Human Resources officer

Org. Setting and Reporting

• This position is located in Dakar, in the Human Resources Unit of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS). The Human Resources Officer will head the Human Resources Unit and will work under the direct supervision and general guidance of the Chief of Mission Support.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Human Resources Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

GENERAL

• Provides advice and supports to managers and staff on human resources related matters.
• Prepares special reports and participates and/or leads special human resources project.
• Keeps abreast of developments in various areas of human resources.
• Advises senior management on all aspects of human resources policies, procedures and substance.
• Guides the mission on the implementation of Organization-wide change initiatives especially those related to and have impact on the human resources.
• 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.

RECRUITMENT AND STAFF SELECTION:

• Identifies upcoming vacancies in coordination with client offices.
• Prepares vacancy announcements, reviews applications, and provides a short-list to those offices.
• 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.
• 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 the management and staff awareness of these policies.
• Serves as ex-officio in appointment and promotion bodies, examinations boards, and prepares and presents cases to these bodies.
• Responsible for reviewing and submitting job descriptions for classification exercise and reclassification process.

BUDGET PROCESS:

• Participates substantively in the entire budget development process and provides advice to the Senior Management Team on the human resources requirements, staffing table and organizational structure of all sections based on the DMSPC/OPPFB guidelines on budget review.
• Coordinates with DOS and DMSPC on the review of the staffing aspects of the mission’s budget as well as 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 the mission 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.

ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE:

• In coordination with interested parties such as the Staff Association(s) and the mission’s Conduct and Discipline component, Chief of Staff and/or CMS, the HRO contributes to addressing and mitigating 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 DMSPC/DOS, coordinates the mission’s responses to formal and informal requests coming from different entities under the Administration of Justice (AoJ) system and implements decisions applicable to the mission.

ADMINISTRATION OF ENTITLEMENTS

• Provides advice on interpretation and application of policies, regulations and rules.
• Reviews and provides advice on exceptions to policies, regulation and rules.
• Administers and provides advice on salary and related benefits and travel entitlements.
• Determines and recommends benefits and entitlements for staff on the basis of contractual status.
• Reviews and recommends level of remuneration for consultants.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMNT

• Identifies and analyses mission’s staff development and career support requirements to achieve the mission’s mandate.
• 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 DMSPC/DOS as a conduit for headquarters initiatives and as the initiator of individual career advice and counseling, which includes the planning and shaping the progression and movement of staff both within and among missions as part of the global secretariat.
• Ensure compliance with the UN staff performance management system as promulgated under ST/AI/2010/5.
• Monitors the implementation and compliance of the electronic performance management tool in the mission.
• Designs, plans, monitors and provides induction orientation programme and briefing to new staff members.

OTHER DUTIES

• Maintains open communication with UN Country Team for efficient coordination in conducting national staff salary surveys, DSA/cost of living surveys, and establishing common policies on other in-country entitlements for 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.
• Develops and implements a communication strategy that includes formal (town halls, meetings with program managers) and informal meetings with staff at all levels to clarify and communicate policy and staff administration issues.
• Monitors and evaluates the implementation of delegated authorities through inter-alia, the Management dashboard, HRM-S indicators, and the Senior Managers’ Compact.
• Maintain human resources information systems, including constant update and generation of information and reports for use by management.
• Performs other duties as required.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in human resources management, business or public administration, social sciences, education or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in human resources management, administration or related area of which 2 years of experience using Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP) and PeopleSoft platforms such as UMOJA, Inspira or equivalent for Human Resources Management is required.
• Experience in the application of Human Resources rules and regulations in staff administration of entitlements and benefits in the UN Common system or a similar international organization is required. Experience in provision of HR policy interpretation and advisory services, practical experience with strategic planning, reporting and delivery of human resources services is required. At least three years (03) of experience managing a small or medium size team is required.
• Experience in HR Specialist Support is desirable. Two (2) years or more of experience in data analytics and complex report extraction/design is desirable. Experience in travel management is desirable

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of French is desirable

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/249427?language=en