People and Culture Assistant GS-5 (Temporary Appointment) 364 days, Dakar, Senegal

Under the close supervision and guidance of the People and Culture Officer/Specialist, the People and Culture Assistant provides administrative, procedural and operational support and assistance to the efficient implementation of a broad range of Human Resources functions for all categories of staff in his/her office, ensuring accurate and timely delivery that is in compliance with UNICEF HR rules and regulations.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

For every child, A Champion

UNICEF is a leading humanitarian and development agency working globally for the rights of every child. Child rights begin with safe shelter, nutrition, protection from disaster and conflict and traverse the life cycle: pre-natal care for healthy births, clean water and sanitation, health care and education. UNICEF has spent nearly 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Working with and for children through adolescence and into adulthood requires a global presence whose goal is to produce results and monitor their effects. UNICEF also lobbies and partners with leaders, thinkers and policy makers to help all children realize their rights -especially the most disadvantaged.

Job organizational context

In Senegal, 29 United Nations organizations, with more than 2,000 employees, will move into a headquarters built and equipped by the government of Senegal in the new administrative and diplomatic city of Diamniadio, located 40 km from Dakar. This office complex of nearly 60,000 m² will host the country, regional, and sub-regional offices of the UN responsible for the Sahel, West Africa, and Central Africa.

The Management of the UN House is under the responsibility of the UN House Management Unit and UNICEF is committed to recruit and provide staff for this Unit.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

Purpose for the job:

Under the close supervision and guidance of the People and Culture Officer/Specialist, the People and Culture Assistant provides administrative, procedural and operational support and assistance to the efficient implementation of a broad range of Human Resources functions for all categories of staff in his/her office, ensuring accurate and timely delivery that is in compliance with UNICEF HR rules and regulations.  

How can you make a difference

• Support to business partnering
• Support in processing of entitlements and benefits of local staff
• Support in recruitment and placement
• Support in organization design and job classification
• Support in learning and capacity development
• General office support

1. Support to business partnering

• Support the business partners in developing initiatives to encourage employee well-being and employee recognition schemes
• Support the management of change processes by advising clientele on changes to HR processes under the guidance of People and Culture Business Partner
• Support the business partners in assisting clientele in using HR systems such as talent management, agora and achieve.

2. Support in processing of entitlement and benefits

• Initiates the processing of a wide range of personnel actions in accordance with UNICEF rules and regulations, by ensuring all relevant forms and actions are completed by staff and forwarded to the GSSC.

• Maintains and prepares all personnel-related records and files, ensuring all information on each staff member is up-to-date and accurate.

3. Support in recruitment and placement

• Prepares and circulates internal and external advertisements.
• Liaises with candidates in the various stages of the recruitment process.
• Prepares formal acknowledgement, offer and regret letters.
• Initiates and follows up on reference checks and academic verifications and ensuring the completion of other background checks.
• Records and maintains recruitment files, ensuring all necessary documentation has been prepared.
• Monitors life-cycle of recruitment process to update supervisor as necessary.

4. Support in organization design and job classification

• Prepares documents to be submitted for classification to RO and NYHQ, ensuring completeness of documentation
• Monitors life-cycle of all job classification requests to facilitate recruitment and organization planning.

5. Support in learning & capacity development

• Develops and processes contracts for institutions providing training and courses, ensuring compliance with UNICEF rules and regulations
• Assists team in organizing and conducting courses, workshops and events by preparing and organizing distribution of materials for participants, ensuring availability of training venues and required equipment and supplies, while providing logistical and secretarial support at workshops and events as necessary.
• Tracks the performance management cycle processes, ensuring the timely distribution and enhancing the timely completion and return of appraisals.

6. General office support

• Drafting and/or processing a variety of correspondence and other communications
• Setting up and maintaining HR files/records (electronic and paper)
• Scheduling appointments and meetings
• Maintain and generate automated databases containing HR related statistics and generating periodic reports; and performing a variety of administrative duties (e.g. leave recording, etc.).

Impact of Results

The impact of the work People and Culture Assistant affects the delivery of discrete support services and is closely interrelated with the work of other members of the People and Culture team. The work performed affects not only the timely delivery of HR processes but also indirectly the delivery of the client departments’/divisions’/offices’ programmes. They play a key role, as a member of the team, in providing routine and some specialized information both to client’s departments and to more senior members of the People and Culture team on HR procedures and the progress of delivery against standards and deadlines.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education:

Completion of secondary education, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the field of work.

Experience:

A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible administrative or clerical work experience required. For this position, a Bachelor’s Degree from recognized academic institution in a relevant field can replace three years of professional experience. A Master’s degree can replace an additional two years.

Language Requirements

Fluency in French  is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (English, Arabic, Chinese,  Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Skills

Technical

• Good knowledge of HR principles, rules, regulations and procedures within the UN
• Computer literacy and the ability to effectively use standard office software tools as well as good knowledge and skill in using HR systems.
• Ability to extract and format data and to solve operational problems
• Ability to organize own work, set priorities and meet deadlines.

Interpersonal and communication

• Takes responsibility to respond to internal and external service needs promptly and proactively; takes initiative to ensure that deadlines, rules and regulations are met. Uses own discretion to address unforeseen situations.
• Demonstrates a high degree of confidentiality, initiative and good judgment.
• Demonstrates courtesy, tact, patience and ability to work effectively with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Core Values

• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability
• Sustainability

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: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

Core Competencies (For Staff without Supervisory Responsibilities) *

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

[add the 8^th competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people) for a supervisory role]. 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per 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.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.