Call for Interest: Chief, People Operations & Policy Unit (6-11 month assignment)

Position details

• Job ID: 38786
• Organizational unit: People and Culture Division
• Grade: P-5
• Appointment: Regular
• Schedule: Full-Time
• Assignment duration: 6-11 months
• Application deadline: 11/10/2026 (Rome time)

Organizational Setting

This call is advertised as a short-term opportunity with a duration of 6-11 months and expected to start shortly after selection.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and advocates at the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation.

The Corporate Services Department (CSD) provides IFAD with the human resources, administrative services, safety and security, information technology resources, and medical support services required to allow IFAD to meet its objectives of enabling rural people overcome poverty. CSD is led by an Associate Vice-President, CSD, is comprised of three (3) divisions: People and Culture Division (PCD), Information and Communications Technology Division (ICT), Management Services Division (MSD) and one unit: the Health & Wellness Unit (HWU).

The People and Culture Division (PCD) provides high quality HR expertise, nurturing a culture of excellence and contributing towards an inclusive and diverse workplace where People come first. It is a strategic, business-oriented and trusted partner for IFAD managers and staff across the globe. It supports corporate initiatives aimed at implementing key HR processes at the organizational level and developing a shared Workplace Culture based on IFAD's core values. PCD is led by a Divisional Director, and is comprised of three (3) units: the Strategic Partnering and Talent Acquisition Unit (SPTA), the Talent Management Unit (TMU), and the People Operations and Policy (POP) unit.

The POP unit designs and develops HR Policy architecture, regulations and best practices and is responsible for overall management of people operations - including HR services, benefits and entitlements and social security - overseeing pension and insurance administration. Additionally, the Unit is also responsible for the development of PCD's Technology architecture and roadmap to support integrated HR and talent management processes. The Unit manages and oversees the monthly HR payroll, ensuring the accuracy, maintenance, and integrity of HR systems and staffing data. Furthermore, it plays a key role in designing, developing, and publishing reliable corporate staffing and workforce data and analytics to support the organization's corporate strategy and decision-making.

Job Role

The HR Manager whose level of seniority and professionalism allows the incumbent to provide technical leadership in one or more of the HR specialties and commensurate expert advisory services on policy development, implementation and administration. 
Within the areas of responsibility, the HR Manager exercise a high degree of independence in providing reliable HR programme delivery. HR managers perform the full complexity range of HR work independently, including the analysis and approval of complex and/or precedent setting cases with the aim to ensure consistency in the interpretation and application of regulations and rules.

Position Specifics:

The POP Unit provides overall expert advice and guidance to the organization and the staff on HR Policy architecture and HR regulations and practices. It also leads the social security function, managing and administering the pension and insurance functions. POP is also responsible for the development of the HR Division Technology architecture and roadmap that will support integrated HR and talent management processes. In addition, the Unit is responsible for the management and oversight of the monthly HR payroll and for the update, maintenance and integrity of HR systems and staffing data. POP is also responsible for the design, development and publication of reliable and consistent corporate staffing and workforce data and analytics in support of the organization corporate strategy and decision-making. The Chief, POP leads corporate initiatives and technology innovations related to HR management, HR Policy design, HR/IT architecture and overarching best-practice reforms. The incumbent constantly works to

• Align PCD`s operations and structure to the changing institutional vision, designing the roadmap of the HR function and the divisional strategic priorities as agreed with IFAD Senior Management, designing divisional strategic objectives and monitoring compliance;

• Leads the HR corporate reporting function, contributing to IFAD planning, replenishment and risk management efforts;

• Delivers full range of HR services for all the above integrated HR operations.

The Chief also serves as Secretary to IFAD Staff Pension Committee.

Key Functions and Results

1. HUMAN RESOURCES ADVOCATE: HR Managers ensure PCD's reputation as a value-added, technically competent, and reliable service provider as part of the Division`s strategy. Based on expert knowledge of the Fund's governing structure, mandate, long-term business strategy, organizational dynamics and culture, HR Managers advocate and implement new or revised HR policies, procedures and initiatives. They proactively advocate to managers, supervisors and staff, listening and responding effectively and efficiently to policy and other HR-related issues, and build relationships based on respect and trust. They develop, advise and implement decisions in their HR management domain. From the perspective of a value for diversity and respect for a multi-cultural client base, HR Managers demonstrate communication skills that serve to promote the Division's strategy and the equitable management of IFAD staff. They establish and maintain open communications with counterparts in other UN and International Financial Institutions (IFI) organizations to promote discussions on common policy issues. 

