Job Description

Please note that this vacancy is only open to eligible staff members who have been individually notified of their eligibility to apply for positions advertised in the Accelerated Posting Compendium.

June 12, 2026

A (least hardship)

Family

PR4

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-05-26

Human Resources Partner

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Human Resources Partner is normally located within the Regional Bureau. The incumbent 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 People Management 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 forcibly displaced and stateless persons. By attracting, retaining and developing talented, diverse and agile workforce while nurturing a culture of excellence, respect and wellbeing for all, UNHCR’s Human Resources act as a strategic partner to the organization enabling a people centric culture.

The Human Resources Partner normally reports to the Bureau Director or another senior manager within the Bureau, with functional guidance and support from the Deputy Director of Division of People Management. He/she is the advisor to Bureau management on human resources issues in that region. Based on a solid understanding of the Bureau’s priorities, the Human Resources Partner contributes to the shaping of the regional strategy and strategically aligns HR interventions with the Bureau’s needs and the regional context. By aligning the aims and goals of the organisation with the needs and development of the individual employee, this role plays a critical role in the relationships with management and the workforce. He/she is responsible for the timely, effective and efficient delivery of all human resources services in the Bureau, i.e. strategic workforce planning, organizational design, recruitment, implementation of HR policies, staff administration, and talent development with inclusion, diversity and gender as a cross-cutting issue. The Human Resources Partner will also support the implementation of the staff health and counselling plans and in fostering an inclusive and respectful working environment.

The Human Resources Partner utilizes a holistic approach to Human Resources 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.

The Human Resources Partner coordinates the work of the HR teams in the Bureau, as well as staff well-being and duty of care related positions which may be located outside of the bureau (e.g. in Medical and Psychosocial Support Section, Division of People Management). This entails coordinating the delivery of multi-disciplinary HR programmes and talent management initiatives, products and services to the Bureau as well as coordinating HR field missions and capacity-building activities for HR staff in the region. The Human Resources Partner will supervise other HR staff in the Bureau. She/he is expected to engage in frequent missions including to high risk duty stations.

The Human Resources Partner seeks expert advice and guidance from various Services in Division of People Management, with particularly strong linkages to the Workforce Planning Units in HQ Budapest.

The grade level of the positions with this role can be P4 or P5 depending on the number of the workforce under the Area of Responsibility (AoR) as well as the structure and location of the Bureau in which the position operates.

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

• Partner effectively with Bureau Director, management teams and HR teams in country operations to understand their priorities, and provide HR advice and solutions on all aspects of human resources in line with delegated HR authorities (with the support of their HR team and Division of People Management.

• Participate in the design of the strategic plans of the Bureau in order to anticipate their HR implications (including on health and wellbeing of staff), and provide comprehensive strategic workforce advice e.g. during the Annual Programme Review (APR) process or planning for emergency response.

• Support the development of plans (such as duty of care strategy for the region or talent development plan for the region) to ensure timely provision of HR solutions, prioritizing according to the needs and risks; ensure synergies between the plans.

• Create a network among HR staff members in the region in order to harmonize implementation of HR policies and initiatives, collect field insights to inform the formulation and development of Division of People Management (initiatives, policies, processes, activities and tools; identify and share HR lessons and experiences between Bureaux and with Division of People Management.

• Provide management with appropriate, timely and valuable HR information and data that inform decision making.

• Organize and provide HR training across the region ensuring that HR counterparts in the operations deliver professional, harmonized and client oriented HR services, compliant with relevant UNHCR policies and regulations.

• Coordinate HR field missions and capacity-building initiatives in the region.

• Provide advice on organizational structures of the Bureau and country operations based on operational contexts, organizational design and staffing parameters and practices, leading to better resource allocation decisions.

• Carry out, in consultation and/or coordination with the Workforce Planning Units in HQ Budapest, comprehensive staffing reviews, especially at times of scaling up, scaling down and stabilizing, identify gaps and recommend mitigation actions.

• Build the capacity of HR teams in country operations to become strategic partners to their Representatives.

• Sponsor HR initiatives that support organizational culture change such as facilitating good people management practices and development conversations and promoting gender, inclusion and diversity.

• Support the Bureau Director in ensuring that UNHCR leaders are enabled and held accountable for correctly applying UNHCR’s Regulations, Rules and Policies and for ensuring a healthy workplace free of harassment and abuse of authority.

• Support the development and implementation of activities to encourage behaviour aligned with the Code of Conduct and with fostering an inclusive and respectful workplace.

• Coordinate the relevant actors in the regional bureau (Senior Medical Officer, Senior Staff Counsellor, Field Safety and Management) to safeguard duty of care to UNHCR personnel and advise the Bureau Director on how to prevent and mitigate risks.

• Coordinate response from Bureau’s Human Resources team to declared emergencies (including support missions from the Bureau).

