HR Senior Officer

Job Description

Drive HR excellence across countries by leading recruitment, policy, and people operations in an international setting.

Background Information – UNOPS

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner. Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations. With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it. A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners’ needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale.

South East Asia Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO)

The South East Asia and Pacific Multi Country Office (EAPMCO) supports, develops and oversees the UNOPS portfolio of projects in South East Asia and the Pacific. EAPMCO was established in January 2023 following the merger of the Thailand Multi-Country Office, which covered 20 countries across North East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific, and the Cambodia Multi-Country Office, which covered 4 countries South East Asia - 3 countries in the Mekong Sub-region (Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam) and the Philippines. EAPMCO currently covers 24 countries across North East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific. With its head office in Bangkok, the Multi-Country Office comprises nine business units: EAPMCO Thailand, EAPMCO Indonesia, EAPMCO Pacific Operations Cluster, EAPMCO Papua New Guinea, EAPMCO China, EAPMCO Vietnam, EAPMCO Mekong, and EAPMCO Philippines. In 2024, the UNOPS EAPMCO implemented projects worth more than USD 80 million, in the areas of Energy Transition, Digital Transformations, Sustainable Environmental Management, Climate Change, Waste Management, Rule of Law and Access to Justice, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Post Conflict Reintegration, Emergency Relief, Post COVID19 Economic Transformations, and Health, through HR, procurement, construction, contract management, fund and program management services. The Multi Country Office head office in Bangkok provides strategic direction, operational support, delivery oversight and assurance of the excellence of business processes and quality standards across all of the entire Multi Country Office locations. It is also responsible for developing, delivering and managing the portfolio of engagements in the country of the MCO location itself.

Job Specific Context
As part of the Support Services HR Business Stream, the HR Senior Assistant will provide support to the assigned countries, ensuring efficient and effective HR operations in compliance with UNOPS rules, regulations, policies, and strategies.

The HR Senior Officer 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, policy interpretation, learning, and personnel realignment - in close coordination with stakeholders in the Regional Office and HQ, and in alignment with client needs.

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, programmes 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 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.

About the Organization

United Nations Office for Project Services