2. AGENT OF CHANGE: HR Manager's understand and apply the principles of change management and proactively serve as a role model for transformation and capacity for acceptance of change. They use a solid knowledge of information technology to analyse and promote acceptance of new methods of work and effective communication skills to persuade and influence managers, supervisors and staff to adopt change. Going beyond acceptance to change in methods and technology tools the incumbents manage change through consultations with IFAD senior management, HR management and colleagues and outreach to client management, supervisors and staff to establish and maintain collaborative, open and regular communications pertaining to current and planned changes in HR strategy, policies, regulations and rules. They explain the scope and ramifications of proposed HR initiatives, promoting understanding of their purpose and functional advantages.

3. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: HR Managers are accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources.

This includes:

• Resource Management by providing strategic and data inputs into the divisional budget preparation exercises and execution, development of long-term and annual work plans, and overseeing accountability of material resources assigned to the Division.

• Knowledge and Content Management by ensuring (1) HR knowledge content is continuously updated and available, (2) best practices are continuously identified, documented and distributed and (3) appropriate and up-to-date information and learning tools are available to the Fund's managers, supervisors and staff.

• Information Technology Management through leveraging ERP functionality and providing strategic inputs to innovative IT systems for improved HR business results, simplification of transactions and reporting processes and improved client services.

Position Specifics:

4. HR STRATEGIC PLANNING AND DESIGN OF CORPORATE INITIATIVES: The Chief, POP: (a) focuses on strategic planning and high-level outreach on IFAD's approach and policies for human resource management.  (b) leads corporate initiatives and technology innovations related to IFAD HR management, HR Policy design, HR/IT architecture and overarching best-practice reforms.  (c) designs the HR strategic objectives in line with IFAD HR corporate and workforce priorities according to corporate organizational objectives.  (d) leads and is accountable for the management of the divisional corporate reporting function, working with senior leaders and substantially contributing to IFAD short, medium and long term planning, replenishment efforts and reporting, as well as corporate risk management exercises. The incumbent provides strategic and data inputs into the divisional budget preparation exercises and resource planning, and reports to the Director on the efficient use of divisional and corporate financial resources.

5. HR POLICY DESIGN AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING: The Chief, POP is responsible for the analysis and definition of new and existing policy and procedure in line with the global HR policy architecture of the UN Common System and IFI and leads the modernization of HR policies, practices and procedures and the systemic sharing of HR knowledge. The incumbent is responsible for the design and the provision of senior management advice and guidance, as well as technical leadership on overarching HR policies, regulations and rules. The Chief supports HR best practices by representing the Fund in inter-agency and international for a, seminars and workshops and sharing innovative solutions to common HR policy issues and concerns, ensuring IFAD's perspective and client needs are included in evolving policies. 

6. HR PROJECT MANAGEMENT: The Chief POP leads the development of the HR Division Technology strategy and roadmap to support integrated HR and innovative talent management processes, deploying a technology solution that integrates people, processes, data and intelligence from corporate and satellite systems and databases, and provides workforce analytics and tools. The incumbent is responsible for the identification and leadership of new HR projects contributing to process streamlining, cost efficiency and effective decentralization. The Chief POP:

• Undertakes a stocktaking exercise of the existing IT environment and conceptualizes the global HR architecture in terms of IT, in liaison with the ICT Division; 

• Analyses and defines the systemic impact of any new system within the IFAD IT strategy; 

• Manages and oversees the integrity and maintenance of HR data, the provision of strategic workforce analytics and manages the monthly HR payroll; 

• Proposes HR data metrics reporting for management to use as a tool for strategic and predictive workforce planning, designs new reports to support Management and Member States and UN System entities and revises statistical data for CEB, IFAD Annual Report, and UNJSPF. The Chief POP manages the pension and insurance functions in IFAD supervising the provision of expert advice and guidance to the organization and the staff on social security strategy, regulations and practices.

Key Performance Indicators

The impact of HR Managers' assignment is both conceptual and managerial covering not only such matters as planning, resource management, control of implementation and evaluation of programmes as well as the review and harmonization of the technical work of HR Specialists, but also concerning the positions adopted at inter-agency meetings or the advice provided to senior management on HR policy questions. Another major activity of the position is the development of new, as well as the adaptation of existing HR policies and practices that have Fund-wide impact. This extends beyond technical specialization and includes the analysis and evaluation of the positive and negative aspects of courses of action designed to solve IFAD-wide HR problems. Additional complexity  is based on:

• The need to integrate HR technical requirements with the programme, political and resource needs of the Fund,

• The responsibility for convincing senior management of the need for major changes or revisions to HR policies and programmes and for assessing the effects of such changes on the Fund

• The complexities of maintaining good staff relations on the one hand, and on the other of ensuring that the Organization's needs and interests are safeguarded in negotiations with staff representatives.

