SENIOR HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER, Job Code
Office/Department: DMSPC OUSG-ART
Assignment: New York
Posting Period: May 14 through May 28, 2023
New York (R) Job Opening Number: 23-Human Resources-DMSPC OUSG-ART-205318
Personnel Exercise None
Integrity, professionalism, and respect for diversity are among the tenets of the United Nations
Utilize Now

Org. Reporting and Setting
The Anti-Racism Team (ART) of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy, and Compliance is where this post is located.

The Secretary-General’s vision for a more flexible, effective, transparent, accountable, decentralized, and people-focused United Nations that supports renewed vitality and innovation and that empowers management, staff, and partners to better carry out organizational mandates is realized in large part by the Department of Management Strategy, Policy, and Compliance, which is based out of UN Headquarters in New York.

When it comes to tackling racism and racial discrimination inside the United Nations Secretariat, ART is in charge of providing high-level oversight, coordination, monitoring, advocacy, mainstreaming, and long-term sustainability of the operations of implementing departments and offices.

The Director of the Anti-Racism Team is subordinate to the Senior Human Resources Officer.

Responsibilities
The Senior Human Resources Officer will be in charge of the following tasks as part of their scope of authority:

Strategic management and policy

• Offers policy direction to the Director on strategy formulation and management of the implementation of general human resources strategies, policies, and procedures on putting into practice the strategic action plan on tackling racism in the UN.
• Creates, carries out, and improves initiatives that inspire and equip both employees and non-employees to speak out against racism and racial discrimination at work and to have a zero-tolerance attitude toward such behavior.
• Gathers feedback on all ongoing awareness-raising and dialogue initiatives, analyzes them, and uses any lessons gained to future efforts to combat individual and interpersonal racism at work.
• Assists the Senior Programme Management Officer and other important stakeholders in bringing about real and long-lasting organizational change.
• Actively manages issues and suggests solutions to issues, notices when things stray from the intended course, coordinates with key stakeholders, identifies and starts follow-up actions, and escalates concerns as required to top management and governance authorities.
• Participates in identifying organizational levers, entry points, and opportunities with the Senior Programme Management Officer to influence, promote, and involve United Nations personnel in the fight against racism and racial discrimination.
• Participates in reports to international bodies on how the strategic action plan is performing.
• Acts as the organization’s representative in interagency gatherings, task forces, seminars, working groups, coordination meetings, conferences, and other events by contributing relevant subject matter as necessary.
• Ensures the efficient use, direction, and training of staff. provides workers with direction, evaluation, and mentoring, as well as supporting chances for professional growth related to the task.

Communications and Participation

• Leads the development, implementation, and improvement of a communications strategy in collaboration with the Department of Global Communications to increase public awareness, encourage reporting, and change organizational culture by institutionalizing a zero-tolerance policy toward racism and racial discrimination.
• Takes the lead in putting up a bimonthly anti-racism newsletter that highlights ART’s activities and gives updates on how the strategic action plan and change management objectives are being put into practice.
• Creates anti-racism products for frequent communication with United Nations staff in order to promote understanding of the importance of racial diversity, multilingualism, and multiculturalism, enshrine the Organization’s values and behaviors, and offer resources for addressing systemic racism and racial discrimination.
• Assures the global Secretariat’s messages are timely, relevant, consistent, integrated, and aligned.
• Works along with all anti-racism activists and staff unions to inform and enlighten employees about national holidays, cultural celebrations, and the value of all cultures where they are stationed.
• Directs the creation of communication tools for UN organizations and anti-racism activists.

education and training

• Participates in the planning, creation, and delivery of anti-racism and anti-discrimination training programs.
• Takes part in the OHR’s evaluation of anti-racism and anti-discrimination training in the context of the Organization’s larger training and lifelong learning objectives.
• Provides information about and links to helpful anti-racism, conflict-resolution, and internal justice resources for staff members and teams.

