Project Manager (Transactional) - HR Services

Lead HR service delivery projects that drive operational excellence, strengthen client partnerships and deliver high-quality, people-focused solutions in a dynamic international environment. The role involves managing transactional HR services projects, ensuring timely and compliant delivery aligned with organizational standards and contractual commitments.

Responsibilities

• Develop, complete and update the project implementation plan.
• Implement the approved plan (including establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the Project Board.
• Embed sustainability dimensions, including social and gender considerations, and environmental and economic aspects, into the project life span.
• Manage the delivery of HR services, ensuring timely, client-focused and compliant implementation, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources while initiating corrective action where necessary.
• Ensure that quality of work packages and deliverables comply with the quality requirements defined in the implementation plan.
• Collaborate with relevant technical teams to ensure project activities are aligned with applicable HR policies, procedures and organizational standards, where relevant.
• Liaise with external suppliers or account managers to ensure quality and timely delivery of outputs.
• Manage acceptance and delivery of work packages.
• Monitor project progress, control project variances (if any), and manage changes.
• Identify, anticipate and advise senior management and the project board on mitigating measures against project risks to ensure that benefits to partners and other stakeholders are maximized.
• Identify and report potential opportunities for UNOPS to the supervisor.
• Comply with the organization’s policies and standards, and ensure project information is kept updated in project management systems.
• Ensure HR-related project documentation, personnel records and operational processes are maintained in accordance with applicable organizational policies and confidentiality requirements.
• Be aware of applicable local laws and regulations, and ensure adherence. This includes international regulations and standards, where applicable, as well as technical standards.
• Prepare and adapt all relevant plans for approval by the project board, and manage baselines.
• Manage the reporting obligations defined in the implementation plan and legal agreements.
• Maintain project documentation in an orderly manner for accessibility and audit support when needed.
• Understand and apply the UNOPS financial rules and regulations. Be accountable for the use of delegation of authority (where applicable) and ensure compliance with relevant policies and standards of ethics.
• Provide a formal handover of the project to the closure manager when applicable.
• Support project audit activities, including planning, preparation and coordination during audits and follow-up on audit observations/ recommendations.
• Monitor key service delivery indicators and operational performance, identifying trends, bottlenecks and opportunities to improve efficiency and quality of HR service delivery.
• Include a results framework and M&E plan in the project implementation plan with clearly defined indicators and agreed targets, ensure regular monitoring and tracking of project results.
• Prepare and issue regular project and financial reports in accordance with partner and UNOPS requirements for reporting.
• Regularly review project status and evaluate performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule, and quality)
• Maintain diaries and progress reports as required by UNOPS standard operating procedures.
• Provide routine oversight and analysis of delivery data within the dashboard system.
• Ensure all project team members track and regularly update milestones and targets for the duration of the project life span.
• Develop stakeholder engagement strategies and plans. Actively engage stakeholders, take feedback, and adjust as necessary.
• Establish solid working relationships with the project board (executive, senior users and senior suppliers); clients; and key stakeholders.
• Enable formulation of project communication plans and monitor effectiveness of project communications.
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective timing and interdependency management of communications. Ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress, and exceptions, and are in a position to accept handover outputs.
• Work with internal stakeholders to ensure projects comply with audit requirements.
• Work with procurement/ purchasing personnel to ensure effective interface with suppliers’ quality systems.
• Coordinate quality reviews of project documents and deliverables.
• Provide quality control for management outputs (e.g. project documents, reports, etc).
• Create a learning environment for the project team, encourage knowledge sharing and training to contribute to longer-term capacity building.
• Contribute to the standardization and continuous improvement of transactional HR processes, templates and guidance documents.
• Actively interact with the wider HR and project management (PM) communities, share case studies, lessons learned and best practices.
• Stay abreast with latest updates and good practices of the profession, participate in training and learning activities for self to advance proficiency and competency.
• Ensure lessons learned are shared in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Provide feedback to corporate practice groups on policy and systems, when needed.
• Provide feedback to functional groups on policies and related guidance to support the continuous improvement of UNOPS policy framework.
• Organise and structure the project team, ensure clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Provide regular guidance and direction, as needed, and support the team in effectively performing their tasks.
• Lead and motivate the project management team, and manage performance.
• Ensure performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately, and on time.
• Select, recruit, and train project teams as required, taking gender parity and diversity objectives into account.
• Ensure safety and security for all project personnel in compliance with the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) standards.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in human resources, business administration or other related field with 4 years of relevant experience OR Master’s degree (or equivalent) in human resources, business administration or other related field with 2 years of relevant experience is required.
• A globally or nationally recognized professional certificate in Human Resource Management (HRM) is an asset.
• A globally recognized professional certificate (e.g. PRINCE2, PMI, etc) or membership in Project Management is desired.
• Relevant experience is work in project management specific to HR processes or services, or experience in HR operations and/or business partnering.
• Experience in HR operations or HR service delivery is required.
• Experience in project planning and implementation is required.
• Experience managing multiple internal and external stakeholders is required.
• Experience leading or managing teams is required.
• Knowledge of project management software tools and applications is desired.
• Experience using automation, AI or data visualization tools to improve operational processes is desired.
• Fluent proficiency in English is required.
• Fluent proficiency in Urdu is required.

Skills

• Human Resources Management
• Project Management
• HR Operations
• HR Services Execution
• Project Planning
• Project Implementation
• Stakeholder Management
• Team Leadership
• Project Management Tools
• Automation Tools
• AI Tools Usage
• Data Visualization
• Business Partnering

Languages

English, Urdu