UNDP Jobs - 30183- Human Resources Specialist, Policy/OHR

Human Resources Specialist, Policy/OHR

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

25-Jul-2012

Application Deadline :

06-Jun-12 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

One year

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

One year (renewable)

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The Agenda for Change (AOC) that was launched by the UNDP Administrator in 2011 aims to support the creation of a more productive, flexible and results-oriented organization within a culture of excellence and accountability for achieving results. It is for this purpose that human resources management has been identified for reform, with simplicity, transparency of policies and timeliness of services as the common threads.

Good people management is an integral part of the organization’s strategy, the purpose of which is to invest in the human resources of UNDP in order to maximize effectiveness. Such improvement can only be achieved by managers who are empowered, responsible and accountable for managing their staff, and by staff who are skilled, competent and well motivated to effectively contribute to UNDP's program delivery.

Recognizing that there are significant gaps in policies that hinder an environment that enables effective people management, the Office of Human Resources will undertake a comprehensive review of the HR policies with an aim to simplify and improve the execution of every HR transaction in the organization by (a) having updated and relevant policy text and tools available whenever needed on all subjects; (b) eliminating obsolete and redundant rules and procedures and providing the means for consistent and uniform application; (c) ensuring reliable, updated and complete sources of policy reference for all HR business information and (d) mitigating financial and legal risk through comprehensive HR policies and sound communication strategies that promote a culture of accountability.

Under the supervision of the Chief, HR Policies & Compensation, the Policy Specialist assists OHR and HR practitioners in providing substantive expertise on the formulation, application and interpretation of the new Staff Regulations and Staff Rules and the UNDP HR policies and procedures and in analysing the application of waivers, exceptions and discretionary decisions and advising management on the legal implications and associated risks.

The HR Specialist, Policy will have frequent contacts with Resident Representatives, Deputy Resident Representatives, Operations Managers, Programme Managers and others in country offices, as well as managers and senior professional staff in headquarters units, in response to queries and to provide advice on HR policy related issues and advice on application of Staff Rules and Regulations and other administrative issuances; Frequent contact with counterparts in Legal Support Office (LSO)/UNDP to obtain authoritative advice and guidance on specific cases and
Periodic contact with representatives of other United Nations entities, at senior levels, to consult on common approaches to HR policy issues, or to resolve specific problems/issues.

While the Policy Specialist reports to the Chief, HR Policies and Compensation (HR Advisor, Policy), a high degree of independence in the day-to-day work is expected.

Duties and Responsibilities

Undertakes analyses, in collaboration with other HR units, of the implications and associated risks of HR policies and the new contractual modalities and recommends practical HR solutions that will withstand the risks.
Supports the revision of the HR policies in support of the implementation of the new Staff Regulations and Staff Rules and the contractual reform; Provides expert advice after analyses of the risks entailed; drafts position documents and advises on individual cases;
Drafts authoritative prescriptive content related to staff and non-staff management, with HR Advisors and other policy owner collaborators;
Collaborates on inter-agency policy issues, particularly in the context of the on-going contractual reform and the drafting of new set of Staff Rules, including the inter-agency mobility arrangements;
Performs extensive research and analysis on substantive issues and, in close collaboration with the Legal Support Office (LSO), prepares opinions of a HR policy nature on cases involving unusual and/or complex HR issues, including cases for which no or few precedents exist;
Drafts and updates contractual documentation governing the outsourcing of insurance claims and participates in subsequent negotiations to ensure UNDP interests are protected;
Coordinates with LSO as appropriate, when policy advice is requested on the application of the Staff Regulations, Rules and procedures governing the human resources management, rights and obligations of staff, legal status of staff and their dependents, finance recovery, insurance issues;
Acts as OHR focal point on accountability areas, including HR compliance, policy gap analysis (in particular will work with BOM accountability team, LSO, OAI, the office of Ombudsperson to conduct regular evaluation reviews of compliance with the Staff Rules at HQ and in country offices);
In collaboration with LSO, brings together lessons learnt from interaction with the UN Tribunal and prepares relevant learning and communication materials for knowledge building and risk management across UNDP;
Based on experience gained from addressing issues related to any of the above-mentioned functions, identifies and advises on areas where systematic or policy changes may be warranted in order to strengthen UNDP's accountability and/or allow operational units to carry out their functions more effectively and efficiently, including continual review and updating of standard texts, policies and procedures, in consultation with the concerned substantive units.
Performs other related functions as requested by the HR Director, Deputy Director or Head of the Policy Unit.

