Human Resources Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has reinforced its presence in Ukraine by signing an agreement with the Government to set up a Project Office that will facilitate and expand the provision of technical and humanitarian assistance to the country’s most vulnerable communities, especially in rural areas.

Ukraine joined FAO in 2003 and since 2015 the Organization has been operating in two strategic directions: emergency humanitarian response in conflict-affected oblasts and agricultural development across the whole country. Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, FAO has scaled up its activities in the country to support agricultural production and food systems with the aim of protecting the food security of vulnerable households and communities across Ukraine.
To implement its 2023 Response Plan for Ukraine, FAO requires USD 205 million to restore the food security and self-sufficiency of 500 000 rural households in seven frontline oblasts and other areas heavily impacted by the war, to restore agricultural production and critical value chains by providing support to small- and medium-sized producers, and to provide coordination and technical support to the Government of Ukraine to support critical food system services.

The Response Plan was formulated to respond to the priority intervention areas and target beneficiaries outlined by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food (MAPF), to be consistent with the UN-wide response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, and to respond to the distinct needs of vulnerable rural households and small- and medium-sized agricultural producers across the humanitarian-development-peace-nexus with a focus on responding to immediate needs while also building resilience. In addition, the Response Plan delineates FAO’s role in generating accurate, timely analysis and evidence of the food security and sectoral situations in Ukraine to inform the programming of FAO and other development partners as well the Government of Ukraine’s policy response and related actions. Furthermore, the Response Plan has been formulated to complement FAO’s development portfolio that was being implemented prior to the outbreak of the war.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the Designated Responsible Officer, the supervision of the Operations Officer, and in close coordination with the Human Resources Consultant as well as relevant programme, operations and administrative units at FAO Ukraine.

Technical Focus

The Human Resources Specialist will deliver a full range of Human Resources, Talent Management and Servicing support services to ensure accurate implementation of FAO policies and procedures and facilitate the effective functioning of a client-focused and strategy-oriented HR & Talent Management services across all field offices of FAO in Ukraine.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Provide policy and procedural guidance to hiring managers and teams on HR-related matters while ensuring compliance with relevant policies and regulations
• Provide operational support for various internal and external queries, to ensure that diverse clients are well-informed
• Coordinate and provide support in the competitive recruitment process of all personnel categories, including the preparation of vacancy announcements, applications review, interview coordination logistics, the preparation of selection reports, and contract offers/terms of employment
• Ensure transparency and consistency of transactions and procedures
• Maintain utmost confidentiality, including confidential personnel records, HR databases and archives, to ensure data and files are accurately stored and updated in compliance with the established standards
• Use HR management systems for reviewing, monitoring, entering, updating and preparing a variety of HR data and HR documents, ensuring compliance with the established deadlines and accuracy
• Support the delivery of effective and timely briefings to new personnel, including issuing relevant welcome notes and materials, answering queries on benefits and entitlements and personnel-related procedures, human resources policy-related issues, and social security, liaising with the HR Consultant accordingly.
• Assist with the coordination and delivery of staff development and training programs, including following up on completion of mandatory training
• Allocate responsibilities and support on-the-job learning and development of relevant support colleagues, to ensure they have adequate knowledge of HR systems and procedures required to perform their duties and subsequently can contribute to the provision of effective HR services
• Support and maintain administrative documents relevant to the office, including staffing tables, organizational charts, reports, letters to pertinent government authorities, etc.
• Perform other duties as required

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, psychology, business administration, international relations, social sciences, or related discipline
• 3 years of progressively responsible work experience related to human resources management and recruitment and delivering support services in human resources and/or administration.
• Fluency in Ukrainian (Level C or native) and advanced (Level C) in English
• National of Ukraine

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Advanced university degree in business administration, international relations, studies, social sciences, or related discipline is desirable
• Experience working with UN Agencies / INGOs / International Organization or in an international HR context will be considered an asset
• Ability to take ownership and accountability for assigned processes and to work autonomously
• Rigor and demonstrated attention to detail
• Quality of both oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work quickly and under pressure

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION