Senior Human Resources Associate

February 22, 2026

E (most hardship)

Non Family with Residential LocationNon Family with Residential LocationDanger Pay

Addis Ababa,Eth Fed Dem Rep

GS7

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-04-01

Senior Human Resources Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Senior Human Resources Associate supports the UNHCR's People Strategy and contributes to the implementation of the 2018 independent Human Resources review, which resulted in the establishment of HR strategic priorities and the reconfiguration and transformation of the Division of Human Resources (DHR) from a largely transactional model into a strategic business partner for field operations and senior management. Having the right people in the right place at the right time is at the core of enabling UNHCR to protect and respond to persons of concern. By attracting, retaining and developing a talented, diverse and agile workforce while nurturing a culture of excellence, respect and wellbeing for all, UNHCR's Human Resources acts as a strategic partner to the organization, enabling a people-centric culture.

The Senior Human Resources Associate provides support and assistance in the areas of operational support, workforce planning, assignments and talent acquisition, organizational cultural changes, HR policy implementation and duty of care in the area of responsibility (AOR). The incumbent maintains employee confidence and protects the organization and its workforce by keeping human resources information confidential.

The Senior Human Resources Associate is usually supervised by the Associate HR Officer, HR Officer or another HR or admin staff. This position can be located in a Country Operation, Multi-Country Office, Regional Bureau or Headquarters. The incumbent supervises some support staff. The supervisor provides the incumbent with regular guidance. The incumbent works quite independently on regular assignments with an oversight from the supervisor, assisting him/her in personnel administration and other HR related matters.

The incumbent may maintain a direct working relationship with a number of units within the Division of Human Resources (DHR).

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR's core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
Human Resources Operational Support:
- Implement HR operational activities to ensure timely provision of HR solutions, prioritizing according to the needs and risks. This may include:
- Administration of recruitment, assignment and separation of local staff in the AOR, in accordance with UN/UNHCR rules and procedures.
- Update of personnel records in the Office, including MSRP entries into HR module where required.
- Assisting with recruitment and other procedures related to affiliate workforce.
- Contribution to workforce planning activities.
- Provision of a HR customer service-oriented culture that values proactivity, continuous improvement, innovation and high performance.
- Enforce compliance with UNHCR's Human Resources policies and procedures and the UN staff rules, regulations and UNHCR administrative instructions.

Assignments and Talent Acquisition:
- Coordinate the recruitment of local staff including the issuance of vacancy notices and screening of the application. Prepare submissions for the review by the Assignments Committee (AC).
- Assist in organizing outreach campaigns to attract diverse applicants.

Advice to staff and contribution to an inclusive work environment:
- Build dialog and outreach with staff; answer questions, and provide information to staff as to where to go for help or ask questions.
- Advise staff members and affiliate workforce on their rights, obligations, benefits and entitlements, and assist them in interpreting UN/UNHCR staff rules and regulations.
- Assist in provision of on-boarding, induction, re-integration into the workplace and off-boarding to colleagues.
- Be proactive in identifying issues, themes and patterns affecting the workforce's health and welfare, including sexual harassment and abuse of authority.
- Assistance in implementation of HR initiatives that support organizational culture change such as good people management practices, and promoting gender, inclusion and diversity.

HR policies and inter-agency:
- Enforce compliance with UNHCR's Human Resources policies and procedures and the UN staff rules, regulations and UNHCR administrative instructions.
- Participate in the ICSC survey on living conditions and classification of duty stations as well as in the UN Country Team local staff salary survey and other local inter-agency HR-related fora and initiatives.

Duty of Care
- Assist in the security and medical evacuations of UNHCR personnel. Maintain daily tracking record of staff and families to provide accurate information in case of emergency.
- Administer UNHCR medical insurance plan for locally recruited staff.

- Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G7 - 4 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
N / A

Certificates and/or Licenses
Business Administration, Office Management, Human Resources Management
or related field.
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Experience working in Human Resources. Knowledge of general HR policies, processes and systems.

