General Minimum Requirements

The general minimum requirements for working with the OSCE are:

• Excellent physical condition
• Possession of a valid automobile driving license and ability to drive using manual transmission
• Ability to cope with physical hardship and willingness to work extra hours; and in an environment with limited infrastructure

  Field of Expertise Requirements

The general minimum requirements for working in this field of expertise are:

• University education in political sciences, social sciences, international relations, public policy, or law.
• Work experience in either public administration, relevant international organizations, civic associations (including NGOs), political parties/affairs, or economic and political development
• Demonstrable organisational, communication, analytical and interpersonal skills

  Level of Professional Competence Requirements

Furthermore, this level of responsibility requires the following:

Education:

First-level university degree in a relevant field.

Experience:

Minimum 6 years of relevant professional experience.

Mission Specific Requirements

Additionally, this particular post has specific requirements:

Mandatory:

• International mission members in the OSCE are internationally recruited. For the purposes of OSCE Missions (Field Operations) this means that they are hired to work in a duty station outside of their home country or country of permanent residence. As a result, nationals and permanent residents of the duty station are not eligible for international mission member positions. In the case of individuals with multiple nationalities, candidates are still ineligible for consideration even if using another citizenship for application while simultaneously maintaining the citizenship or permanent residence status of the country where the duty station is located;
• Excellent knowledge of international standards for the protection of human rights and non-discrimination;
• Solid understanding of democratic development in post-conflict and multi-ethnic environments, with special focus on human rights and non-discrimination;
• Experience in designing and implementing human rights or non-discrimination projects;
• Experience in policy formulation, project/programme management, co-operation and co-ordination with donors and implementing agencies;
• Good drafting skills and the ability to tailor reports and presentations to the needs of specific audience;
• Professional fluency in the English language, both oral and written;
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to coordinate the work of a team with members from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, genders, and political views, while maintaining impartiality and objectivity;
• Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, as well as the ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities;
• Flexibility and ability to work under pressure and with limited time frames;
• Computer literate with practical experience using Microsoft applications.

Desirable:

• Solid understanding of the legal system, political situation, and the non-governmental sector in Serbia;
• Experience in mediation, conflict prevention and possession of advocacy skills;
• Knowledge of the local language or the most common lingua franca spoken in the mission area.

  Tasks and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Head of the Democratization Department, the Senior Adviser Human Rights and Non-Discrimination (S2) manages the Human Rights and Non-discrimination Section, which deals with such issues as human rights, refugees, migration, non-discrimination, youth, gender issues and hate crime. Specifically, the Senior Adviser on Human Rights and Non-discrimination is responsible for:

1. Planning, maintaining, developing and implementing the Human Rights and Non-discrimination Section’s programme and projects in accordance with the Mission’s mandate and Department’s objectives aimed at supporting Serbia’s democratization process;
2. Supervising the work of seven national staff, including completing the performance management process (PMP) in a timely and engaged manner, supporting team members’ professional development, and addressing any performance issues in accordance with the guidance of the Head of Department and mission leadership;
3. Drafting strategic proposals to advise the state institutions, independent regulatory bodies and civil society;
4. Formulating policies and activities to promote reform in the field of human rights and non-discrimination and helping strengthen and implement the legislation falling under the Mission’s mandate;
5. Ensuring effective management, supervision and control of the OSCE funds, including extra-budgetary funds related to the Human Rights and Non-discrimination Section’s programme;
6. Preparing reports on relevant policies and practices in the area of human rights and non-discrimination, taking especially into account compliance with relevant international standards and OSCE commitments;
7. Delivering speeches, briefings and presentations; attending and representing the Section, the Department, and the Mission at various events;
9. Liaising with the Section’s interlocutors, government officials, international organizations and civil society representatives to ensure the best use of OSCE resources, compatibility of projects and a co-ordinated approach;
10. Ensuring that the Human Rights and Non-discrimination Section’s work is synergistic with other interventions of the Mission, and co-ordinating the work of the Section with other Sections/Departments of the Mission;
11. Performing other duties as assigned.

For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, please see www.osce.org/mission-to-serbia.

The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages the nomination of qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious, ethnic and social backgrounds. Please note that nationals or permanent residents of the country of the duty station are not eligible to apply.

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.

The OSCE is a non-career organization committed to the principle of staff rotation; therefore, the maximum period of service in this post or in the same Mission is seven years.

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

Candidates should, prior to applying, verify with their respective nominating authority to which extent financial remuneration and/or benefit packages will be offered.

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.

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.

Please be aware that OSCE appointments are subject to medical clearance.

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

Additional Information

• Issued by: OSCE Mission to Serbia
• Requisition ID: SRM000107
• Contract Type: International Secondment
• Grade: S2
• Job Level: Senior Professional
• Job Type: Seconded
• Number of posts: 1
• Location: SRM – OSCE Mission to Serbia, Belgrade
• Issue Date: Dec 8, 2025
• Closing Date: Jan 5, 2026
• Employee Status: Fixed Term
• Schedule: Full-time
• Education Level: Bachelor’s Degree (First-level university degree or equivalent)
• Job Field: Democratization
• Target Start Date: APR 01, 2026