Project Officer (S)

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.

Please note that this position is funded under an Extra-Budgetary (ExB) Project on "Strengthening OSCE action against the illicit proliferation of Small Arms & Light Weapons and Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition – Phase 3", which is expected to run until 31 December 2028. The initial contract will be issued for 12 months. Further extensions are subject to funding availability.  

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 Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC) plays a key role in supporting and co-ordinating the OSCE's activities in the field, in providing analysis and policy advice to the Secretary General (SG) and the Chairpersonship, in leading work on all aspects of the conflict cycle, and in supporting the various formats dealing with protracted conflicts. The CPC also serves as the focal point in the Secretariat for co-ordinating and developing the OSCE's role in the politico-military dimension.

The FSC Support Unit (FSC SU) works to support the implementation of politico-military commitments of the OSCE participating States, particularly in areas related to arms control, confidence- and security-building measures, and the promotion of transparency and military stability in the OSCE area, and supports the Forum for Security Co-operation, serving as its operational arm in administrative and expert assistance in operationalizing the SALW and SCA assistance mechanism. Within this context, the FSC SU is responsible for project management, covering a broad variety of tasks related to SALW and SCA assistance ExB projects, such as organizing expert assessments, supporting the ExB development, fundraising, information sharing, and implementation. Lastly, on behalf of the Forum for Security Co-operation, the FSC SU operationalizes the role of the clearinghouse in the field of SALW and SCA control by collecting and sharing information, aligning donor support with identified needs, and helping in coordinating regional and international arms control initiatives. Other posts in the unit include: Senior FSC Support Officer, Confidence and Security Building Measures Officer, Project Support Officer, Project Officer, Associate Project Officer, Chief Communications and Technology, Office Assistant, and Programme Assistant.

Tasks and Responsibilities:
 

As Project Officer, you will be responsible for the implementation of Activity 2.4 (Providing tailored support to physical security and stockpile management for participating States in Eastern Europe and Central Asia), and Activity 2.5 (Translating identified best practices and lessons learnt to knowledge products and e-learning courses). You will facilitate the daily operations of the project "Strengthening OSCE action against the illicit proliferation of Small Arms & Light Weapons (SALW) and Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition (SCA) - Phase 3" through the above two activities.

You will report to the Senior FSC Support Officer as the first level supervisor, with the assigned Deputy Director of CPC serving as the second-level supervisor. 

More specifically, you will be tasked with the following:

1. Providing senior advise, supporting co-ordination, and contributing to knowledge-transfer, with a view to enhance national capacities of assistance-requesting authorities of in Eastern Europe and Central Asia in SALW and CA life cycle management;

2. Leading the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project by identifying potential project activities; preparing project and activity proposals; defining implementation modalities; forecast and monitoring expenditures; providing progress reports to donors; and fundraising. Conduct advisory support missions to Moldova and Kazakhstan;

3. Appraising, reviewing and adjusting the project and/or project outputs and activities in Moldova and Kazakhstan, to ensure consistency with national, regional and sectoral priorities and programmes, and with available resources accomplish the following results: a) providing advice, formulating, presenting, and implementing tools, methodologies, and knowledge products for ongoing Physical Security and Stockpile Management activities, and b) where necessary, conducting and overseeing small-scale procurement and donations of consumables to facilitate ammunition stockpile inspection processes;

4. Exchanging information and formulating, planning and implementing project activities with government officials; coordinating with donor and international partners;

5. Systematically monitoring and expediting project implementation through discussions and correspondence with technical, substantive and project staff, field visits, analysis of periodic project progress reports, participating in project reviews and evaluations; utilizing information obtained as an input to corrective decision-making and revisions;

6. Organizing and conducting briefings and debriefings on projects with special regard for the country and regional aspects, resources and development characteristics;

7. Developing two knowledge products on PSSM inspections and record-keeping based on the lessons learned from the assistance provision in Moldova and Kazakhstan. Developing two e-learning courses designed and finalized, based on the knowledge products. Producing regular progress reports submitted to the Project Officer (P3) of the project "Strengthening OSCE action against the illicit proliferation of Small Arms & Light Weapons (SALW) and Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition (SCA) - Phase 3" for the purpose of donor reporting;

8. Conducting frequent duty travel within Eastern Europe and Central Asia.    

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 security, political science, military/technical engineering, or related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two years of additional qualifying experience in ammunition management, or arms control may be accepted in lieu of the second-level university degree;
• Recognized project management certification would be an asset;
• Military service, logistics military officer and training in life cycle management of SALW and/or ammunition would be an asset;
• A minimum of five years (seven years with a relevant first-level degree) of progressively responsible professional-level experience in life cycle management of SALW and/or ammunition, and project management, preferably in an international environment, is required;
• Demonstrated experience of five years in planning, implementing and managing donor-funded projects in advising governments on through life management considerations;
• Proven knowledge of through life management, project management and knowledge transfer/training;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English. Working knowledge of Russian and/or Romanian would be an asset;
• 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;
• Digital literacy and proficient use of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint), internet.
   

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.

The OSCE is a non-career organization committed to the principle of staff rotation; therefore, the maximum period of service in this post is 10 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.

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.