Desirable
Experience in HR information technology systems and tools. Experience working with the United Nations. Experience working in a multi-cultural setting.

Functional Skills
*IT-Computer Literacy
HR-Talent Development and Nurturing
HR-Employee Relationship Management
SO-Learning Agility
UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures
HR-Local mass recruitment
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

The desired candidate should have the following skills and knowledge:

• The incumbent should have a strong human resource management and personnel administration background with demonstrated experience and solid knowledge of UNHCR recruitment and assignment policy, as well as general HR policies and processes.
• The incumbent must be familiar with, Workday – EVOLVE – Cloud ERP - MIP related services – personnel administration including learning and development and supporting HR information management.
• She/he should have ability to manage staff performance effectively, providing guidance, feedback, and support to achieve results.
• Experience working in operations where balancing local customs and expectations with United Nations HR principles and policies is required, while proactively advising relevant stakeholders, is an asset.
• The incumbent should have a proven record of outstanding awareness for the need to manage inclusive and balanced teams in terms of age, gender, and diversity. This includes carefully balancing considerations about equitable representation and required expert skills and competencies is an asset.
• Subject to the nature of the task/assignment, the incumbent will lead on all HR and personnel administration matters, and work independently on routine tasks, and will follow instructions of the supervisor for more complex issues hence the need for a self-driven, highly reliable, and motivated person.
• Experience supporting emergency field operations in hardship duty stations is strongly recommended.
• She/he should have the ability to understand local dynamics related to recruitments and demonstrate political practicality in assisting management to manage such dynamics is an asset.
• Ability to effectively manage resources and strong proficiency in Microsoft applications is an asset.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret HR data, identify trends, and support informed decision-making.
• Effective planning and organizational abilities, including workforce planning, task prioritization, and meeting deadlines.
• Adaptability and change‑management capability, maintaining effectiveness during operational or organizational shifts.
• Ability to multitask and take on diverse responsibilities, demonstrating flexibility, initiative, and commitment to supporting HR service delivery.
• Field experience with UNHCR and/or with other humanitarian organizations is an asset.

Personal Qualities:

The desired candidate should possess the following personal qualities:

• The ideal candidate demonstrates integrity, reliability, and a positive attitude while communicating clearly, logically, and professionally.
• The ability to actively listens, understands instructions and diverse perspectives, and expresses ideas in a well‑organized and effective manner.
• The ability to show initiative in identifying and solving problems, remains calm under pressure, and collaborates well with others by building respectful and productive working relationships.
• The candidate should uphold a high level of accountability by taking ownership of actions, delivering on commitments, and consistently adhering to organizational standards.
• The candidate should exhibit a strong understanding of the organization’s values, mandate, and operational priorities, and uses this knowledge to guide decisions and actions. He/She is aware of both formal structures and informal networks, recognizing how different units, roles, and stakeholders interact to achieve common goals.
• The ideal candidate remains attentive to internal dynamics, adapts effectively to organizational changes, and contributes positively to a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Work effectively with diverse teams, value different viewpoints, and contribute to shared goals by fostering positive relationships and supporting a cooperative team environment.
• The candidate should actively seek opportunities for learning and growth, remain open to feedback, and apply new knowledge to improve performance and respond to evolving needs.
• The ability to understand the needs of staff and stakeholders, deliver high‑quality results, and prioritizes timely, accurate, and efficient service that aligns with organizational objectives.

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

Ethiopia hosts one of the largest forcibly displaced populations in the world, with nearly one million refugees and several million internally displaced persons (IDPs). As a leading country in the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), Ethiopia has articulated its commitments through pledges made at successive Global Refugee Forum (GRF) events and related national policy frameworks. In parallel, the Government of Ethiopia, in collaboration with UNHCR and development partners, is advancing the Makatet inclusion strategy, which seeks to operationalize refugee inclusion through progressive alignment with national systems and development planning at federal, regional, and local levels.