The key performance indicators (KPI) for HR Managers include leadership in policy analysis and development, strategic recommendations of a managerial nature and decisions on major operational questions concerning the approach to the delivery of HR programmes or on policy questions requiring the approval of the PCD Director. 
As a supervisor, the HR Manager guides, coaches, empowers and shares the vision to its staff. The KPI are performance excellence of staff working in a team and their continuous commitment to learning and development.

Position Specifics:

The Chief POP ensures that HR Policy architecture and HR regulations and practices reflect state-of-the-art modern and flexible policies, efficiently implemented and communicated, providing overall expert advice and guidance to the organization and the staff on. 
The corporate social security function is managed and administered effectively in coordination with staff and pension and insurance providers. 
An innovative and modern HR technology architecture and roadmap is developed for the HR Division in support of integrated HR and talent management processes. 
The corporate monthly HR payroll is managed and oversighted smoothly for the update, maintenance and integrity of HR systems and staffing data. 
Reliable and consistent corporate staffing and workforce data and analytics in support of the organization corporate strategy, reporting and decision-making is impeccably designed, developed and published. 

Working Relationships

Internally, HR Managers provide expert advice to senior management on a range of HRM questions and have the authority to negotiate solutions on sensitive or complex HR problems with client managers and staff representatives. Contacts extend to all levels of the Fund up to and including the Office of the President and Vice-President to provide policy advice and with all functional areas in order to consult and resolve HR matters.
External contacts are established with representatives of governing body for the purpose of discussing questions of HR policy in official documents. Contacts with heads of PCD units in other organizations of the common system are also established for the purpose of obtaining information on HR policy approaches. Contacts with interagency bodies such as ICSC, CEB, etc. are on matters of importance in the Fund and involve presenting the IFAD's policy position on HR issues.

Position Specifics:

Contacts with heads of HR units in other organizations of the common system and IFI are established for obtaining information on HR policy approaches, staffing indicators, data and analytics benchmarking, HR/IT innovations sharing, pension and insurance knowledge sharing. Contacts with interagency bodies such as ICSC, CEB, etc. are on matters of importance in the Fund and involve presenting the IFAD`s position on HR policy, data, payroll and social security issues.

Job Profile Requirements

Organizational Competencies:

Level 2:

• Building relationships and partnerships - Builds and maintains strategic partnerships internally and externally
• Communicating and negotiating - Acquires & uses a wide range of communication styles & skills
• Demonstrating leadership - Leads by example; initiates and supports change
• Focusing on clients - Contributes to a client-focused culture
• Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating - Challenges, innovates & contributes to learning culture
• Managing performance and developing staff - Manages wider teams with greater impact on others and on the organization
• Managing time, resources and information - Coordinates wider use of time, information and/or resources
• Problem-solving and decision-making - Solves complex problems and makes decisions that have wider corporate impact
• Strategic thinking and organizational development - Staff in management and/or strategic leadership roles
• Team working - Fosters a cohesive team environment

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master or equivalent) - Human Resources Management, Public Administration, Business Management or other job related field.

(*) Note:  For internal candidates, this requirement will be assessed in line with the provisions set forth in IFAD's Human Resources Implementing Procedures. 

Experience:

• At least ten (10) years of progressively relevant experience is required. 
• Experience in human resources management preferably in the United Nations or an international financial institution of which three (3) years experience in leading teams or supervising HR Analysts, Officers and specialists is highly desirable.

Certifications:

• CIPD accreditation or equivalent is an asset

Languages:

• English (4 - Excellent)
• French, Spanish, and/or Arabic an asset (3 - Good)

Skills:

