Background:

This position is open for secondment only and participating States are kindly reminded that all costs in relation to an assignment at the Secretariat must be borne by their authorities.

Candidates should, prior to applying, verify with their respective nominating authority to which extent financial remuneration and/or benefit packages will be offered. Seconded staff members in the OSCE Secretariat and Institutions are not entitled to a Board and Lodging Allowance payable by the Organization.

The OSCE has a comprehensive approach to security that encompasses politico-military, economic and environmental, and human aspects.

It therefore addresses a wide range of security-related concerns, including arms control, confidence- and security-building measures, human rights, combating human trafficking, national minorities, democratization, policing strategies, counter-terrorism and economic and environmental activities. All 57 participating States enjoy equal status, and decisions are taken by consensus on a politically, but not legally binding basis.

The OSCE Secretariat in Vienna assists the Chairpersonship in its activities, and provides operational and administrative support to the field operations, and, as appropriate, to other institutions.

The Office of the Secretary General (OSG) plays a key role in supporting the Secretary General in the effective implementation of his/her mandate and specific tasks given to him/her by the OSCE participating States.

This includes primarily assisting the Secretary General in his/her activities, serving as a focal point for liaison and support to the Chairperson-in-Office, and co-ordinating tasks across the Secretariat. It groups horizontal services such as Executive Management, Communications and Media Relations, Legal Services, External Co-operation, Security Management, Gender Issues, Conference and Language Services, Central Records Management, and oversees the OSCE Documentation Centre in Prague (DCiP). The OSG ensures effective co-ordination of policy advice provided to the Secretary General and the Chairpersonship, and management decisions taken by the Secretary General.

The Documentation Centre in Prague holds the permanent records of the OSCE, documenting its history since the early 1970s.

It is the trusted repository for the OSCE’s archives and those of its predecessor, the CSCE (Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe). The Centre is the custodian of the OSCE’s institutional memory. It engages with a wide range of people to promote the use of its extensive record holdings and to share information on OSCE themes.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

Under the overall supervision of the Director, Office of the Secretary General, the successful candidate will be tasked with the following duties:

1. Leadership and management: Planning, directing and co-ordinating the work programme of the OSCE Documentation Centre in Prague (DCiP), including ExB projects, as well as leading and managing the work of the staff assigned to the DCiP; directing and co-ordinating activities of the DCiP relating to administration, budgeting, financial reporting and the accounting of income and expenditure;
2. Archive development and management: Planning, developing and administering policies and systems designed to facilitate effective and efficient handling, retention and preservation of the Organization’s archives, including historically valuable documents; maintaining the OSCE Library; examining, evaluating and improving systems; analyzing documents to determine the value to posterity or to the Organization; supervising work engaged in the cataloguing and preservation of valuable records, including in paper and digital format;
3. Representation and liaison: Representing the OSCE Secretariat at conferences and meetings dealing with substantive and protocol issues relating to the mandate of the DCiP; liaising with Host Country authorities and diplomatic missions on issues relating to meetings held in Prague, and representing the OSCE in the diplomatic corps of the Czech Republic;
4. Outreach and research programmes: Leading activities to reach out to the academia and public, carrying out a public information programme; supervising maintenance of the OSCE document and asset collection and that requests for documentation and information are attended in a timely manner; engaging and developing activities that reach out to experts, youth and the wider public in all 57 participating states with a focus on the OSCE role, history, archives and
   academic co-operation; overseeing the Research-in-Residence programme and hosting visits and presentations in the DCiP;
5. Economic and Environmental Forum: Supporting the organization of the Economic and Environmental Forum (EEF) meetings, OSCE seminars and other meetings held in Prague;
6. Managing, supervising and implementing extra-budgetary projects under the auspices of DCiP;
7. Performing other related tasks as assigned.

For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Secretariat, please see: https://www.osce.org/secretariat.

Necessary Qualifications:

• Second-level university degree in international relations, social studies, history or another relevant field.A first-level degree in combination with a minimum of two years of additional qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu;
• A minimum of ten years of relevant professional experience, preferably including experience in archiving and information management;
• Relevant international experience, political awareness and understanding, including knowledge of the OSCE and the political setting in the OSCE region;
• Demonstrated managerial skills as well as the ability and willingness to work with people of different cultural and religious backgrounds, different gender, and diverse political views, while maintaining impartiality and objectivity;
• Ability to produce analytical reports, excellent drafting skills;
• Cultural sensitivity and judgment; interpersonal and diplomatic skills;
• Flexibility and ability to work under pressure and with limited time frames;
• Professional fluency in English with excellent communication (both oral and written) skills;
• Ability and willingness to work as a member of team, with people of different cultural, and religious backgrounds, different gender, and diverse political views, while maintaining impartiality and objectivity;
• Computer literate with practical experience using Microsoft applications.

If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCE’s online application link found under https://vacancies.osce.org/.

If your participating State does not provide the option to apply online for seconded positions, you are kindly requested to submit your offline application form available at https://jobs.osce.org/resources/document/offline-application-form to the respective OSCE delegation whose address can be found at https://www.osce.org/contacts/delegations.

The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise/re-post the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment, to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration.

Only those candidates who are selected to participate in the subsequent stages of recruitment will be contacted.

Please note that vacancies in the OSCE are open for competition only amongst nationals of participating States, please see https://www.osce.org/participating-states.

The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages the nomination of qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds.

Candidates should be aware that OSCE officials shall conduct themselves at all times in a manner befitting the status of an international civil servant.

This includes avoiding any action which may adversely reflect on the integrity, independence and impartiality of their position and function as officials of the OSCE. The OSCE is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. For more information on the values set out in OSCE Competency Model, please see https://jobs.osce.org/resources/document/our-competency-model.

Please be aware that the OSCE does not request payment at any stage of the application and review process.

Please apply to your relevant authorities well in advance of the deadline expiration to ensure timely processing of your application.

Delayed nominations will not be considered. The OSCE can only process Secondment applications that have been nominated by participating States. For queries relating to your application, please refer to the respective delegation as listed here: https://www.osce.org/contacts/delegations.

Additional Information

• Issued by: OSCE Secretariat
• Requisition ID: SEC000541
• Contract Type: International Secondment
• Grade: S
• Job Type: Seconded
• Number of posts: 1
• Location: SEC – OSCE Secretariat, Prague
• Issue Date: Jul 30, 2024
• Closing Date: Sep 9, 2024
• Employee Status: Fixed Term
• Schedule: Full-time
• Education Level: Master’s Degree (Second-level university degree or equivalent)
• Job Field: Political Affairs
• Target Start Date: As soon as possible