Job Description

May 28, 2026

H (no hardship)

Family

GS6

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-07-01

Human Resources Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The 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 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 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 Human Resources Associate may supervise General Service 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 entries into Workday where required.
• Assisting with recruitment and other procedures related to affiliate workforce, including Cloud ERP entries into where required.
• 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:

• Participate in the recruitment of local staff including the issuance of vacancy notices and arranging for required tests and interviews, and preparation of submissions for the review by the Assignments Committee (AC).
• Assist in organizing outreach campaigns to attract diverse applicants.
• Track and report on recruitment and assignments activities.

Advice to staff and contribution to an inclusive work environment.

• Build dialog and outreach with the workforce; 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.
• Be proactive in identifying issues, themes and patterns affecting the workforce’s health and welfare, including sexual harassment and abuse of authority.
• Assist in the provision of on-boarding, induction, re-integration into the workplace and off-boarding to colleagues.
• Assist in implementation of HR initiatives that support organizational culture change such as good people management practices, and promoting gender, inclusion and diversity.

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

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For G6 - 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education

Not applicable.

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

UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures;

*IT-Computer Literacy;

HR-Talent Development and Nurturing

HR-Local mass recruitment

HR-Employee Relationship Management

SO-Learning Agility;

(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

Competency Requirements

All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies:

Accountability

Communication

Organizational Awareness

Teamwork & Collaboration

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies:

Managing Resources

Cross-Functional Competencies:

Analytical Thinking

Planning and Organizing

Change Capability and Adaptability

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 possess solid experience in Human Resources operations, with demonstrated exposure to both field and regional support functions. The incumbent should have strong organizational and coordination skills, sound knowledge of HR policies and procedures, and the ability to manage sensitive matters with professionalism, discretion, and a strong client-service orientation.

The candidate must have practical experience in recruitment, assignments, personnel administration, and operational HR support across different workforce categories, including regular staff, temporary appointments, affiliate workforce, and interns. Strong familiarity with recruitment and assignment processes, particularly within the framework of Assignment Committees, is essential. Experience serving as Secretary to Local or Regional Assignment Committees, including reviewing compliance documentation, drafting minutes, supporting comparative reviews, and advising on recruitment procedures is required.

The incumbent should possess good technical proficiency in Workday, including experience processing HR transactions, generating reports, supporting users in the field, and maintaining recruitment and staffing tracking tools. Experience in producing dashboards, workforce analytics, and KPI monitoring related to recruitment, diversity, and representation is desirable. Familiarity with onboarding, offboarding, and affiliate workforce management processes is also required.

Strong interpersonal and communication skills are essential, including the ability to coordinate effectively with DPM entities, HQ divisions, regional stakeholders, and field operations. The candidate should demonstrate the capacity to provide clear guidance, support training and capacity-building initiatives, and contribute to strengthening HR knowledge across the regional network. Familiarity with Regional Bureau structures and field coordination mechanisms is paramount.

The ideal candidate should also demonstrate integrity, sound judgment, and the ability to handle confidential information responsibly while ensuring compliance with applicable HR policies, procedures, and standards.

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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:

The Regional Bureau for Europe oversees a diverse and complex operational landscape, covering European Union Member States as well as countries in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. The populations of concern to UNHCR in the region include refugees, asylum-seekers, stateless persons, and internally displaced individuals.

Migration and displacement remain prominent across the region, shaping public discourse and driving varied policy responses. In this context, the HR team in the Bureau acts as a strategic partner to senior management and field operations, providing guidance grounded in workforce data and policy to support timely, evidence-based HR decisions.

Under the supervision of the Senior Human Resources Officer, the Human Resources Associate provides operational and administrative HR support across the Europe Region, covering recruitment, assignments, personnel administration, affiliate workforce management, onboarding and offboarding, workforce planning, and HR data reporting. The incumbent supports regional HR governance mechanisms, including serving as Secretary to the Regional Assignments Committee (RAC), ensuring compliance with recruitment policies and consistency in local recruitment practices across operations. The position also contributes to HR analytics, vacancy and staffing monitoring, Workday support and training, review of HR exception requests under delegated authority, and coordination with field operations, DPM, and other stakeholders to support effective and client-oriented HR service delivery across the region.

Living and Working Conditions:

Geneva is a HQ duty station offering high standard living conditions with a relatively high cost of living. There are several things which make Switzerland unique among its European neighbours. Located in the heart of Europe, it is neither part of the EU nor of the EEA. It has a unique environment considering its large international population and its border with France. There are 1.5 million people living in the greater Geneva area and some 232,100 daily commuters coming into the city on working day. The Swiss Alps are another important aspect of Switzerland's identity, shaping the country's culture in many different ways: from Agriculture to the arts. Art in Switzerland is as diverse as the country itself with an abundance of cultural institutions. Switzerland's culture is characterized by diversity. With four national languages, some cantons are bilingual or even trilingual. Sports are very popular thanks to the country's beautiful nature, it's a joy to be active outdoors. Switzerland has countless other leisure activities to offer. Health insurance is obligatory and it is the responsibility of the individual to ensure they are covered. Staff members and their family members holding a Carte de legitimation or an attestation delivered by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs are exempt from this compulsory insurance provided that they are covered by another health insurance scheme (i.e. UNSMIS). Switzerland is in general a safe place with little violent crime.

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, Change capability & adaptability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Teamwork & collaboration

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

Compendium

Additional Information

Candidates must be legally present in Switzerland at the time of application, recruitment and hire.

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

This position doesn't require a functional clearance