• Be part of HR Cell meetings during emergencies with Division of Emergency and Programme Support and Division of People Management.

• Support the development and implementation of a Duty of Care strategy in the region.

• Ensure the Bureau Director is duly informed about policy development and major changes affecting HR policy and implementation.

• Participate, provide input and ensure that UNHCR’s interests and views are reflected in regional inter-agency HR-related fora and initiatives.

• Contribute to strategic human resources forecasting for the region including identifying future human resource requirements in terms of numbers, types and levels of staff, and identifying emerging trends in profile requirements.

• Lead risk assessments and discussions with team(s) to proactively manage risks and seize opportunities impacting objectives. Ensure that risk management principles are integrated in decision-making both at strategic and operational levels. Allocate resources for planned treatments with resource requirements in Strategic Plans. Ensure that risks are managed to acceptable levels and escalate, as needed. If a Risk Owner, designate the Risk Focal Point and certify that the annual risk review is completed and ensure that the risk register is updated during the year, as needed.

• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For P4 - 9 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 8 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 7 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Human Resources; Law; or other relevant field

Certificates and/or Licenses

Not specified.

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

Demonstrated ability of providing technical and strategic leadership HR advice, supporting and influencing senior leadership. Sound knowledge of general HR policies, processes and systems. Prior experience in at least two of the following areas: workforce planning, organizational design, recruitment, HR policy, talent development, personnel administration. Previous leadership and managerial experience.

Desirable

HR Business Partner experience with senior leaders in a global organization. Experience implementing talent management strategies and initiatives. Proven ability to identify and implement successful business related HR interventions. Experience in HR information technology systems and tools. Experience in field humanitarian operations and/or emergency settings. Experience working with the United Nations. Experience working in a multi-cultural setting.

Functional Skills

HR-HR data and people analytics;

RM-Risk management;

HR-Organizational Design Concepts and Techniques;

HR-Talent development and Nurturing;

HR-Recruitment - Attraction & Selection;

HR-Employee Relationship Management;

SO-Critical Thinking and problem solving;

HR-Succession Planning and Management;

SO-Situational Judgement;

SO-Learning Agility;

HR-HR Business Partnering;

MG-Coordination;

TR-Training - Virtual and face to face;

HR-Operational Workforce Planning;

HR-Workforce Engagement Strategies and Programmes;

HR-Inclusion, Diversity and Gender strategy design and implementation;

HR-HR Policy Development and Coordination;

HR-HR Business Process Design & Improvement;

HR-Coordination and Oversight of Workforce Mobility;

(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:

Empowering and Building Trust

Judgement and Decision Making

Leadership

Managing Performance

Managing Resources

Strategic Planning and Vision

Cross-Functional Competencies:

Analytical Thinking

Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

Planning and Organizing

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.

Essential Attributes
- Proven experience translating organizational priorities into HR strategies and workforce plans
- Demonstrated experience advising senior management on organizational design, strategic staffing, succession planning, and change management.
- Demonstrated experience in leading HR components of major organisational transformation initiatives and restructuring processes
- Advisory experience on contract modalities, entitlements, compensation systems, and performance management.
- Evident experience conducting workforce analysis and developing evidence-based recommendations.
- fluency in French and good command of English.

Desirable Attributes
- Articulate complex HR policies in accessible language.
- Support staff development and career counseling,
- Provide HR information system technical support (e.g., Workday)
- Understand interpersonal dynamics and provide guidance in resolving interpersonal situations.

French

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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 West and Central Africa (RBWCA), based in Dakar, oversees UNHCR operations in eight countries with Representatives: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mali, Niger, and Nigeria.

The Multi-Country Office (MCO) Cameroon covers Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sao Tome et Principe and the Republic of Congo. As part of a regional realignment, the Multi-Country Offices (MCOs) in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal were closed on 31 December 2025. Five standalone National Offices – Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal and Togo – became fully operational on 1 October 2025.

The Bureau is accredited to regional intergovernmental bodies, including ECOWAS and ECCAS, and engages closely with UN regional entities. With both Anglophone and Francophone countries, the region requires bilingual, context-specific engagement across diverse political and operational environments.

The West and Central Africa region is currently home to over 21.9 million forcibly displaced and stateless persons, including IDPs, refugees, asylum-seekers, and returnees. Major concentrations are found in Chad, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and the DRC, where conflict, intercommunal violence, and human rights violations continue to drive new displacement.

Humanitarian needs continue to rise due to expanding armed conflict in the Sahel, political instability, and the regional impact of the Sudan crisis, which has generated large refugee inflows into Chad and CAR. The region is also a major crossroads for mixed movements, requiring a route-based approach (RBA) along the central and western Mediterranean routes and the Sahel–North Africa axis.

While some voluntary repatriation and spontaneous returns occur, large-scale solutions remain limited. UNHCR prioritizes long-term solutions beyond return – including socio-economic inclusion, transition to national systems, and strengthened access to services – in protracted and fragile contexts.

Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR) together illustrate the growing convergence between humanitarian response, national system-strengthening, and development in West and Central Africa. Chad hosts more than 1.3 million refugees and operates at the limits of humanitarian capacity, making it a defining test case for UNHCR’s shift toward inclusion in national systems, development-anchored solutions, and reduced parallel structures. CAR, meanwhile, sits at the crossroads of the Sahel, the Great Lakes, and the Sudan regional crisis, with cyclical displacement and volatile border zones continuing to strain the absorption capacity of its institutions. Through the CAR Solutions Support Platform and cross-border coordination with Chad, Cameroon, DRC, ROC, Sudan and South Sudan, UNHCR is helping shape a more predictable framework for voluntary returns, community-based reintegration, and stabilization in areas of repeated displacement, in addition to advancing on local inclusion and integration in neighbouring asylum countries. Together, Chad and CAR underline the Bureau’s strategic move toward situation-based engagement, reinforced regional cooperation, and investment in national systems as the foundation for long-term solutions.

The Sahel continues to face violence, challenges to humanitarian access, and limited essential services, while the spill over into the Coastal States has transformed the crisis into a broader regional challenge. Despite this volatility, governments have demonstrated renewed political will through the Sahel+ strategy and the Lomé Dialogue, creating opportunities for coordinated approaches to asylum, border governance, protection data, and mixed movement management. UNHCR’s situational approach in the Sahel centres on delivering life-saving emergency assistance, strengthening protection and advancing solutions, and social and economic inclusion for the forcibly displaced, supported by a route-based framework that links countries of origin, transit, and destination. The Sahel thus represents both one of the deepest protection crises in the region and a critical entry point for state-led, regionally anchored solutions that reinforce resilience, inclusion, and social cohesion.

The DRC, a recent addition to the RBWCA’s remit and a top regional priority, represents one of the most complex situations in the Bureau’s portfolio, with nearly 6 million IDPs and over 1.2 million Congolese refugees hosted in neighbouring states (primarily Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania). The country also hosts over 510,000 refugees from the region.

UNHCR’s role in the DRC extends beyond humanitarian response to support key regional peace processes, and the Tripartite framework between DRC, Rwanda and UNHCR.

The global funding landscape is driving a shift from broad programme-based models to projects funded through earmarked contributions. The Bureau is adopting project-based management, with new SOPs defining roles along the project cycle, strengthened accountability and contribution-tracking, and enhanced M&E to demonstrate results.

Capacity building on project management, proposal writing, donor compliance, and risk management will be rolled out. A regional oversight mechanism, standardized templates, and regional proposal packs will support quality and alignment. Strategic prioritisation of proposals will be essential to avoid overload.

The Bureau will also diversify partnerships – including national partners, development actors, ECOWAS, and emerging donors – to reinforce sustainability and avoid overly ambitious or politically sensitive commitments, particularly in complex contexts such as the DRC.

The HR Partner will provide support to a wide geographical area and diverse types of operations, with an ever-evolving workforce across the region, at present with over 1,400.

The HR Partner will be required to guide, coordinate and oversee all HR related activities in the region. S/he will be expected to ensure the application of human resources rules and regulations while advising country operations on their interpretation based on the operational context.

The Human Resources Partner will develop and implement workforce management strategy for the region that is in line with the regional and global strategy, undertake regular review of workforce requirements and make relevant recommendations. S/he will also oversee vacancy management and ensure relevant recruitment, assignment, and reassignment processes for the region are in accordance with UN/UNHCR rules and procedures, including those related to diversity.

Living and Working Conditions:

The entire United Nations system in Dakar will soon relocate to a common UN house in Diamniadio, approximately 40 km from the main city. Candidates applying for positions based in Dakar should consider this move. Arrangements are being made for staff transportation and teleworking schedules to ensure acceptable working conditions.

As the capital of Senegal, Dakar has a population of over one million and offers reasonable medical facilities, providing both general and specialist care in line with international standards. Dakar is classified by the United Nations as an "A" family duty station, indicating access to all basic services and most recreational activities and facilities.

Living conditions are comfortable, and essential services are readily available.

While the asylum practices in West Africa are generally generous, the operational and political environments present unique challenges for the UN, and particularly for UNHCR. The region hosts a variety of political and UN coordination mechanisms, requiring significant time and effort to ensure that UNHCR remains relevant. Key structures include the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, led by a Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), the Regional UNDG, and regional offices for WFP, UNICEF, OCHA, UN Women, FAO, among others. Donors also have regional platforms in West Africa.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Bachelor of Arts: Human Resources, Bachelor of Arts: Law

Certifications

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Leadership, Managing performance, Managing resource, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Strategic planning & visions, Teamwork & collaboration

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

Compendium

Accelerated Posting Compendium 2026 - Part B

Additional Information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance