Overview

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Background:

Organizational Context and Purpose for the job

UNICEF is a leading humanitarian and development agency working globally for the rights of every child. Child rights begin with safe shelter, nutrition, protection from disaster and conflict and traverse the life cycle: pre-natal care for healthy births, clean water and sanitation, health care and education. UNICEF has spent nearly 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Working with and for children through adolescence and into adulthood requires a global presence whose goal is to produce results and monitor their effects. UNICEF also lobbies and partners with leaders, thinkers and policymakers to help all children realize their rights especially the most disadvantaged.

Job organizational context:

• The focus of HR positions at this level is on the provision of specialized transactional HR activities pertaining to recruitment and placement, administration of entitlements, staff development and career development, job classification and/or performance management. Specialized activities pertain to the application of HR regulations, rules and procedures in the context of, on a day-to-day basis, there typically being more complications that arise with a broader variety of solutions that are not always clearly covered in general guidelines, thus requiring a greater capacity to adapt and interpret. These positions consequently, require in-depth knowledge of the subject matter and the capacity to carry out tasks with strong independence.  Thus, managerial oversight for these positions is limited to ensuring results are fulfilled according to work-plans and facilitating any issues that arise outside of established patterns.

Purpose for the job:

• Under the close supervision and guidance of the Human Resources Officer the Human Resources Associate provides administrative, procedural and operational support and assistance to the efficient implementation of a broad range of Human Resources functions for all categories of staff in his/her office, ensuring accurate and timely delivery that is in compliance with UNICEF HR rules and regulations. 

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

• Support to business partnering
• Support in processing of entitlements and benefits of local staff
• Support in recruitment and placement
• Support in organization design and job classification
• Support in learning and capacity development
• General office support

Support to business partnering:

• Support the business partners in developing initiatives to encourage employee well-being and employee recognition schemes
• Support the management of change processes by advising clientele on changes to HR processes under the guidance of HR Business Partner
• Support the business partners in assisting clientele in using HR systems such as talent management, agora and achieve.

Support in processing of entitlement and benefits

• In consultation with supervisor, analyze, research, verify, and compile data and information on cases that do not conform to UN or UNICEF's HR Rules & Regulations, to support consistent and equitable application of decisions and implementation of agreed upon action.
• In consultation with supervisor, analyze, research and verify information for the purpose of responding to staff queries on areas related to benefits and entitlements
• Initiates the processing of a wide range of personnel actions in accordance with UNICEF rules and regulations, by ensuring all relevant forms and actions are completed by staff and forwarded to the GSSC.
• Maintains and prepares all personnel-related records and files, ensuring all information on each staff member is up-to-date and accurate.

Support in recruitment and placement

• Prepares and circulates internal and external advertisements.
• Liaises with candidates in the various stages of the recruitment process.
• Prepares formal acknowledgement, offer and regret letters.
• Initiates and follows up on reference checks and academic verifications, and ensuring the completion of other background checks.
• Monitors life-cycle of recruitment process to update supervisor as necessary.
• Support in organization design and job classification
• Participates in the review of GS positions specific JDs, ensuring effective application of ICSC methodology.
• Drafts and edits job descriptions to be submitted for classification for review by supervisor.
• Follows up and liaises with HQ and RO over status of requests to ensure timely completion.
• Prepares documents to be submitted for classification to RO and NYHQ, ensuring completeness of documentation
• Monitors life-cycle of all job classification requests to facilitate recruitment and organization planning.
• Compiles and analyses information and statistics related to posts and staff for
• reports on staffing trends.
• Analyze, research, verify, and compile data which facilitates preparation of workforce planning reports for supervisor to review against benchmarks i.e. Gender and geographical balance and other recruitment related key performance indicators.

Support in learning & capacity development

• In consultation with supervisor, researches and analyses data and information to help identify training needs within his/her office for the development of learning plans and other targeted training interventions.
• In consultation with supervisor, researches, analyzes, verifies, and compiles information on external training courses available and educational institutions to help supervisor decide on learning programmes that address learning gaps in his/her country office.
• Assists team in organizing and conducting courses, workshops and events by participating in exercises which aim to build capacity of stakeholders.
• Develops and processes contracts for institutions providing training and courses, ensuring compliance with UNICEF rules and regulations. 
• Assists team in organizing and conducting courses, workshops and events by preparing and organizing distribution of materials for participants, ensuring availability of training venues and required equipment and supplies, while providing logistical and secretarial support at workshops and events as necessary.
• Tracks the performance management cycle processes, ensuring the timely distribution and enhancing the timely completion and return of appraisals.

Impact of Results

• HR Associates provide input into the design and development of improved transactional services and delivery processes. Working with a high degree of operational independence they are accountable for the achievement of overall service delivery results in one or more HR activities. The scope of HR work typically covers two or more transactional HR activities (i.e. recruitment, entitlements management and servicing, classification, staff development, performance management etc.) as generalist yet requiring the handling of complex and intricate HR matters on which quality and authoritative procedural advice is provided to the supervisor.

Competencies and level of proficiency required (based on UNICEF Professional Competency Profiles)

Core Values:

• Commitment
• Diversity and inclusion
• Integrity

Core competencies:

• Communication (II)
• Working with people (II)
• Drive for results (II)

Functional Competencies:

• Analyzing (II)
• Learning & Researching (II)
• Planning and organizing (II)
• Following Instructions and Procedures (II)

Skills

Technical:

• Extensive knowledge of HR principles, rules, regulations and procedures within the UN
• Computer literacy and the ability to effectively use standard office software tools as well as good knowledge and skill in using HR systems.
• Ability to extract and format data and to solve operational problems
• Ability to organize own work, set priorities and meet deadlines.
• Interpersonal and communication
• Takes responsibility to respond to internal and external service needs promptly and proactively; takes initiative to ensure that deadlines, rules and regulations are met. Uses own discretion to address unforeseen situations.
• Demonstrates a high degree of confidentiality, initiative and good judgment.
• Demonstrates courtesy, tact, patience and ability to work effectively with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Recruitment Qualifications

Education:

• Completion of secondary education, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the work of the organization.

Experience:

• A minimum of 6 years of progressively responsible administrative or clerical work experience required

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required.  Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.

"UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation."