Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0 UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1 Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2 UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

UNDP, as an integral part of its mission to fight poverty and improve the lives of people around the world, is committed to being open, transparent and accountable. As part of this commitment, UNDP adopted International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and established a Global Shared Service Centre (GSSC) to provide IPSAS transactional recording (in the areas of revenue, expenses and fixed assets), procurement, advisory and support services to UNDP Offices worldwide, and to provide training to UNDP Offices where needed. Human Resources services within the GSSC was set up earlier in 2003 in Copenhagen and it provides customized service packages to more than 40,000 UN personnel from agencies, funds and programmes across the UN System. GSSC/HR in Copenhagen has established a legacy as a major Human Resources administration center within the United Nations and is recognized as a center of excellence. The Global Shared Service Centre (GSSC) is part of the Bureau for Management Services (BMS).

The Global Payroll Services (GPS) focuses on ensuring timely and accurate client support and global payroll services to HQ, regional centers and country offices for UNDP and partner agencies including clustering of local payroll services. This is critical to facilitate the achievement of UNDP’s strategic and corporate priorities.

Reporting to the Global Payroll Services Manager and Resources Advisor, the Payroll Specialist provides overall supervision of the payroll functional teams and is responsible for timely and accurate delivery of payroll services to all clients and handling related queries/concerns on a daily basis. The incumbent leads key country office and agency support initiatives and serves as functional focal point for payroll services.

The incumbent will directly supervise two Payroll Analysts and one Operations Analyst at P2 level and undertake day-to-day management of the payroll functional teams based in Copenhagen as well as Kuala Lumpur.

Position Purpose

The Payroll Specialist plays pivotal role in GSSC/BMS through supporting global delivery of payroll service line to UNDP and Partner Agencies. The incumbent drives operational excellence through automation, and continuous improvement, while safeguarding compliance and promoting efficiency. A key focus of the role is strengthening standardization and harmonization of payroll processes, ensuring consistency, transparency, and responsiveness in service delivery. Through strategic leadership and collaboration, the Payroll Specialist enhances client satisfaction and reinforces UNDP’s HR service architecture.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. This is a recognition of interconnected nature of development risks & crises that the world is facing and that call for assembling of multidisciplinary teams for an integrated & systemic response. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

Serve as functional focal point for payroll services

• Works closely with the Payroll Technical Team on all aspects of payroll services ranging from recalculation to payroll finalization as well as posting of expenditures;
• Collaborates with Payroll Finance Unit (PFU) on reconciliation and finalization of IP payroll, reconciliation of outstanding staff advances, Agency billing, final pay audit and processing;
• Works closely with Benefits and Entitlement Services (BES) to ensure timely resolution on individual cases and accurate results in payroll;
• Follows up with Treasury on disbursement issues associated with wire transfer/bank services.
• Reviews highly complicated cases in the area of payroll administration and take decisions within the established delegation of authority.
• Provides GPS/GSSC team members with advice and solutions for difficult cases. Directly engage in difficult cases to identify and deliver solutions.
• Act as approver for payroll related payments.

Oversee the Performance and Delivery of GPS/GSSC Teams

• Create a motivating environment for GPS/GSSC by allowing and appreciating individual initiatives, acknowledging good performance, encouraging the sharing of knowledge and best practices, and providing appropriate learning opportunities.
• Monitor, guide, coach and assess the performance of GPS/GSSC teams. Provide the teams under his/her responsibility with timely and constructive feedback.
• Assess the work volume of the teams under his/her responsibility, analyze available technical and intellectual resources, develops practical and workable solutions to ensure optimum work-resource balance within the teams.
• Supervises day-to-day work of payroll teams (International Payroll Management and Regional/CO Payroll) and ensures uninterrupted and timely payroll processing;
• Promotes collaborative planning, organization, distribution and segregation of functions among the team members.
• Promotes client-oriented and result-oriented culture within the teams.
• Provides inputs to formulation of Unit/Individual Work Plans and 'prioritization' of day-to-day work in line with corporate priorities.
• Monitors a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track performance for payroll services and make recommendations for enhancements of KPIs for internal and external clients;
• Ensure service delivery by the team meets the requirements of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with clients.
• Develop new business approaches and promote decisions and practices that optimize the performance and service delivery of GPS/GSSC as a team.
• Solicit ownership among GPS/GSSC team members for the new tools/practices/procedures.
• Get actively involved and advocate for maintaining and enhancing a GPS/GSSC culture highlighted by strong client-orientation, high motivation and various learning opportunities.
• Propose, develop and advocate for new tools, practices and procedures that benefit higher service delivery of GPS/GSSC.

Build Strategic Partnerships, Advisory Services and Account Management

• Build partnerships with UNDP and UN partners and act as account manager for clients from other Agencies, ensuring regular feedback and reporting and adjustment of processes as / if required;
• Ensures timely and accurate response to payroll-related queries from GPS clients;
• In consultation with Global Payroll Services Manager and Resources Advisor, provides authoritative advice to HQ units, country offices, UN agencies on specific payroll issues.
• Ensures 'quality assurance' of the payroll data that needs to be provided to UNDP senior management and other internal and external clients on a regular basis.
• Establish tracking of payroll services provided to agencies for cost-recovery purposes.

Ensure Management Excellence and Facilitate Knowledge Sharing

• Monitor and manage compliance with all systems and procedures and ensure management integrity and accountability with high quality standards in all activities in payroll services. Ensure the implementation of agreed audit recommendations. Advise on corrective measures to be taken and establish relevant internal controls.
• In close collaboration with GSSC management and GSSC Operations, effectively manage the human and financial resources (budget planning, management and monitoring) of BES/GSSC to ensure both are optimally utilized
• Provide quality assurance to corporate UNDP networks and maintain up-to-date knowledge of trends and best practices.
• Distill best practices and comparative experiences.
• Propose quality enhancements in order to maximize policy impact and relevance.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: Oversee and lead a team comprising three P2s (Operational Analyst – P2 Payroll Analyst – P2 *2 )

Competencies

• Core Competencies:

Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands

Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

• Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy-System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Direction & Strategy-Strategic Thinking: Develop effective strategies and prioritised plans in line with UNDP’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight.

Business Management-Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.

Business Management-Customer Satisfaction/Client Management: Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.

Information Management & Technology-Applications Management: Ability to set-up, develop, support, and maintain applications. Expertise in Oracle Cloud, ServiceNow, SalesForce.com and Microsoft technology and assets.

HR – Compensation/ remuneration-Payroll Management: Knowledge of and ability to apply mechanisms and tools to collect payroll data, process payroll, and manage payroll reports.

Business Development-Integration within the UN: Ability to identify, and integrate capacity and assets of the UN system, and engage in joint work. Knowledge of the UN System and ability to apply this knowledge to strategic and/or practical situations

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Business or Public Administration, Accounting, Financial Management is required. Or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned fields of study, with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of an advanced degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant/specialized experience in global payroll administration or related field with UNDP or other UN agencies is required.
• Prior supervisory responsibility leading teams in a diverse team environment is desired.
• Prior managerial experience in the global payroll services and/or other UN benefits/entitlements administration is an advantage.
• Demonstrated experience and sound knowledge of automated payroll and payroll systems such as PeopleSoft/Oracle/SAP is an asset.
• IPSAS experience is an asset.
• Prior ERP system development/implementation and/or complex project implementation experience is considered as an asset.
• Demonstrated experience working with multiple stakeholders and clients in relation to payroll operations/ management is an asset.

Languages:

• Proficiency in oral and written English is required.
• Working knowledge in another UN language is an asset.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Probation

For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.

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