HR Specialist - Learning and Development

The People and Culture Group (PCG) positions UNOPS as a people-centered, high-performing organization by driving the development of HR policies, talent frameworks, and inclusive practices aligned with the strategic plan. Through the Integrated People Strategy, PCG empowers personnel, fosters an engaging and inclusive work culture, and enables the delivery of sustainable development solutions. Partnering closely with UNOPS leadership, PCG delivers on the organization’s People Goals—shaping culture, nurturing leaders, enabling flexibility and fairness, building future-ready teams, and setting people up for success. Core capabilities include strategic HR partnering, policy integration, and process simplification through digitization. PCG prioritizes leadership development, workforce diversity, personnel well-being, and innovation in HR practices. By focusing on culture transformation and talent excellence, PCG ensures that UNOPS remains agile, equitable, and capable of delivering results in complex operational environments.

PCG Learning team oversees the UNOPS global portfolio of learning programmes in close cooperation with the different technical/functional areas and the regions. The Learning Specialist positions will focus on the programmes and initiatives covering specific learning needs identified in specific regions and/or functional areas.

The Learning Specialists will work in close collaboration with different HQ Units and/or Regions identifying learning needs, leading, designing and delivering specific learning interventions. The role requires engaging with various internal and external stakeholders globally.

The role is expected to work independently to provide specialist expertise and advice on a wide range of learning matters and to partner with organizational units to achieve desired learning outcomes. The organizational unit is based in Copenhagen; however, we are open to considering applicants who are willing to be based in other locations where UNOPS maintains a country or regional presence, provided that situating the role there would be advantageous for the organization.

Under the supervision of the Head of Learning and Development, the incumbent will be working together with PCG, regional and HQ stakeholders to coordinate and/or support the assigned initiatives.

In general terms the incumbent will:

● Design and develop strategies for conducting learning needs analysis of target audiences

● Coordinate and connect regional and HQ stakeholders with internal and external Subject Matter Experts and policy owners, ensuring alignment and coordinated efforts

● Provide advice and guidance on corporate and regional learning plans

● Lead organizational learning projects, with a primary focus on leadership development programmes, ensuring timely delivery and budget management.

● Coordinate procurement processes, market research, and vendor management

● Leverage opportunities for joint efforts across regions and within all levels of the organization

● Provide guidance and technical advice on instructional design, pedagogy, etc. to specific initiatives 

1. Learning Coordination for Global Programmes

● Provide expert advice on conducting learning needs analysis and strategies on how to elaborate the annual learning plan for a specific region or HQ unit.

● Provide expert guidance to the regional offices to select the right target audiences for the different learning opportunities.

● Act as project lead for organizational learning projects, with a primary focus on leadership development programmes, including ensuring timely delivery and budget management

● Evaluate impact of selected global learning programmes

● Coordinate and connect with internal and external Subject Matter Experts and policy owners ensuring alignment and coordinated efforts

● Provide guidance to the regions and HQ units to implement global learning initiatives.

2. Project planning and coordination support

● Responsible for planning and delivery of specific learning programmes in coordination with the Subject Matter experts and/or external providers.

● Provide guidance and technical advice on instructional design, pedagogy, etc. to specific initiatives

● Support the implementation of learning courses and programmes following UNOPS standards in coordination with PCG support team

● Synthesize evaluation data, draw conclusions and directly communicate the impact of the specific learning activity to the Head of Learning and relevant stakeholders 

● Keep all stakeholders involved informed on progress and results 

3. Procurement and vendor management

● Keep updated on state of the art external learning providers in different areas, with a primary focus on leadership development

● Identify specific areas where long term agreements should be put in place.

● Define requirements and/or specifications for learning services to be required externally.

● Manage procurement process for learning related activities and ensure timely and efficient use of learning resources. Advise HQ units and regions on the selection of external providers for specific initiatives.

● Evaluate and report on vendors’ performance

4. Knowledge Management

● Leverage opportunities for joint efforts across regions

● Identify best practices/lessons learnt and share across regions

● Conduct knowledge sharing sessions and exchanges

5. Support UNOPS Corporate Learning and Development

● Support the Learning Team in continuously improve UNOPS learning processes and standards

● Collect and disseminate input from the regions and HQ units

● Provide technical input to diverse learning programmes

● Contribute to knowledge sharing across inter-agancy groups

● Provide input, feedback and technical expertise to the different learning projects.

Required

• Advanced University degree (Masters or equivalent) in relevant discipline. Preferably Human Resources management, Business Administration, social or behavioral sciences.

  Or a First University degree in related fields combined with 7 years of relevant experience.

Required

• A minimum of 5 years of professional-level experience, including Project Management and Corporate Learning & Development in an international and multi cultural environment.

• . 

Desired

• Experience working with external training providers is highly desired.

  Experience with leadership development programmes is desirable.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.