job
Head of People Business Partnering
UNOPSUnited NationsHuman ResourcesSenior LevelStaff - IP - FTA
Explore more
Full Description
**Job Highlight**
Contribute to shaping the future of HR business partnering and service line excellence at UNOPS.
**Job Specific Context**
UNOPS is transitioning to a service line-driven operating model, reinforcing accountability for delivery, strengthening operational performance, and enabling scalable, high-impact service provision to partners.
This shift requires a fundamental repositioning of HR - from a support function to a core driver of service line performance and organizational effectiveness. Within this model, Regional People Business Partners are embedded within service lines as strategic enablers of delivery; Centres of Expertise (CoEs) provide integrated, solution-oriented services aligned to business needs; and the Head of People Business Partnering ensures coherence, consistency and performance across the partnering function globally.
The role is critical in ensuring that people strategies are not only aligned with business priorities but actively drive delivery capacity, efficiency, and sustainable growth across service lines.
**Role Purpose**
The Head of People Business Partnering leads the global People Business Partnering function, ensuring it operates as a high-performing, business-aligned capability that directly enables service line delivery, operational excellence, organizational impact and strategic human capital management.
In terms of service line delivery, the role acts as a critical integrator, ensuring that people strategies are embedded across the full lifecycle of services UNOPS provides to partners—from planning and pipeline development to execution. By establishing rigorous feedback loops and partner-facing insights, the role informs adjustments in service design and pricing, ensuring HR expertise directly supports the organization’s ability to deliver timely, cost-effective, and high-impact solutions.
Simultaneously, the role serves as a high-level architect for people partnering and talent management, acting as a trusted advisor to senior leadership to drive superior organizational performance. This involves developing strategies that enforce leadership accountability and depth, and translating global people policies into value-adding outcomes tailored to diverse operating contexts. The incumbent is accountable for positioning Regional People Partners as strategic advisors who enhance leadership effectiveness and organizational design, ensuring the global talent landscape is optimized for long-term impact.
As steward of the People Business Partnering function at UNOPS, the Head of People Business Partnering plays a critical role in coordinating with the wider PCG leadership team to translate global people policies, programmes and initiatives into practical, value-adding outcomes tailored to diverse operating contexts.
The role may be required to travel from time to time.
**Functions / Key Results Expected**
1. Strategic Leadership
• Define and drive the global strategy for People Business Partnering, positioning it as a core enabler of service line delivery, operational performance, and sustainable growth.
• Ensure alignment between people strategies and UNOPS strategic priorities, service line objectives, and delivery targets
• Establish a clear operating model for People Partnering which enables scalability, consistency and impact across regions.
• Lead, guide and hold Regional People Partners accountable for delivering high-impact, business-aligned partnering which enables service line success.
• Build the capability of the People Partnering function to operate as strategic co-owners of organizational performance, not solely HR advisors
• Establish performance metrics for People Business Partnering that measure contribution to delivery outcomes, workforce effectiveness, and organizational impact.
2. Service Line Performance
• With service line owners, establish a formal service viability analysis process, providing robust analysis of technical skills and talent availability before agreements are finalized.
• As a member of the Practice owner’s team, position the People Business Partnering team to proactively advise on optimal organizational structures, talent acquisition, contractual modalities, and realistic resourcing timelines to ensure service delivery remains on the agreed timetable.
• Lead on advising on and supporting the structured onboarding of new partners and service line personnel, ensuring alignment with organizational standards and specific partner expectations.
• Lead on identifying systemic workforce risks across service and ensure proactive mitigation to protect delivery timelines and quality
• Collaborate with global leadership to tailor and package HR service line offerings that align with specific regional demands, ensuring UNOPS services are fit-for-purpose and contextually relevant.
3. People Partnering and Talent Management
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, architecting talent management strategies that enforce lea
Sign up free to get the apply link, save to pipeline, and set email alerts.
Sign up free →