Switzerland: HR Business Partner

Background

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, with 191 member National Societies. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, our work is guided by seven fundamental principles; humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (“the Federation”) is the world’s largest volunteer-based humanitarian network. The IFRC Secretariat (“the IFRC”) is based in Geneva and has regional and country offices throughout the world. Under the leadership of the Secretary General, the IFRC provides the central capacity to serve, connect, and represent Red Cross / Red Crescent National Societies. The IFRC focus includes providing support with governance mechanisms; setting norms and standards; directing and coordinating international relief operations, resource mobilization, technical support including providing guidance; ensuring consistency, coordination, and accountability for performance; knowledge sharing; and expanding engagement with partners. The IFRC headquarters is organized in three main business groups: (i) Partnerships, including Movement and Membership, (ii) Programmes and Operations, and (iii) Management, each one of them led by an Under-Secretary General.
The Management Division is in turn organised in three Departments: Finance and Administration, Human Resources, and Information Technologies, each of them led by a Director.
This position is located in the Human Resources Department and reports to the Manager of the Business Partnering Unit, whom in turn reports to the HR Director.

Job Purpose

To provide managers and staff in the assigned Division(s) / Department(s) with seamless, high quality, value adding HR services and advice that support business operations whilst ensuring fair and consistent treatment of employees and compliance with HR programs, policies and procedures.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Be the trusted advisor to the Management teams and staff in the assigned Division(s) / Department(s)

• Participate in the design of the strategic business plans of the assigned Division(s) / Department(s) in order to anticipate their HR implications
• Develop client HR strategies to support the business and to ensure the timely provision of HR solutions to meet anticipated challenges
• Act as a single HR contact point for managers and staff of the assigned Division(s) / Department(s) for all non-transactional issues.

Proactively support the delivery of HR processes at the assigned Division(s) / Department(s)’s side

• Facilitate human resources management in assigned Division(s) / Department(s) by providing ongoing HR advice to managers and staff on HR policies, practices, and solutions
• Support the development and the implementation of staffing strategies in assigned Division(s) / Department(s) by participating in the definition of workforce plans and recruitment needs, providing support in drafting job descriptions and identifying job requirements, grading positions, short-listing candidates for interviews, participating in recruitment panels, calculating remuneration offers and conducting relevant negotiations with selected candidates
• Initiate all HR management-related processes for assigned Division(s) / Department(s), including staff entry, transfer, and exit procedures
• Design and maintain dashboards to track the HR-related performance of the different business units under the assigned division(s)/department(s)

Support Staff Development and Talent Management within assigned Division(s) / Department(s)

• Play a proactive role in creating a performance-oriented culture by ensuring that managers and staff are trained in the use of the performance review system on the learning platform, by advising and supporting them in carrying out performance discussions as needed, and by coaching managers in addressing underperformance issues
• Proactively work with managers to identify staff performance gaps and relevant development needs, and define appropriate training and development plans and actions
• Advise staff on professional development and growth opportunities
• Identify key talents; together with the line management, develop potential career progression paths that include residential and mobile assignments as needed
• Identify critical positions and develop sustainable succession plans

Contribute to the effective management of human resources within assigned Division(s) / Department(s)

• Support line managers in all people management-related activities
• Act as performance improvement driver and foster positive change in people management
• Be a role model; identify and promote value-based behaviors
• Advise and support line managers in defining, communicating, implementing, and managing organizational changes
• Facilitate in an honest broker capacity the timely management and resolution of conflicts
• Support line managers in complex people management cases and escalate them through HR hierarchy as needed
• Support Performance Management and coordinate salary review processes within assigned Division(s) / Department(s)
• Conduct exit interviews; share findings as suitable and take follow-up actions as needed

Provide support to Regional HR Managers

• In coordination with the Manager of the HR Business Partnering Unit, provide proactive advice and support to Regional HR Managers on HR programs and policies, HR processes and procedures, HR best practices, and organizational changes as needed
• Provide support in case of major emergencies by coordinating the deployment of emergency staff in cooperation with Disaster Management Service Dept.

Contribute to build an effective, high quality HR Department, by:

• Ensuring excellent collaboration with HR colleagues and contributing to their professional development as suitable
• Participating in the development of a customer service-oriented culture that values proactivity, continuous improvement, innovation, and high performance.

Education

Required:

• Advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent), in HR management or another related field. A combination of a university degree and extensive related experience may be accepted in place of an advanced university degree.

Preferred:

• Professional HR qualification.

Experience

Required:

• At least 7 years working experience, out of which at least 5 years of HR generalist experience
• Demonstrated HR professional experience in an international, matrix organization (IO, NGO, corporate)
• Solid track of managing and supporting diverse and multicultural teams
• At least 3 years OD and change management experience
• Experience with Business Partnering, performance and talent management

Preferred:

• RC/RC or other humanitarian field working experience

  Knowledge, skills and languages

Required:

• Demonstrated mentoring, consulting, and coaching skills
• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills
• Global and cultural effectiveness
• Excellent Organization and Planning skills
• Well-developed networking and relationship management abilities
• Excellent influencing skills
• Fluent spoken and written English

Preferred:

• Good working knowledge of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic) Competencies and values

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability

Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust Comments

Additional requirement:

For operational reasons, this position may be classified as rotatable across regions and/or to headquarters in Geneva. The incumbent may be also required to undertake missions to large-scale humanitarian operations.

Please submit your application to IFRCjobs