  • Support timely contract management actions, in close coordination with supervisors and senior management.
  • Provide support to process benefits and entitlements delegated to the CO, as applicable and in coordination with the direct supervisor and management, such as medical evacuations, R&R, safety and security interventions.
  • Maintain local rosters where relevant.
  • Validate cost-recovery charges in ERP for HR services provided by UNDP to other Agencies.
  • Provide assistance to the contract management, payroll, and separations in coordination with GSSC in accordance with the delegation of authority given to the CO.
  • Provide HR support and services to the UN system, including provision of information on personnel benefits and entitlements to UN agencies in line with UNDP policies and in coordination with GSSC as applicable.
  • Provide administrative support to retirees as applicable.

• Ensure proper staff performance management, talent management and career development in CO.
  • Provide background information and maintain related data acting as Secretary to formal CO management groups responsible for collectively reviewing and discussing CO staff performance, talent, and development needs.
  • Provide assistance to Performance Management reporting and monitoring.
  • Provide input to the CO-wide Learning plan’s preparation in consultation with the Senior Management, HR Analyst, and Talent Development Manager.

• Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the CO.
  • Organize training for the operations and projects staff on HR issues.
  • Assist in the creation and implementation of a local onboarding plan, leveraging corporate resources.
  • Synthesize lessons learned and best practices in HR.
  • Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
  • Provide support to the learning committee of the CO.

• Effective HR Support: employees’ life cycle approach
  • Support the required elements considering employees’ life cycle approach: attraction (diversity), recruitment (in coordination with GSSC), onboarding/reboarding, development (talent recognition, inner motivation), retention (including wellbeing), and separation.
  • Provide assistance to country office attraction, on-boarding and offboarding programmes. Promotes a good work environment, work/life balance, prevention of Sexual Exploitation and abuse and Sexual Harassment PSEA/SH, gender equality, and other initiatives for staff well-being, including those related to a safe and secure environment in the workplace.
  • When required, participates in the interagency Operations Management Team and works with the interagency HR Group to design and implement UN HR joint local initiatives.
  • In consultation with the direct supervisor and office management liaises with the Legal Support Office on staff/PSA legal cases and CIGNA/MAIP/ focal points on claims related issues when required.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: May supervise clerical and support staff in the HR unit.

• Secondary education is required.
• Specialized certification in HR is desirable.
• A university degree in Human Resource, Business Administration, Public Administration, or an equivalent field  will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills: 

• A minimum of 6 years (with high school diploma) or 3 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible HR and/or administrative experience at the national or international level is required.
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of web-based management systems such as ERP.

Desired Criteria:

• At least 4 years of experience in supporting human resources proceeds is highly desirable.
• Experience supporting the implementation of the employee lifecycle is desirable.
• Knowledge of UN/UNDP human resources policies and guidelines is an advantage.
• Experience within UNDP/UN Commons System is highly desirable.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in Spanish is required.
• Working knowledge in English is highly desirable

Achieve Results

• LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work

Think Innovatively

• LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking

Learn Continuously

• LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning

Adapt with Agility 

• LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process

Act with Determination  

• LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously

Engage and Partner

• LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion

• LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

Knowledge Facilitation: 

• Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally

Working with Evidence and Data

• Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making

Operations Management

• Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the Organization’s business processes in order to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner.
• Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms

Assessment and Selection

• Knowledge and ability to apply various candidate assessment and selection methodologies, tools and platforms; ability to effectively align them with specific recruitment needs

Payroll Management

• Knowledge of and ability to apply mechanisms and tools to collect payroll data, process payroll, and manage payroll reports

Managing Compensation and Benefits 

• Ability to design compensation plans which are aligned to current and future organization needs and market conditions; knowledge of and ability to apply the ICSC compensation methodologies and principles. Knowledge of and ability to design benefits-related processes, programmes, and tools, including benefit enrolment and amendments

L&D Planning

• Ability to identify organizational learning priorities aligned with the business strategy using key stakeholder involvement to ensure appropriate learning and optimal return-on-investment