Senior Project Associate (Business Process), GS-7, Business Innovation & Support section, UNICEF Global Shared Services Centre, Budapest, Hungary

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, a calling

We are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do.  Promoting the rights of every child is not a job, it’s a calling. 

UNICEF’s Global Shared Services Centre (GSSC) in Budapest, Hungary provides services to UNICEF offices globally in the areas of Finance, Human Resources, Payroll and Information Technology. For more information about GSSC please visit our webpage at and check this Global Shared Services Centre (GSSC) and check this YouTube video.

The BIS section supports staff globally and works closely with all HQ Divisions, regional and country offices for simplification and automation of processes applying LEAN principles and project management methodologies. It combines business experience, technical skills, and project management, distributed around five streams: Digital and Data Innovation, Business Process Innovation, Customer Support Services, Knowledge Management, Release/Demand Management

How can you make a difference? 

The GSSC BIS team is looking for a self-motivated, results-driven individual who can work independently and contribute to the integration of strategical initiatives, process, technology, and information changes to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve benefits. It is a collaboration with the business and technical teams to define business problems, translating them into functional specifications to support the successful implementation of the process improvements proposed, including technical solutions.

This will involve:

• Analyze and evaluate business processes to identify inefficiencies and potential opportunities for improvement, applying appropriate methodologies; recommend changes to business processes and system design.
• Work closely with the business teams to constantly stay abreast of current policies, process changes and practices, and leverage this information in the identification of business problems and the optimization of business processes.
• Partner with the technical teams on the design of system solutions proposed to identified business problem Analyze and evaluate business processes to identify inefficiencies and potential opportunities for improvement s and ensure that system changes are implemented in line with user expectations and in compliance with policy requirements.
• Participate in the continuous improvement of business processes by collecting feedback on issues and enhancement proposals from operational teams and support the sprint management activities for a timely delivery of system changes.
• Support the project management function with participation in project groups and meetings, documentation of the business analyst activities and timely completion of assigned tasks.
• Collaborate with all stakeholders to evaluate the requirements of business initiatives prioritized and ensure that significant business problems are formulated and responded to.
• Prepare functional specifications for system changes in scope of business initiatives working closely with business and technical counterparts.
• Evaluate the solutions proposed by the technical teams and assess the impact and benefits on business processes.
• Support system developments with business expertise, bridging the business teams with the technical teams.
• Create test plans for the validation of system changes and coordinate user testing.
• Support the release and change management functions with process expertise for an optimal implementation of changes.

For further information, please review the complete Job Description HERE 

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Completion of Secondary education (High School Diploma) is required, supplemented with formal courses in Finance / Human Resources /Business Administration/ International Studies/or equivalent specialized training is an asset.
• Work Experience: A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant work experience in Human Resources Administration, Finance or Payroll is required, preferably with the UN or other international organization. Minimum 4 years of relevant work experience is required for candidates with completed bachelor’s degree. A relevant master’s degree replaces an additional two years of experience.
• Strong working knowledge of any ERP system-HR/ Finance module is required.
• Working knowledge of the Microsoft Suite of Products (including MS Word, MS Excel & MS PowerPoint) is required.
• Experience in project planning and collaboration with project stakeholders is desirable.
• Work experience in a Shared Service Centre context is an asset.
• Knowledge of UN/UNICEF’S rules, regulations and procedures is an asset.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in both spoken and written English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

Internal applicants from GSSC are required to complete the Learning Path corresponding to their current level before applying for another position. Additionally, they must attach a snapshot of the completed path to their applications. Applications that do not meet these two minimum requirements will not be considered. For further details on learning paths, please visit the L&D Portal  Learning in the GSSC (sharepoint.com).    

As an advocate for every child, you will receive

• UNICEF offers an attractive remuneration package including a tax-free salary starting net HUF 957,597 per month. Please check SalCalcLocal (undp.org) for simulation.
• Holidays and leave, including 30 days of annual leaves per year
• Parental leave
• Dependency allowance
• United Nations sponsored medical insurance plan
• Pension plan
• Optional life insurance plan
• Access to professional development and learning programs, online learning and learning path
• Access to staff well-being support
• Access to career development support

Please visit Compensation and Benefit site on UNICEF Career page

Applicants must be nationals of Hungary or other EU/Schengen country OR in the possession of a valid long-term Hungarian residency and work permit. Temporary and/or sponsored visas are not accepted. UNICEF GSSC does not facilitate MFA accreditation for locally recruited staff, applicants must be holders of acceptable permits already at the time of application. Please attach a copy of your work permit (if applicable) and also does not facilitate the issuance, maintenance, renewal, extension, or conversion of the candidate’s residency and/or work permit for employment purposes.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility jobs-near-me.org UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable [Insert candidates from targeted underrepresented groups] are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.