Nature of Interactions:

Frequent contacts with Resident Representatives, Deputy Resident Representatives, Operations Managers, Programme Managers and others in country offices, as well as managers and senior professional staff in headquarters units, in response to queries and to provide advice on HR policy related issues and advice on application of Staff Rules and Regulations and other administrative issuances;
Frequent contact with counterparts in LSO/UNDP to obtain authoritative advice and guidance on specific cases;
Periodic contact with representatives of other United Nations entities, at senior levels, to consult on common approaches to HR policy issues, or to resolve specific problems/issues;
Consultation with SAS/OHR on application of HR policies as well as for exceptions or discretionary decisions being made;
While the Policy Specialist reports to the Head of Policy unit, a high degree of independence in the day-to-day work is expected.

Impact of Results

Successful leadership and delivery of sound HR policy advice directly supports the effectiveness of the HR Strategy and attainment of its goals and objectives to recruit, develop and retain high-caliber talent Organization-wide. Although the incumbent’s work is under the overall guidance of the Deputy Head of OHR and the direct supervision of the Head of Policy unit, errors in implementing and interpreting the Staff Rules and the new contractual modalities, particularly when revising the HR policies and advising on the transition and conversion exercise, could result in legal and financial liability for the organization.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Building Strategic Partnerships

Identifying and building partnerships

Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/herself and willingly accepts new work assignments
Takes responsibility for achieving agreed outputs within set deadlines and strives until successful outputs are achieved
Promotes UNDP’s agenda in inter-agency meetings

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

Developing tools and mechanisms

Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches
Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms
Develops and/or participates in the development of tools and mechanisms, including identifying new approaches to promote individual and organizational learning and knowledge sharing using formal and informal methodologies

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

In-depth knowledge of the subject-matter

Thorough knowledge of UN and UNDP Staff Regulations and Rules, institutional HR policy matters, including legislative basis therefore (i.e. UN Charter, relevant General Assembly resolutions and decisions, and UNDP Financial Regulations and Rules)
Understands more advanced aspects of HR disciplines as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines
Excellent analytical skills and ability to interpret rules and guidelines
Ability to conceptualize policies
Sound judgment and personal maturity
Excellent communication skills, oral and written
Keeps abreast of new developments in area of Policy/HR matters and seeks to develop him/herself professionally
Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments

Promoting Organizational Change and Development

Assisting the individuals to cope with change

Develops communications and programmes to assist business units in their adaptation to changing environment
Performs appropriate work analysis and assists in redesign to establish clear standards for implementation

Strategic Alignment of Management Practice

Adapting best practice and building capacity

Adapts best management practices to the requirements of the organization and/or organizational units to facilitate the achievement of strategic objectives
Builds capacity for management practice in organizational units throughout the organization by providing appropriate tools and advising and coaching managers

Design and Implementation of Management Systems

Designing and implementing management system

Conducts system assessment to improve development of systems design and operation

Client Orientation

Contributing to positive outcomes for the client

Anticipates client needs
Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider
Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective
Keeps the client informed of problems or delays in the provision of services

Promoting Accountability and Results-Based Management

Input to the development of standards and policies

Provides inputs to the development of organizational standards for accountability and results-based management
Undertakes ad hoc analysis of issues emanating from policy application reviews

Core Competencies:

Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents
Building support and political acumen
Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation
Building and promoting effective teams
Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication
Creating an emotionally intelligent organization
Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards
Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning
Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

An advanced degree (Masters) in Human Resources, Law, Organisational Development or relevant Social Sciences. An advanced degree in Law (Masters level) with specialization in international and/or administrative law is a significant advantage.

Experience:

Minimum of 7 years practical experience in the practice of international administrative law or HR management in international organizations;
Experience in drafting HR management policies;
Extensive experience working with, applying and interpreting the United Nations HR legal framework.

Language Requirements:

Excellent command of oral and written English;
Ability to speak and draft with knowledge of legal terminology in French and/or Spanish is desirable;
Knowledge of another United Nations official language would be an advantage.