Senior Human Resources Business Partner Officer - FAO

Reporting Lines

The Senior Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) Officer reports to the Assistant Director-General/Regional Representative (ADG/RR) for Africa, or his designated Core Leadership Team member in the Regional Office, whilst he/she receives functional and technical guidance as well as support from the Human Resources Division (CSH).

He/she utilizes a holistic approach to human resources (HR) management to work in partnership with senior management, guide HR teams in the region and bring sound and coherent HR solutions tailored to enable the implementation of the regional strategic priorities.

Technical Focus

Human resources constitute the principal capital and asset of the Organization. Consequently, the strategic alignment of workforce capabilities and technical capacity to the Organization's strategic objectives is critical in enabling FAO to position itself effectively to realize its mandate.

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As a key member of the global HR team, the Senior HRBP Officer is entrusted with overseeing the application of HR policies and procedures within the region, providing guidance on the implementation of the Organization's HR strategy across the region, as well as driving effective HR management measures to ensure that the Decentralized Offices in the region can secure the requisite technical profiles and highest calibre of skills, maintain high-performance standards, mitigate risks and foster positive and enabling working environments which would allow them not only to deliver their tasked programme objectives but also showcase FAO's value proposition in the region. 

Key Results

In managing the HR-business interface and partnering with the Regional Leadership Team to embed an effective HR management framework at the regional level, the Senior HRBP Officer's key results will be centred around eight principal impact outcomes:

(i) aligning talent and programme goals (skill matching and human resource planning);

(ii) enhancing employee performance and productivity (training and development, performance management);

(iii) maintaining employee engagement and motivation;

(iv) ensuring compliance and reducing risks);

(v) facilitating communication and collaboration (team communication and conflict resolution);

(vi) promoting organizational culture and values (cultural alignment and value integration);

(vii) strengthening change management and adaptability; and

(viii) supporting leadership and team development (leadership development and team building).

Key Functions

• Leads HR multidisciplinary team(s), leads and/or participates in cross-divisional teams/committees and Organization-wide committees and represents FAO at inter-agency meetings.
• Works closely with senior leaders of the Organization and managers to align the HR strategy with the Organization's goals and challenges and to ensure that HR efforts support the overall organizational objectives.
• Assists in developing workforce plans that anticipate staffing needs and technical capacities and monitors the implementation of such plans to ensure that the Organization has the right calibre of people with the right skills at the right time.
• Collaborates with the hiring managers and recruitment teams to attract and hire the sought key talent, in line with the identified operational and programmatic needs.
• Supports the managers in the conduct and implementation of performance management processes including the setting of performance expectations, conduct of evaluations and provision of feedback.
• Identifies skill gaps and ensures that staff and personnel benefit from training programmes to enhance their capabilities and support career growth, whilst ensuring a continuous supply of talent for future needs through effective succession planning.
• Contributes towards change initiatives within the Organization by ensuring that employees adapt to new processes, structures and cultures, through effective communication and adoption of approaches to secure employee engagement and morale during the transition.
• Promotes a positive work environment by fostering a constructive and enabling working culture, encouraging diversity, equity and inclusion as well as creating initiatives that improve employee satisfaction and morale.
• Analyses organizational structures and makes recommendations for changes that improve efficiency, productivity and alignment with strategic goals. The Senior HRBP Officer advises in this respect on team composition, role definitions and reporting lines.
• Ensures that HR practices comply with the established rules, regulations, policies and processes, whilst contributing to the development and enforcement of policies that mitigate proactively compliance, legal and regulatory risks.
• Uses HR data and analytics to provide insights into workforce trends, workforce performance and the effectiveness of HR programmes, applying such insights to make informed decisions and to provide strategic recommendations to managers.
• Reports regularly on key HR metrics, such as turnover or attrition rates, employee engagement scores and diversity statistics, to measure the impact of HR initiatives and identify areas for improvement.
• Advises managers and provides guidance, as well as coaching on leadership, team dynamics and people management.
• Provides feedback to the compensation specialists on the compensation planning and benefits administration matters on elements affecting the attraction and retention of talent, to ensure that the compensation benefits adequately correspond to the Organization's needs and strategies in this respect.

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Specific Functions

The Senior HRBP Officer is the advisor on human resources issues in the region. Based on a solid understanding of the Regional Office priorities, the Senior HRBP Officer contributes to the shaping of the regional strategy and strategically aligns HR interventions with the Regional Office's needs and the regional context.

He/she is responsible for the timely, effective and efficient delivery of all human resources services in the Regional Office, including strategic workforce planning, organizational design, talent acquisition, management and development, implementation of HR policies and staff administration, with emphasis on inclusion, diversity and gender as  cross-cutting issues.

The Senior HRBP Officer is responsible for ensuring that the delivery of HR services globally meets clients' expectations regarding efficiency and consistency. In particular, he/she:

• Partners effectively with the Regional Leadership Team and HR teams to understand their priorities and provides HR advice and solutions on all aspects of human resources in line with delegated HR authorities.
• Participates in the design of the strategic plans of the Regional Office to anticipate their HR implications and provides comprehensive strategic workforce advice, including in the context of emergency responses.
• In consultation with the Workforce Planning and Position Management Team at FAO headquarters, conducts staffing reviews and elaborates staffing plans by analysing trends and staffing scenarios, advises on succession planning, determines appropriate staffing levels and skills mix and promotes workforce diversity aligned with work programme requirements and corporate talent management goals.
• Identifies recruitment needs and priorities, develops and implements recruitment strategies and conducts targeted recruitment campaigns.
• Monitors and ensures the timely filling of posts in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Identifies and analyses staff development and career support needs, designs and promotes tailored programmes to address these needs, advises managers and staff on effective talent and career development, performance management and mobility, while also taking the lead in resolving issues or conflicts and provides guidance on transfer opportunities by utilising additional resources as required.
• Creates a network among HR staff members in the region to harmonise implementation of HR policies and initiatives and collects field insights to inform the formulation and development of HR initiatives, policies, processes, activities and tools; identifies and shares HR lessons and experiences between the Regional Office and the HR Division.
• Organises and provides HR capacity development across the region, ensuring that HR counterparts in the operations deliver professional, harmonised and client-oriented HR services compliant with relevant FAO policies and regulations.
• Coordinates HR field missions and capacity-building initiatives in the region.
• Sponsors HR initiatives that support organisational culture change, facilitating good people management practices and promoting gender, inclusion and diversity.
• Manages operational activities in emergency contexts and coordinates response teams to declared emergencies (including support missions).
• Leads risk assessments and discussions with team(s) to proactively manage risks and seizes opportunities impacting objectives.
• Performs other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in human resources management, business administration, organisational development, law or a related field. 
• Ten years of relevant experience in covering various disciplines of human resources management, with a focus on organisational design, talent acquisition and management. 
• Working knowledge (full proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

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Competencies

• Results Focus
• Leading, Engaging and Empowering
• Communication
• Partnering and Advocating
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
• Strategic Thinking

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in multiple locations or areas of work, particularly in field positions, is essential.
• Extent and relevance of experience in HR management and strategies, specifically organisational design, talent acquisition and management.
• Good knowledge of and experience in human resources management in the United Nations (UN) common system is considered a strong asset.
• Extent and relevance of experience with computerized HR systems and their application.
• Experience in designing, implementing and advocating for organizational change initiatives and innovation in HR management.
• A track record of tackling and resolving complex HR problems, while maintaining a client-focused approach to work.
• An HR professional certification is considered an asset.
• Working knowledge (full proficiency - level C) of another FAO official language is a strong asset.