 

The Melkadida operation is located in the south-eastern part of Ethiopia’s Somali Region. It hosts approximately 220,000 refugees, almost all of whom are Somali refugees who fled conflict beginning in 2009. UNHCR’s Sub-Office in Melkadida manages five refugee camps: Bokolmayo, Kobe, Buramino, Melkadida, and Helaweyn.

The Melkadida Area of Responsibility (AoR) is affected by recurrent climatic shocks, localized conflict, and chronic structural vulnerabilities, which have contributed to significant internal displacement across multiple zones of the Somali Region and placed sustained pressure on humanitarian response capacity and local service delivery systems. While displacement levels have fluctuated over time, protection and service-delivery risks linked to protracted displacement, limited access to services, and weak local capacities remain substantial.

 

Against this backdrop, the UNHCR operation in Melkadida is progressively pivoting from predominantly humanitarian responses towards approaches that emphasize refugee inclusion into national service delivery systems and longer-term, development-oriented responses, in close collaboration with government counterparts and development partners. UNHCR, together with WFP, remains among the few UN agencies with a sustained operational presence in the area.

 

The duty station is non-family and operates under strict security constraints. According to the UN Security Level System, Melkadida is currently classified as Security Phase 4. All staff reside within a secure compound, and working conditions are shaped by remoteness, extreme climatic conditions, and limited freedom of movement. These conditions require particular attention to staff welfare, duty of care, and effective human resources management.

 

The Senior Human Resources Associate will report directly to the Head of Sub-Office on all human resources and personnel administration-related matters. He/she gets functional technical support and works closely with the HR team in BO-Addis Ababa. The incumbent will handle all HR activities within the operation, and currently, there is no direct supervisee.

 

The Senior Human Resources Associate supports the HoSO by coordinating staffing and budget reviews, facilitating staff appointments and assignments, and assisting in talent acquisition, performance management, and staff welfare matters. In this role, the incumbent ensures smooth HR operations while upholding strict confidentiality standards, maintaining employee trust, and safeguarding both the organization and its workforce through the careful handling of sensitive human resources information.

Living and Working Conditions:

Melkadida is a non‑family duty station with limited services. Accommodation is provided by UNHCR within the Sub‑Office compound, subject to a monthly rental charge in accordance with UNHCR policies on field accommodation and high‑risk duty stations. All office and accommodation premises are located within the same secure compound and are within walking distance.

Most accommodations are fully furnished and include a single room and living room with an open kitchen, private bathroom, bed and bedding, desk, air conditioning, lamp, and storage facilities. Wi‑Fi connectivity is available across the compound and in most residential units.

The compound includes a medical facility staffed with a doctor and nurse for UN personnel, two cafeterias, and limited recreational facilities, including a gym, volleyball and basketball courts, and indoor leisure equipment.

There are no local or international banking facilities, and access to goods and food items in Melkadida is very limited. Staff are advised to bring personal items and food supplies as needed. Cleaning services are provided on weekdays.

Transportation to and from Melkadida is primarily by UNHAS flights to Addis Ababa. Due to security considerations and poor road conditions, road travel is not advised and is only authorized under exceptional circumstances.

The climate is dry and semi‑desert, with consistently high temperatures throughout the year. The hottest period is typically March–April, when temperatures may exceed 45°C.

Security restrictions, remoteness, isolation, and limited social life are factors applicants should carefully consider prior to applying.

 
 

Additional Qualifications

Skills

HR-Employee Relationship Management, HR-Local mass recruitment, HR-Talent Development and Nurturing, IT-Computer Literacy, SO-Learning Agility, UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures

Certifications

Business Administration - Other, Human Resources Management - Other, Office Management - Other

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Change capability & adaptability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Managing performance, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Additional Information

• Position is opened to ONLY Ethiopian nationals
• Women are strongly encouraged to apply in order to promote gender-balance within UNHCR.
• Candidates may be subjected to assessment (written or oral interview).

This position doesn't require a functional clearance