Advocate, converse, and raise awareness

• Creates, directs, and coordinates a range of advocacy strategies, techniques, and tactics to inspire senior executives, middle managers, staff members, and non-staff members to take action.
• Works along with the United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services to keep the conversations and awareness campaign on racism in the workplace mainstreamed; additionally, produces a plan for converting the conversations to ART.
• Develops a plan to boost the participation of UN employees in the conversation and awareness campaign.
• Participates in and supports on a monthly basis the initiatives of Anti-Racism Advocates and other interest groups in promoting the execution of tasks assigned to UN entities in the strategic action plan.
• Provides stakeholders and focal points with coaching to improve their change management skills and address racism at the UN Secretariat.

system of internal justice

• Provides guidance and links to pertinent anti-racism, conflict-resolution, and internal justice resources for UN staff.
• Supports the external review of the United Nations’ internal justice mechanisms’ capacity, capabilities, and processes to streamline its approaches to combating racism and racial discrimination, taking into account established deadlines for responding to reported allegations of such claims, much like those in management evaluation.
• Participates in and supports initiatives to increase the capacity of institutions involved in the disciplinary, accountability, and system of administering justice to record, retrieve, and analyze data on racism and racial discrimination.
• Plans, directs, and oversees the creation of a guide explaining how to report workplace prejudice in all of the official languages.
• Works with the Administrative Law Division to improve the handling of complaints, reporting, trust, and responsibility in combating racism in the Secretariat through an external, impartial sample evaluation of prior accusations of racism.

Special Assistant to the Secretary-General’s Special Advisor

• Directly supports the Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Addressing Racism in carrying out their responsibility to implement the strategic action plan.
• In accordance with the agreement between the United Nations and the relevant Member State, monitors and reports on the use of funding to the Office of the Special Advisor.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of issues involving racism and racial discrimination in the workplace; knowledge of the design, implementation, and improvement of strategies and actions to raise awareness and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace; ability to identify issues, analyze them, and take part in their resolution; ability to collect and analyze data; and ability to communicate the results to a larger audience both orally and in writing. The capacity to apply human resources policies, methods, and processes in an organizational setting. The capacity to recognize problems, do analysis, generate judgments, draw conclusions, and offer advice on complicated development and policy issues involving human resources. displays pride in one’s accomplishments and work. demonstrates expertise in the field and mastery of it. is diligent and effective at keeping commitments, respecting deadlines, and getting things done. is driven more by professional considerations than personal ones. displays tenacity when dealing with challenging issues or obstacles and maintains composure under pressure.

Effective in speaking and writing, communication. demonstrates active listening, accurate message interpretation, and appropriate response. Clarification-seeking questions are asked, and a curiosity in two-way communication is shown. language, tone, style, and format are adjusted to the target audience. Openness in information sharing and keeping the public informed is displayed.

Planning and organizing: Establishes specific objectives that are congruent with chosen tactics. Determines what tasks and activities are most important; modifies priorities as necessary. Appropriate time and resources are allotted for the completion of the work. identifies dangers and incorporates backup plans into preparation. observes and modifies strategies and actions as necessary. effectively utilizes time.

Leadership: Acts as a mentor that others aspire to imitate. gives others the ability to turn a vision become reality. proactive in coming up with plans to achieve goals. builds and maintains relationships with a variety of people to learn about their needs and win their support. anticipates conflicts and seeks out amicable alternatives to end them. drives innovation and change; does not settle for the current quo. displays the bravery to hold controversial positions. Provides leadership and accepts accountability for integrating gender views and making sure that women and men participate equally in all aspects of the workplace; exhibits understanding of tactics and dedication to the objective of gender balance in staffing.

Others are empowered when responsibility is assigned, expectations are made clear, and staff members are given autonomy in crucial facets of their jobs. encourages people to set difficult objectives. holds other people responsible for doing tasks that fall under their purview. sincerely values the knowledge and suggestions of every employee. demonstrates gratitude and honors accomplishments and hard work. involves other people in decision-making that has an impact on them.

Education

The requirement is a graduate-level degree from an accredited university (Master’s degree or its equivalent) in human resources management, law, business or public administration, social sciences, education, or a closely related field. It is possible to substitute a first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) for the advanced degree if you have two more years of relevant job experience.

Experience at Work

It takes at least ten years of steadily increasing responsibility in human resource management, project or program management, administration, or a related field.

You must have prior experience working in a multicultural, global environment.

It is necessary to have experience managing senior office tasks in worldwide organizations, particularly a Front Office environment.

It is necessary to have experience with organizational transformation and policy formulation.

It is necessary to have at least 5 years of managerial experience managing and directing large teams in non-governmental or multinational organizations.

It is necessary to have experience creating and maintaining strong collaborations across organizations.

Experience developing communication strategies is preferred.

