HR Specialist

About the role

The HR Specialist serves as the Office’s HR Lead, ensuring the consistent application of UNOPS HR policies, rules, and procedures across assigned countries/geographic areas of operation. The role supports the effective management, implementation, and oversight of key HR service lines—such as recruitment, contract administration, and policy interpretation—in close coordination with stakeholders in the Regional Office and HQ, and in alignment with partners' needs.

Responsibilities

• Policy Development and Implementation Support
  • Contribute to HR policy development and corporate initiatives by providing data-driven insights on workforce trends, risks, and opportunities, and by sharing country-specific best practices.
  • Maintain a strong understanding of the Office’s financial and operational priorities, and, in consultation with management, lead the implementation of corporate HR strategies and initiatives.
  • Design and lead HR projects and initiatives that align with corporate HR strategy and support the achievement of organizational goals.
  • Collaborate with leadership to develop and implement workforce planning initiatives that promote efficient service delivery and optimized workflows; monitor workforce status and emerging trends.
  • Communicate changes in HR policies and the rollout of new initiatives to both management and personnel, offering guidance and support as needed.
  • Maintain, or oversee the maintenance of, HR analytics and data parameters to support informed decision-making within the Office.
• HR Advice
  • Provide strategic guidance on the application of HR policies in people management, proactively assessing and anticipating HR needs to deliver value-added, consultative support to management on personnel-related matters.
  • Design, deliver, and model HR services, programs, and communications that enhance the experience of prospective and current personnel, as well as UNOPS partners.
  • Collaborate with corporate HR teams to advise, support, and mediate on sensitive and complex issues, including grievances, potential code of conduct violations, harassment, abuse, workplace disputes, performance improvement plans, and other personnel relations matters.
  • Promote line management accountability in the implementation of HR policies and effective team leadership, providing coaching and guidance to strengthen supervisory capabilities and foster constructive, two-way communication between managers and their teams.
  • In collaboration with management, support continuous improvement and professional development by advising on, planning, and monitoring learning and development activities.
  • Partner with leadership to advance institutional gender and diversity priorities by offering education and guidance on equity, compliance, inclusion, and diversity-related matters.
• Talent Acquisition and Management
  • Oversee the implementation of talent acquisition and management policies and processes, including job classification, recruitment, onboarding, performance management, learning and development, fee/salary and benefits administration, and contract administration.
  • Coordinate the effective administration of various contractual modalities, including loans, exchanges, and secondments, ensuring smooth engagement and collaboration with relevant partners.
  • Collaborate with corporate HR teams to lead personnel realignment exercises, such as job fairs, ensuring timely competency mapping, sourcing, selection, placement, and transition of talent.
  • Identify critical talent needs and develop comprehensive, forward-looking plans to attract, develop, and retain key talent. Leverage workforce planning tools and recruitment strategies to ensure timely and inclusive hiring aligned with organizational goals.
• Team Management
  • Oversee the Office’s HR team to ensure the effective delivery of high-quality HR services and results across the assigned countries/geographic areas of operation.
• Knowledge Building and Sharing
  • Support the organization, facilitation, and delivery of training and learning sessions on HR topics.
  • Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned from HR project implementation.
  • Conduct research on HR-related topics and contribute to the drafting of reports, summaries, and briefing notes.

Requirements

Education

• Required:
  • Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 7 years of relevant experience, or
  • Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 5 years of relevant experience.
• Desired:
  • A globally or nationally recognized professional certificate in Human Resource Management (HRM).

Experience

• Required:
  • Relevant experience in recruitment, HR contract administration, employee relations, organization design and development, or related areas.
  • Experience in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g., MS Office, G-Suite, etc.) and web-based management systems.
• Desired:
  • Experience working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country.
  • Experience in development or humanitarian contexts.
  • Experience leading HR teams.
  • Experience providing HR support and services to partner entities.