Chief of Unit, Human Resources Management at United Nations Office at Nairobi

This post is located in the Talent Management Centre (TMC) Human Resources Management Section (HRMS), Division of Administrative Services (DAS). Under the supervision of the Chief, Human Resources Management Service (HRMS), the incumbent will be responsible for:

Responsibilities

• Management of Recruitment and Classification Section (RCS):
  • Day-to-day supervision, motivation and development of staff; Ensure equitable distribution of work among sub-units;
  • Planning and organizing the yearly work plan of the Section;
  • Oversee the establishment and continuous maintenance of records, files and databases.
• Classification Services:
  • Classification and re-classification of posts up to and including D1 level, and submission of D2 level job descriptions (JDs) to Office of Human Resources (OHR), New York, for review;
  • Provision of advice to staff and management on the development of JDs and encouragement and advice on the use of Generic Job Profiles;
  • Provision of advice and guidance to staff and management on classification policies and procedures;
  • Analysis of classification appeals related to general service posts, and liaison with OHR on appeals related to professional and higher level posts;
  • Maintenance of statistics and provision of reports or inputs to reports on classification matters.
• Recruitment Services:
  • Management of Job Openings (JOs), including acting as Senior Human Resources Case Officer in processing of JOs in Inspira from G5 to D2 levels;
  • Oversee the advertising and management of Temporary JOs and G1-G4 level posts;
  • Provision of advice and guidance to staff and management on recruitment policies and procedures; Liaison with OHR on recruitment issues and policies;
  • Maintenance of statistics and provision of reports or inputs to reports on recruitment matters; Participate in the development and management of a skills database for the management of staff mobility and succession planning;
  • Develop pro-active initiatives to assist the client organizations in managing expected staff turn-over;
  • Responsible for vacancy management related to the Managed Re-assignment Programme for Junior Professional Staff, and, in liaison with OHR, for activities related to job openings reserved for YPP and G to P candidates;
  • Oversee the recruitment of Consultants and Individual Contractors, including the establishment and maintenance of a roster of experts.
• Compensation matters:
  • Represent the organization in compensation matters, including coordinating, organizing and participating in local salary surveys, and acting as Secretary of the Local Salary Survey Committee;
  • Organizing and coordinating place-to-place and housing surveys in liaison with the International Civil Service Commission.
• Representative of HRMS:
  • Represent HRMS in committees, working groups and relevant inter-agency meetings;
  • Represent HRMS in statutory and staff - management bodies as required;
  • Make presentations, briefings to staff, management and other interested or requesting parties on subjects related to work area.
• Officer-in-Charge of HRMS in the absence of the Chief, HRMS, as required.
• Perform other related duties as may be assigned.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of human resources policies, practices and procedures and ability to apply them in an organizational setting. Ability to identify issues, analyze and formulate opinions, make conclusions and recommendations on complex human resources policy and development issues. Shows pride in work and in achievements;; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.
• PLANNING AND ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; Uses time efficiently.
• CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients" and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
• LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.
• MANAGING PERFORMANCE: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision making; Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; Encourages risk taking and supports creative initiative; Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; Appraises performance fairly.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in human resources management, business or public administration, law, or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in human resources management, administrative services or related area is required.
• At least 2 years of experience in recruiting personnel in an international setting is required.
• At least 2 years of experience supervising internationally diverse teams is desirable.
• Some experience with Classification and Compensation matters 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.

NOTE: ‘Fluency’ equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write and understand) and ‘Knowledge of’ equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Appointment against this post is for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

The United Nations is Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 29 February 2020, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Central African Republic, China, Comoros, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Mozambique, Nauru, Norway, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Internal Applicants – when completing the PHP, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you.

Individual contractors and consultants who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions and their applications will not be considered.