Senior Human Resources Associate

May 12, 2026

H (no hardship)

Family

GS7

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-07-01

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 ideal candidate should have solid, hands-on experience in UNHCR HR operations, with the ability to work with a good level of independence in a small team. They should demonstrate sound judgment, reliability, and the capacity to support the HR Officer when needed. Experience in UN/UNHCR recruitment and HR policy implementation is important, along with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deliver timely, quality support across different offices.

Candidates must meet the essential minimum requirements of the position and must have either Polish citizenship or the legal status necessary to work in Poland.

Your application will NOT be considered if:
- The application form is not duly filled.
- The residence/work permit is not submitted (for non-Polish candidates)

Additional Information
UNHCR’s workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. We seek to sustain and strengthen this diversity and to ensure equal opportunities, as well as an inclusive working environment, for our entire workforce. Joining us means living, sharing and promoting these core values of inclusion, diversity and gender equality.

Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on the grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

UNHCR reserves the right to retain applications and consider external candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNHCR at the same grade or lower level and with similar job descriptions, experience, and educational requirements for the appointment of a shorter duration (Temporary Appointment).

UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).

Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a test. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified. No late applications will be accepted.

English

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Polish

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

Nature of Position:

The Senior Human Resources Associate will be part of a small, dynamic HR team covering UNHCR Representation for the Republic of Poland, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. The team currently consists of an HR Officer, a Senior HR Associate, and an HR Associate. In this structure, the Senior HR Associate plays an important role, acting as the HR Officer’s back-up and exercising independent judgment in day-to-day operations. The position requires balancing operational HR responsibilities with strategic input, ensuring timely and effective support across recruitment, workforce planning, HR policy implementation, and duty of care. The role contributes directly to the implementation of UNHCR’s People Strategy, supporting a culture that emphasizes excellence, inclusivity, and staff wellbeing while enabling UNHCR to deploy the right personnel, at the right time, in response to operational needs.

Living and Working Conditions:

 

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

This position doesn't require a functional clearance