Experience with UN or other equivalent organizations’ organizational legal frameworks (such as systems, rules, practices, and procedures) is preferred.

Experience with the legislative processes of the UN or any analogous international institution is preferred.

Languages

The working languages of the United Nations Secretariat are English and French. English proficiency is necessary for the role advertised. It is advantageous to be familiar with another official UN language.

Assessment

An assessment exercise and a competency-based interview may both be used to evaluate competent individuals.

Particular Notice
The initial term of any appointment or assignment to this job is one year. The post or funding, budgetary permission, or extension of the mandate must be available before the appointment, assignment, or renewal occurs.

The United Nations Secretariat is dedicated to hiring a staff that is geographically diverse and has a 50/50 gender split. Women who are interested in the post are particularly encouraged to apply.

To be eligible to apply for this position, United Nations Secretariat employees must meet the lateral move requirements. All qualified lateral moves must be listed in the Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover letter for staff members.

At the United Nations, the requirement to ensure the highest standards of effectiveness, competence, and integrity, with adequate respect for geographic diversity, is the primary priority in the recruitment and employment of staff. On the basis of qualifications and organizational needs, all hiring decisions are made. The United Nations is dedicated to fostering an environment of respect between all people. Regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, color, religion, culture, ethnicity, or handicap, the UN recruits and hires personnel. When requested and specified in the application, reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities may be given to facilitate participation in the hiring process.

Candidates who have not served for a minimum of two years in the position of their original assignment are ineligible to apply for this post in accordance with section 7.11 of ST/AI/2012/2/Rev.1.

Considerations relating to the UN

The requirement to ensure the highest standards of effectiveness, competence, and integrity is the most important factor in hiring workers, according to article 101, paragraph 3, of the United Nations Charter. Candidates who have violated international human rights law, international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that they have participated in the commission of any of these acts, will not be given consideration for employment with the United Nations. “Sexual exploitation” refers to any actual or attempted misuse of a position of vulnerability, differential authority, or trust for sexual objectives, including but not limited to making money, advancing one’s political or social agenda, or other forms of gain from the sexual exploitation of another. The phrase “sexual abuse” refers to any actual or threatened bodily encroachment of a sexual nature, whether done so with force or under coercive, unfair, or oppressive circumstances. The term “sexual harassment” refers to any unwanted sexual behavior that could reasonably be anticipated to offend or be perceived as humiliating, when such behavior interferes with work, is made a condition of employment, or creates a threatening, hostile, or offensive work environment, and when the seriousness of the behavior justifies the end of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates with offenses other than insignificant traffic violations may not be given consideration for employment.

The significance of hiring people from as many different geographic backgrounds as is practical will be given due consideration. The United Nations does not impose any limitations on the ability of men and women to participate in its main and auxiliary organs in any capacity and on an equal basis. Smoking is not allowed anywhere in the Secretariat of the United Nations.

The requirement to maintain the highest standards of effectiveness, competence, and integrity shall be the primary factor in the employment, transfer, or promotion of staff. Employees of the United Nations who accept an offer of employment are subject to the Secretary-General’s authority and assignment to any functions or agencies of the UN in accordance with staff regulation 1.2(c). In this regard, the Secretary-General shall set the terms and conditions under which all internationally recruited staff members shall be obliged to transfer periodically in order to perform new duties within or between duty stations.

Candidates are advised to carefully follow all guidelines provided on the online recruitment platform, inspira. Applicants can consult the Manual for the Applicant for additional in-depth instructions by clicking the “Manuals” hyper-link in the upper right corner of the homepage for inspira account holders.

According to the job opening’s evaluation criteria and any applicable internal UN laws, such as the UN Charter, General Assembly resolutions, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances, and guidelines, the evaluation of applicants will be done on the basis of the information provided in the application. To be considered for the vacant position, applicants must provide comprehensive and correct information about their personal profiles and qualifications in accordance with the guidelines listed in inspira. Applications that have already been submitted cannot be changed, amended, added to, deleted, revised, or modified. Reference checks will be conducted on candidates who are seriously under consideration for selection in order to confirm the data supplied in the application.

At 11:59 p.m., job postings on the Careers Portal will be deleted. (New York time) the day before the deadline.

No Fee
AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING), THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE. The information on applicants’ bank accounts is unimportant to the United Nations.

Apply Now