Secretariat jobs at OSCE, Vienna, Austria

Position Title: Director of the OSG/Deputy Head of the OSCE Secretariat

About OSCE

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world’s largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, promotion of human rights, freedom of the press, and fair elections. It employs around 3,460 people, mostly in its field operations but also in its secretariat in Vienna, Austria, and its institutions. It has its origins in the 1975 Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) held in Helsinki, Finland. The OSCE is concerned with early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management, and post-conflict rehabilitation. In overall, it has 57 members in Europe, northern and central Asia, and North America.

Duties and responsibilities

The incumbent will perform the following duties under the guidance of the Secretary-General

• Provide the Secretary-General with advice on the full range of his mandate, including complex and sensitive issues requiring action in relation to the functions, structure, and activities of the OSCE, including in support of the Chairmanship.
• Assist the Secretary-General in coordinating the work of other Departments; Chairing the Directors meeting in absence of the SG. Similarly, assist the Secretary-General in implementing sound financial management and performance-based programming budgeting organization-wide.
• Supervise the activities of all units in OSG, including policy analysis and planning, contacts with international and non-governmental organizations and with the OSCE Partners for Co-operation.
• Serve as a primary focal point for assistance to the Chairmanship-in-Office, i.e. preparing and following up on the regular OSCE Chairmanship, Troika, and bi-/multi-lateral meetings, as well as internal regular or ad-hoc coordination meetings.
• Assess and interprets major policy issues, procedures, and practices to improve the OSCE’s effectiveness and efficiency.
• Follow up on the implementation of instructions and decisions of the Secretary-General and relevant decisions of the participating States; establishing tasks for the Secretariat.
• Similarly, screening and commenting on proposals submitted for decision of the Secretary-General, as well as on texts of speeches and reports.
• Co-ordinates on horizontal issues impacting on the activities of the OSCE, in consultation with relevant actors within and outside the Secretariat; Coordinating the regular meetings with Directors of Institutions.
• Ensures that programmed activities are carried out in a timely, efficient and effective fashion.
• Furthermore, performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum qualifications

In order to be fit for the role, the incumbent must have the following qualifications

• Advanced university degree in political science, international relations, law, history, public administration or a related field. However, candidates with a bachelor degree with two years of additional qualifying experience can also apply.
• A minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience at the senior management and policy-making level, preferably in a governmental, intergovernmental or international organization;
• Extensive and broad management experience as well experience in the diplomatic service; political sensitivity, mature judgment, and strong analytical and negotiation skills.
• Good knowledge of the OSCE and its areas of activity.
• Strong interpersonal skills coupled with sound judgment and a high level of integrity.
• Ability to work in a complicated and complex political environment as well as the ability to manage a large span of control, e.g. to master a wide range of administrative and political issues simultaneously and to coordinate programs and plans of action.
• Ability to identify and analyze emerging problems and propose timely solutions. Also, the capacity and willingness to serve and support.
• Must be able to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of different national and cultural backgrounds, whilst remaining impartial and objective.
• Ability to provide leadership and motivation and also must be able to supervise a large team and to plan the work and manage organizational units involved in cross-cutting issues.
• Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, and an ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities.
• Professional fluency in English and at least one other OSCE working language, with excellent communication, drafting and editing skills.
• Ability to operate Windows applications including word processing, internet, and other software applications.