HR Business Partner Specialist (Open to all Applicants)

Background

UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience so countries can sustain progress. As the UN’s development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our people are united by a common call to action: building a fairer and more inclusive world for those in need through sustainable development.

The Office of Human Resources (OHR) is part of the UNDP Bureau for Management Services (BMS) of UNDP. It is the anchor of the global HR function for UNDP, providing strategy and policy setting, guidance and oversight. In addition, BMS/OHR provides a broad range of HR advisory and talent management services enabling UNDP to deliver fully integrated development solutions to enable its workforce to deliver more and better results. BMS/OHR aims to be at the leading edge of HR in the international development sector by developing high quality and innovative human resources solutions and driving transformation across UNDP.

Within this innovative, ambitious and dynamic context, BMS/OHR is seeking high calibre HR professionals with a strong HR background, and the capacity, commitment, and attitude needed to drive a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, transformative results, as well as inclusion, respect and trust. 

Position Purpose

In this context and under the supervision of the Senior HR Business Partner, the HR Business Partnering Specialist is responsible for the delivery of a full spectrum of strategic HR services to the Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS) and its Country Offices aimed to ensure that Bureaus and Offices can attract and effectively manage required talent in the culture of high performance, innovation and informed risk-taking.

In line with the People for 2030 Strategy the successful candidate will endeavor to support and enable effective HR management, workforce analytics, HR performance monitoring and business process reengineering. S/he will collaborate closely with the Talent Management and Organizational Effectiveness teams to provide strategic advice and guidance on all issues of human resources management, as well as in providing client-specific HR solutions that are fair, consistent, objective and consistent with the policies and procedures of UNDP.

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.

Duties and Responsibilities

Contribute to the Workforce Planning, Analytics and Organization Development

• Generate workforce data, interpret data and statistics. Ensure an intelligent analysis of workforce against the business model. Provide authoritative advice and recommendation based on HR analytics.
• Prepare HR reports, presentations, briefing notes based on the analysis of the workforce data.
• Recommend and implement HR practices and strategic interventions to optimize the use of talent products/guidelines, and policies. 
• Analyze and provide advice on selection & recruitment initiatives
• Advocate the best application of HR practices, staffing, development and organizational workforce planning, targeted interventions to achieve business objectives
• Study and analyze the results of global/regional HR surveys and contribute to design interventions, and action plans where necessary.
• Gather data from Performance Reviews to develop reporting of potential career paths and development needs for staff and liaise with other OHR Units to deliver on specific needs.
• Provide advice based on HR analytics, propose enhancements of existing platforms and reports.

Interpretation of HR policies, implementation of corporate HR exercises, and ensure quality assurance

• Provide advice and support to managers and staff on human resources related matters.
• Ensure continuous analysis of corporate HR strategies and policies, assessing the impact of changes and making recommendations on their implementation in UNDP.
• Interpret corporate strategic sourcing and succession planning and ensure accurate projection of vacancies and staffing requirements to the appropriate corporate unit.
• Provide Quality Assurance of UNDP people management standards in the assigned Bureau.
• Ensure monitoring of recruitment processes liaising with the Central Recruitment Unit.  Ensure monitoring of transactions performed in the People Transaction Services Unit. 
• Liaise with OAI / Legal / Ombudsman’s office as needed.
• Support HR corporate initiatives for bureau, provides inputs to management plans, products, strategies, and tools.

Facilitate Capacity Development and Knowledge Management

• Ensure enhanced capacity of HR staff through delivery of workshops and virtual clinics, synthesis of lessons learned. Disseminate lessons learned, best practices, and sound contributions in knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Contribute to the Organization Development and Change Management Facilitation

• Provide inputs on change management strategies, as required, based on corporate policy but with elements of innovation, using internal consulting models and process consultations.
• Contribute to the development of organizational design solutions, including structural design options.
• Support senior managers on implementation of structural changes through effective information sharing and problem solving. 
• Identify risks and liaise with relevant stakeholders.

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

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: None

Competencies

• Core Competencies: 

Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands. 

Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

• Cross Functional and Technical Competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy - System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Management - Portfolio Management: 

• Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization's programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity. 
• Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. 
• Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.

Business Management - Communication: 

• Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. 
• Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

Partnership Management - Relationship Management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.

HR People Strategy & Planning - Human Resources Strategic Planning: Ability to develop integrated HR strategies, governance structures, policies and procedures.

HR People Strategy & Planning - Workforce Planning: Knowledge of theories, mechanisms and tools to analyse the current workforce, determine future workforce needs, as they align to the needs of the business, identify the gap between the present capabilities in the workforce and the organizations needs, and design and implement talent acquisition and development solutions so that an organization can have the required capacity to accomplish its mission, goals, and strategic plan.

HR Talent Acquisition - Talent Sourcing and Outreach: Knowledge of and ability to develop and implement strategies, mechanisms and platforms to ensure the effective outreach to the relevant segments of the labour market, active and passive candidates internally and externally.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• An advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Social Sciences, Business Administration, Public Administration, Organizational Psychology, Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Development Economics, International Relations, Human Resource Management, Organizational Development or any other related field is required. Or
• A first level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned fields, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of five (5) years (with master’s degree) or seven (7) years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in human resources management or must have held similar positions in other international organizations is required.
• Experience with UN/UNDP HR policies and procedures, rules and regulations’ interpretation and application is desirable.
• Experience in providing strategic HR advisory/business partnering services in complex international organizational settings is desired.
• Experience supporting organizational design/workforce optimization or change management initiatives is desired.
• Experience in advising on talent sourcing/recruitment and selection processes desirable.
• Experience in analyzing HR data, reporting in support of HR strategy development and workforce planning initiatives desirable.
• Experience in the usage of computers, office software packages is required; and experience using Quantum modules related to HR functions is desired.
• Experience working with UNDP country offices set up and context is desirable.

Language

• Fluency in English and French language is required.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Probation

For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

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