Senior Officer, HR Advisory Services (HR Business Partner)

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies. The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination (NSDOC); (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization (GRHDD); and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services (MPSCS).

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

This position is based in Budapest, Hungary and provides support to the Regional Office for Europe and Global Services Centre (GSC). The GSC is a centralized support hub focusing on IT infrastructure, Supply Chain and Logistics, Digital and ERP Management and HR Shared Services.

Under the supervision of the Regional HR Manager, the Senior Officer, HR Advisory Services (HR Business Partner), provides advice and guidance on local legislation, IFRC Regulations and compliance and to develop and adapt IFRC policies to the local needs.

In a spirit of partnership and with a client-oriented approach, the incumbent provides managers, staff and colleagues with comprehensive, reliable, consistent, and balanced HR advice and seeks to resolve employee relations issues upfront.

Moreover, the Senior Officer (HR BP) is the HR focal point for the Global Shared Service Centre.

HR Policies, Processes and Procedures

• Support the application and implementation of various local and IFRC HR policies, procedures, labor law standards and government regulations to management and employees.
• Review and update guidelines and procedures and support their implementation (e.g., revising national staff rules in Hungary and regulations of the IFRC in close cooperation with the IFRC HR Department).
• Inform, guide, and advise managers and staff on HR policies, processes and procedures and ensure compliance with these by pointing out the legal and financial risks and other possible consequences of non-compliance.
• Draft and deliver individual standard or non-standard documents for the HR sector, as required.
• Build relationships with managers and staff and be a trusted source of information for all HR related matters.

Talent Sourcing and Acquisition

• Manage end-to-end recruitment processes by providing support in drafting job descriptions, identifying job requirements, grading positions, shortlisting candidates for interviews, participating in recruitment panels, calculating remuneration offers, performing background checks and conducting relevant negotiations with selected candidates.
• Participate in the implementation of strategies aimed at maintaining the highest standards of integrity, candidate diversity as well as fairness and transparency in the Recruitment and Selection process.
• Advise hiring managers on the engagement of different categories of IFRC personnel, including interns, volunteers, consultants, Staff on Loan (SoL) and IFRC staff.
• Advise the Regional HR team and other field-based colleagues on resource planning, talent acquisition strategies, and HR best practices.
• Deliver training on various aspects of recruitment and selection, including unconscious bias, competency-based interviewing and writing of job descriptions.
• Foster long-term relationships with past applicants and potential candidates

Employee Relations

• Advise management and staff on complex contractual matters and on the application of HR policies and Staff Regulations.
• Refer managers and/or staff to coaches and/or stress counsellors/health officer, as needed.
• Facilitate the enforcement of workplace policies and practices.
• Ensure a working environment which encourages managers and staff to perform well and to observe high standards of conduct.
• Support various GSC and Regional teams to resolve difficult issues arising from the workplace with the help of these policies.
• Conduct one-on-one exit interviews, gather data, identify trends, and formulate recommendations based on findings.

HR Systems and External Relations

• Act as focal point for all existing HR systems and in collaboration with the global systems support team recommend and implement changes related to the Europe Region and Global Services Centre.
• Plan and coordinate HR services tenders for the Europe Region and the Global Services Centre, be the contract owner and technical advisor for framework agreements and service contracts (e.g., payroll services, temporary staffing, etc.).
• Maintain and build strategic supplier relationships (e.g., payroll services, temporary staffing, etc.).

Performance Management

• Plan, coordinate, and manage the Performance Development Process and Plan (PDP) in the region, provide information and training sessions for staff and managers, and answer employee and management questions.
• Advise and support staff and managers in carrying out performance discussions as needed.
• Work proactively with managers to identify staff performance gaps and relevant development needs and define appropriate training and development plans and actions as well as liaise with the HR learning and development specialist to understand training opportunities. Guide managers on the communication and implementation of performance improvement and development plans.
• Monitor access and completion rates of PDP; report regularly to Management on such rates, suggest strategies for improving completion rates.

Staff Well-Being

• Oversee the regional IFRC psycho-social program; propose initiatives to strengthen awareness around wellbeing.
• Contribute to the development of policies that promote staff well-being.
• Liaise with the Global Senior Officer, Staff Health and Well-being and other relevant stakeholders on staff well-being related issues and initiatives as needed

HR Business Partnering

• Provide guidance as a trusted advisor to management within assigned Unit(s), offering insights and solutions to enhance employee engagement and productivity.
• Contribute to and manage the implementation of change management initiatives, helping staff and leaders navigate organizational transitions effectively.
• Provide guidance as a trusted advisor on complex employee relations issues and concerns, resolving conflicts, promoting a positive work environment and culture of open communication.
• Promote a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
• Collaborate with managers to understand HR priorities and goals and develop an implementation plan aligned with organizational priorities.
• Build compliance by giving advice and recommendations to managers on rules and regulations, and other legal requirements based on IFRC Regulations.

Contribution to the Building of an Effective, High-Quality, HR team

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of trends and best practices in HR for Hungary and wider Europe Region.
• Contribute to the continued improvement of regional HR metrics and their tracking to generate valuable information and facilitate decision making.
• Be actively involved in broader projects and policy development activities and contribute to wider process improvement initiatives.
• Ensure support in registering and updating master data in the organization’s HR systems.
• Provide back-up support in the absence of other team members.
• Liaise with the relevant HR counterparts at IFRC Headquarters on all aspects related to international employee life cycle and relevant best practices, discuss challenges and potential solutions, as needed.
• Provide HR support to the Region and Secretariat in emergency contexts.

Duties applicable to all staff
1.    Work actively towards the achievement of the IFRC Secretariat’s goals. 
2.    Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles.
3.    Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager.

Required

• University degree in HR or related field. A combination of a first-level university degree and extensive relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Preferred

• Professional HR qualification.
• Qualification or Certification Project Management

Required

• At least 5-7 years of relevant professional experience.
• Demonstrated HR professional experience in a multicultural, international, matrix organization (IO, NGO, corporate).
• Solid experience working with all aspect of employee management cycle.
• Experience in facilitating and supporting management/HR/admin personnel in HR related matters.

Preferred

• At least 3-5 years of HR generalist experience.
• Understanding of and experience of working with the International Federation/ICRC and/or the RCRC National Societies.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Required

• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of HR practices and professional credibility.
• Knowledge and experience in HR related legal issues.
• Excellent documentation skills for all HR related matters and excellent written and interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to work in a cross-cultural and cross-functional environment.
• Excellent organizational and planning skills.
• Analytical and strategic thinking and ability to translate it into practice. Solution oriented mindset.
• Well-developed networking and relationship management abilities.
• Excellent persuasive and influencing skills, Excellent customer service skills.
• High integrity, maturity, and discretion in handling confidential matters.
• Self-supporting in digital and software (MS Office Suite, internet, collaborative platforms, ERP for HR)

Preferred

• Demonstrated mentoring, consulting, and coaching skills.

LANGUAGES

Required

• Fluent spoken and written English and Hungarian.

Preferred

• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic).

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.