Chief of Human Resources at the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

We are recruiting to fill the following position below:

Job Title: Chief of Human Resources

Job no: 560904
Location: Abuja
Level: P-5
Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment
Categories: Human Resources, Administration

How can you make a difference?

• In Nigeria, UNICEF works in a complex humanitarian and development setting to fulfill and protect children’s rights. UNICEF Nigeria is one of the largest UNICEF Country Offices globally. In partnership with government, civil society, children and families.

Job Brief

• Directly reporting to the Representative and member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), the Chief of Human Resources is accountable for leading and managing a team of HR professionals that implement HR services that enhance the capacity of their clients to deliver on their business goals and objectives.
• In doing so, the incumbent demonstrates the ability to create an environment where his/her staff anticipates HR-related needs and develops subsequent plans and solutions that align HR management with business objectives.
• In addition, this position serves as a key strategic advisor to the leadership of their office in helping spearhead UNICEFs global HR transformation.
• Promote management excellence in the office by ensuring accountability in all areas of HR and by demonstrating a high level of skills in the management of staff resources, including staff selection based on merit and the needs of the organization, staff aspiration and counseling, systematic and equitable performance management, and staff development and learning activities.
• Serve as a role model for transformation and capacity for acceptance of change.
• Use a solid knowledge of information technology to analyze and promote acceptance of new methods of work and effective communication skills to persuade and influence managers, supervisors, and staff to adopt change.
• Internally, provide expert advice to senior management on a range of HRM questions and have the authority to negotiate solutions to sensitive or complex HR problems with client managers and staff representatives.
• Create a culture within their team where HR professionals work with clients to help fulfill their goals through advising on how to attract, retain and motivate staff of the highest caliber.
• In collaboration with business owners, lead the design and delivery of learning solutions for staff to enhance their knowledge and build skills in new areas.
• Map competencies for all staff in assigned client portfolio, developing a comprehensive framework in support of the development of the talent pipeline.

Country Typology:

• The position is based in ABUJA, a family duty station with international schools available and particularly well suited for families with young children.

Country Income Level: Nigeria is a middle-income country.

• Duty Station: Abuja is a C duty station, family, and non-emergency duty station.
• Office Size: 415 staff members, 9 field offices.
• Overall annual budget: Approximately USD 250 million
• Schooling: There are several international schools in Abuja (primary and secondary) including American, British, and French schools of good standard.

Requirements
To qualify as an advocate for every child, you will have:

• An Advanced University Degree in Human Resource Management, Business Management, International Relations, Psychology, or another related field is required.
• Ten years of increasingly responsible professional experience in human resource management in an international organization and/or large corporation is required.
• Fluency in English is required.  Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.

Skills

• The ability to empower others to translate vision into results
• Capacity to anticipate and resolve conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions and demonstrate the courage to take unpopular stands.
• The ability to allocate appropriate time and resources for successful achievement of goals, foresee risks, and allow for contingencies when planning.
• Ability to develop clear goals consistent with agreed strategies, identify priority activities and assignments, and adjust priorities as required.
• Experience and ability to design and implement targeted and innovative human resources strategies to address clients’ people-related needs.
• Ability to deliver innovative HR programs within a fast-paced, evolving, and wide organizational setting.
• Demonstrated ability and experience advising and influencing executives, providing insights that lead to key decision-making within the business.
• Demonstrate strong business acumen, general management experience, and capabilities that effectively assess the internal business environment and deliver transformative change where necessary.
• Authoritative technical knowledge of the principles and concepts of human resources management.
• Capacity to adapt policies, approaches, and models to meet emerging needs.
• Ability to identify and analyze systemic issues, formulate opinions and make conclusions and recommendations to resolve the same.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in a diverse organization, tailoring language, tone, style, and format to match audience; ability to present sometimes negative results in a considered and tactful manner to promote acceptance.
• Ability to empathize with client managers, supervisors, and staff while advocating for consistent and equitable applications of promulgated HR regulations and rules.

For every Child, you demonstrate:

• UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

UNICEF competencies required for this post are:

• Nurtures, Leads, and Manages People (3)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (3)
• Works Collaboratively with others (3)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (3)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (3)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (3)
• Drives to achieve Impactful results (3)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (3).

(Functional) Competencies:

• Deciding and Initiating Action (2)
• Following Instructions and Procedures (3)
• Entrepreneurial Thinking (3)
• Analyzing (3)

Application Closing Date
1st May, 2023. (West Central Africa Standard Time)

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
• Priority will be given to all the eligible candidates participating in the 2022 Mobility Exercise and Staff on Abolished post
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
• Candidates who have applied before should not apply again.