Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) is the UN headquarters in Africa and the Director-General of UNON is the representative of the Secretary-General in Kenya. UNON supports programme implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Resident Coordination System (RCS) globally, as well as other UN offices in Kenya, by providing administrative, security, conference and information services (www.unon.org).

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

Responsibilities

1. Management of Recruitment and Classification Services (RCS):
1. Manage and lead the Common Back Office (CBO) recruitment team:
• 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 respective team;
• Oversee the establishment and continuous maintenance of records, files and databases.

2. Job design and Classification Services:
• Classification and re-classification of posts up;
• Provision of advice to staff and management on the development of job descriptions 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 Office of Human Resources (OHR) on appeals related to professional and higher level posts;
• Maintenance of statistics and provision of reports or inputs to reports on classification matters.

3. Recruitment Services:
• Management of Job Openings (JOs) and temporary job openings, including acting as Senior Human Resources Case Officer in processing of JOs in the recruitment platform (Inspira) for all level of posts in the General Service, National Officers and Professional and above categories;
• Provision of advice and guidance to staff and management on recruitment policies and procedures; Liaison with other stakeholders 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;
• Oversee the recruitment of Consultants and Individual Contractors, including the establishment and maintenance of a roster of experts.
• Oversee the development of an effective sourcing strategy and guide hiring managers and entities in articulating their Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and visibility.
• Advice the hiring managers in the development and implementation of assessment tools, including written tests, psychometric testing (if required), skill checks, auto-recorder.
• Conduct staff selection system trainings for staff and hiring managers

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Officer-in-Charge of Talent Acquisition Unit in the absence of the Chief, as required.
7. 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. The ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. 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.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in human resources management, business or public administration, law, or related area is required. 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.

Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable.

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 organisation is required.

At least 2 years of experience supervising diverse multicultural teams is desirable.

Experience in Classification, job design and Compensation matters is desirable.

2 years or more of experience in data analytics or related area 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.

This job opening is to identify the most qualified candidate for the United Nations in Nairobi. It will be used to create a roster of eligible candidates who will be selected for subsequent vacancies for similar positions. Candidates will be taken through the assessment process and those endorsed by the Central Review Committee will be placed on the Human Resources Officer,

P-4 roster. The entire assessment process takes an average of six months; all applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application (whether successful or unsuccessful) within 14 days of the conclusion of the process. Successful candidates will be placed on the roster and subsequently will be invited to apply for the vacancies open only to roster members. Roster membership does not guarantee selection.

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.

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 or be appointed to any professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions, within six months of the end of their current or most recent service. For such positions, at least six months need to have elapsed between the end of a consultancy or individual contract and the time of application and consideration for an appointment as a staff member under the Staff Rules and Regulations of the United Nations.

At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira “Need Help?” link.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.