Senior Political Adviser (S3)

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: 

• Second-level university degree in international studies, public policy, political science or law or related fields
• Diplomatic experience or experience working in political affairs with international organisations or governments
• Experience in preparing analytical reports
• Excellent communication and drafting skills
• Knowledge of the regional political history and developments
• Diplomatic and negotiating skills
• Knowledge of the OSCE principles and commitments

Level of Professional Competence Requirements

Furthermore, this level of responsibility requires the following:

Education:

Second-level university degree in in the relevant field; A first-level university degree in combination with two years of additional qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the second-level university degree. 

Experience:

Minimum six years of diversified and progressively responsible professional experience including at least 3 years at the management level relevant to the actual post.

Mission Specific Requirements

Additionally, this particular post has specific requirements:

Mandatory:

• Progressively responsible and relevant professional experience in diplomacy, political affairs and advising and in the area of public sector programming, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, preferably in international organizations, field missions or non-governmental organizations in transitional or developing countries;
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Good understanding of the mandate and work of the OSCE;
• Ability and willingness to work as a member of a team, with people of different cultural and religious backgrounds, different gender and political views, while maintaining impartiality and objectivity;
• Flexibility and ability to work under pressure of deadline;
• Professional fluency in English with excellent communication (both oral and written) skills;
• Computer literate with practical experience using Microsoft applications.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of the local language or most common lingua franca.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Policy and Planning (P4) as a first-level supervisor, and Deputy Head of Mission 9DHoM) as a second-level supervisor, the successful candidate will be tasked with the following duties:   

1. Managing the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit (PMEU) and the Political Reporting Unit (PRU);

2. Providing strategic analysis and recommendation of political and policy issues to the Head of Mission (HoM) and DHoM through the Chief PPS;

3. Providing policy guidance and fostering policy discussions amongst the Mission’s mid management and Head of Field Offices in order to address political obstacles to the achievement the Mission’s objectives.

4. Preparing briefings and other materials, including talking points, speeches, reporting, political input for the HoM and DHoM and other OSCE counterparts as advised by the Chief PPS.

5. Co-ordinating all aspects of strategic programmatic planning, including submission of annual performance-based budget proposals, monitoring, evaluation and reporting on programmatic implementation;

6. Co-ordinating the Mission’s Extra-budgetary planning and reporting. Organizing and/or participating in periodic programme reviews, assisting in programmatic self-evaluation or external evaluation and targeted programmatic evaluations, lessons learnt exercises, etc.;

7. Providing support to all the Mission’s programmatic sections and advising senior management in relation to project development and management for OSCE annual budget and extra-budgetary projects.

8. Maintaining regular contacts with domestic, international and bilateral counterparts, to inform of the Mission’s priorities and advocacy points and to ensure joint strategic priorities wherever possible.

9. Representing the Mission at domestic and international events and processes as appropriate.

For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, please see: https://www.osce.org/mission-to-bosnia-and-herzegovina

Please note that nationals or permanent residents of the duty station are not eligible to apply.

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

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. 

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. 

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.