• Budgeting, resource management: Know-how in budget administration and accounting, resource allocation and planning at divisional level
• Analytical skills: Outstanding ability to analyse and synthesize qualitative and/or quantitative information from a variety of sources and filter out key insights and recommendations
• Data management: Data collection, cleaning, transformation and consolidation; data-base architecture & development; data presentation
• Project coordination: Identification of key-priorities, ability to work with others, coordinate and structure work to meet deadlines and adjustment of workplan/resource allocation when needed, identification and management of project-related risks
• Risk management (e.g. reputational): Identification and assessment of potential liabilities and risks in IFAD's activities, particularly vis-à-vis third parties; ability to handle risks via contingency and mitigation strategies
• Stakeholder management: Strong alignment capabilities and consultation skills, building on effective interactions and relationships with different stakeholders (e.g. for the co-creation of communication material with member states) and ability to build and maintain a strong network (e.g. with journalists, media outlets, etc.)
• Strategy implementation: Ability to lead and manage the development and implementation of medium to longer-term strategies for IFAD / for respective divisions
• Diversity & inclusion dynamics: Expertise in diversity & inclusion dynamics applications in human resources
• HR knowledge: Expertise in principles and concepts of human resources management, including HR business partnering and client outreach, job classification
• HR systems: Know-how in the design and management of HR systems and tools (e.g. learning platforms, performance platforms, etc.)
• Performance management: Expertise in performance management methodologies and strategies
• Policies and procedures: Know-how in design, advisory and interpretation expertise in HR policies and procedures, such as payroll and staff regulations (e.g. pensions schemes, benefits and entitlements, social services etc.)
• Workforce management: Know-how in organizational development and design and strategic workforce planning
• Basic ICT & digital fluency: Expertise relevant to the specific role (e.g. in-depth, computer information systems, including micro-computer operating systems software, hardware and applications software and other office technology equipment), end-user computing configuration management
• Change management: Role modelling, anticipation of key risks & conflicts and formulation of contingency plans/solutions, action-oriented
• Confidentiality & Discretion: Establishes self and division as trusted advisor to internal stakeholders by maintaining high level of discretion and confidentiality in assignments; demonstrates sound judgement when dealing with sensitive and/or confidential matters; drives good governance and is a "Culture Carrier" demonstrating IFAD institutional conscience through his/her work.
• Corporate approach: Ability to bring in corporate vision and priorities into one's area of work (e.g. budgeting going beyond simple budgetary considerations, taking into account strategic priorities)
• Integrity and ethics: Strong emphasis on acting with honesty, not tolerating unethical behaviour, demonstrating equity, impartiality and sensitivity in exercising authority and interacting with staff, and other  stakeholders. Conduct must be guided by IFAD core values, the Code of conduct and a high sense of ethics.
• Leadership: Group thought leader, sought out by others and providing mentorship and effective guidance to others; Ability to build trust, inside and outside the organization by acting as a role model for IFAD's core values and competencies, and to provide a clear sense of direction, mentorship and effective guidance to the team, strategizing the IFAD's goals, giving the vision, empowering the team and ensuring a positive environment for all.
• Verbal communication: Clear, succinct and convincing verbal communication; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language
• Written communication: Clear, succinct and convincing written communication in the language needed for specific role; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language (e.g. for drafting of position papers, briefings, etc.)

Other Information

This call is advertised as a short-term opportunity with a duration of 6-11 months and expected to start shortly after selection. Should an external candidate (including consultants and staff members not meeting the IFAD HR Implementing Procedures definition of 'internal') be selected, the contract type would be that of a Temporary Professional Officer  (TPO). In the event an IFAD staff member, holding a Fixed Term contract be selected, the movement would be implemented as a Temporary Assignment through the applicable provisions. Applicants should verify and obtain their supervisors' support to be released. This is a short-term contract. The appointment of a short-term staff member carries no expectation of continuous employment or conversion to any other type of appointment with IFAD.

Applicants should note that IFAD staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the President of IFAD. In accordance with IFAD's Human Resources Policy, the President can decide to assign them to any of the activities of the Fund. All International Professional staff members are required to be geographically mobile and positions in the professional category are subject to changes in location at any time in line with strategic priorities and reform initiatives in IFAD.

IFAD is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on ethnic, social, or political background, colour, nationality, religion, age, gender, disability, marital status, family size, or sexual orientation. This is in line with our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy and our Policy to prevent and respond to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please refer to the UN disability-inclusive language guidelines.

Please be aware of fraudulent job offers. IFAD does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process. Official communication from IFAD will always come from e-mails ending in @ifad.org.

In accordance with IFAD's provisions, all new staff members will normally be placed at the first step in the grade level for which they have been selected. For information on IFAD's remuneration package, please visit IFAD's compensation and benefits page on our website. Applicants are invited to use the ICSC compensation calculator to estimate the salary and benefit entitlements.

Candidates may be required to deliver a presentation as well as participate in interviews.

In the interest of making most cost-effective use of funds and resources, we are only able to respond to applicants who are short-listed for interview. Candidates who do not receive any feedback within three months should consider their application unsuccessful.