Programme Assistant (G4)

Background

The OSCE Support Programme for Ukraine (SPU) has been established in order to continue supporting the Ukrainian Government’s reform efforts and mitigating the increased risks to civilians caused by the war against the country. The objective of the SPU - and therefore of all its projects - is to support Ukraine across all three OSCE dimensions on the government’s reform efforts and on the evolving risks to civilians caused by the war, thus ensuring that the OSCE’s work conducted over the past three decades and in the future, continues to impact positively the institutions and people of Ukraine and that Ukraine’s comprehensive security is enhanced in line with the OSCE commitments.

The incumbent works within the extra-budgetary (ExB) "SPU Management Support: Programme Implementation Unit" project under the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC) at the Secretariat (SEC), and provides secretarial, clerical and administrative assistance to the activities of the SPU.

Please note that the post is located in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Chief of Operations, the incumbent will be tasked with the following duties:

Secretarial assignments:

• Maintaining the personal schedule of and making appointments for the Chief of Operations.
• Receiving all guests and visitors; acting as a switchboard operator, screening telephone calls, responding directly to queries or assisting caller by providing solutions or directing calls to the appropriate staff member; transferring telephone calls and messages to staff members in a timely manner; updating emergency contact numbers.
• Maintaining lists of names, addresses and telephone numbers of Government officials, local media representatives and of senior officials in international organizations, NGO’s and liaison offices.
• Receiving, logging, screening, sorting incoming mail, recording and identifying the subject matter of incoming correspondence, providing background files and information, drawing the supervisor’s attention to urgent and important items, distributing correspondence to the appropriate staff members; sending electronic messages.
• Maintaining and updating files of reports, correspondence, manuals and other relevant material; uploading, managing and archiving documents in a folder structured manner in Doc.In; researching for information and background documentation if requested.
• Drafting correspondence in English/Ukrainian on the basis of instruction received and/or on the basis of own knowledge of work; checking all outgoing correspondence and material for grammatical and typographical accuracy and conformity with overall policy, OSCE Rules and Regulations and Instructions.
• Arranging workshops and meetings, typing and sending agendas and background materials; notifying participants of time and date, and preparing draft minutes of the meetings if needed; liaising with external counterparts to exchange or obtain information, to setting up meetings or to ensuring the flow of documents.
• Translating texts and documents of various kinds and providing interpretation during meetings.

Clerical and Administrative assignments:

• Ensuring the availability of office supplies and arranging for their collection and distribution.
• Ensuring functionality and operability of the office equipment.
• Making official travel arrangements; preparing travel authorizations/claims, and requests for other entitlements.
• Arranging accommodation, pick-up and transportation for guests and office staff, if needed.
• Coordinating vehicle requests, allocating drivers and vehicles, maintaining a log on the movement of drivers, passengers and vehicles.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Necessary Qualifications

• Completed secondary education.
• A minimum of four years (three with a first-level and two with a second-level university degree) of secretarial or clerical experience, preferably in international organizations.
• Professional fluency in English and Ukrainian with excellent communication (both oral and written) skills.
• Digital literacy and proficient use of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint), internet. Experience with ERP systems (ORACLE, IRMA etc.).
• Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, and an ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities.
• 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.

 Remuneration Package:

Monthly remuneration, subject to social security deductions, is USD 1,391 as per the relevant OSCE salary scale. The salary payment is effected in EUR. Social benefits will include participation in Cigna medical insurance scheme and the OSCE Provident Fund. The Organization contributes an additional amount equivalent to 15% of the employee's salary to this pension-style fund while the employee contributes 7.5%. Appointments are normally made at step 1 of the applicable OSCE salary scale. In exceptional cases, an initial appointment at up to Step 3 may be considered. This depends on factors such as relevant experience exceeding minimum requirements or higher previous remuneration. Any such request by a candidate must be reviewed and approved by the OSCE before the appointment. 

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

The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise/re-post the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment, to offer an appointment at a lower grade or 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.

Candidates interviewed and found suitable in the recruitment process for this vacancy notice will be placed on a roster of suitable candidates (valid for three years) for fixed-term posts, should a suitable opportunity arise. The placement on a roster does not guarantee a future appointment or assignment.

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 qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply to become a part of the Organization.

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 note that for this position the OSCE does not reimburse expenses such as travel in connection with interviews, tests, visas and relocation.

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

The mandatory retirement age at the OSCE is 65 years for contracted positions at the general service, professional and director level. The Organization shall apply an age limit of 62 years at the time of appointment as the incumbent selected is normally expected to carry out the contractual obligation of two years. 

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