Director of Internal Oversight (D1)

Background:

Please note that the start date is 01 September 2024. 

The OSCE is committed to gender equality. This is a senior management role and women are currently underrepresented in senior management grades. Female candidates are therefore strongly encouraged to apply.

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 Internal Oversight (OIO) is part of the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna, Austria. OIO is responsible for planning and delivering internal audits, investigations, and independent evaluations of the Organization's activities, including Institutions and Field Operations. The work of OIO assures the adequacy of governance, risk management, and internal control, ensures compliance with the Organization's internal control framework, and enhances performance and the efficiency and effectiveness of operations.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Secretary General, the Director of Internal Oversight is a member of the senior leadership team and provides strategic direction for OIO in planning and delivering its activities.

The Director of the OIO ensures that the endeavours of the Office to promote accountability and professionalism and to foster a culture of learning and improvement are adhered to. She/he submits an OIO annual report, through the OSCE Secretary General, to the Heads of OSCE Delegations of the participating States.

Specifically, she/he will be responsible for:

1. Ensuring that the Office's work conforms to generally accepted international auditing, investigation and evaluation standards and best practices, within the scope of the OSCE Internal Oversight Mandate, and developing internal methodology, tools and techniques to ensure excellence in the conduct of the Office's work;
2. Contributing to the development of strategies for safeguarding and protecting the Organization's interests in pursuit of its goals and objectives; assisting in discharging the Secretary General's duties, including the provision of impartial, objective and sound advice;
3. Preparing an annual, risk and priority-based oversight work plan, which will deliver the services and outputs required by the OSCE Internal Oversight Mandate and the OSCE Evaluation Instruction; overseeing implementation of the work plan and ensuring outputs are within time, cost and quality standards;
4. Overseeing an internal audit portfolio that focuses on key risks and opportunities to strengthen the Organization's governance, risk management, internal controls and value-for-money, using modern internal audit practices in accordance with professional standards;
5. Guiding independent evaluations in order to improve the relevance, impact, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and performance of OSCE programmes, projects and methods of operation;
6. Leading an investigation function which examines cases of alleged fraud, misconduct, malfeasance, mismanagement, waste of resources, or other violations of the Organization's Common Regulatory Management Framework;
7. Creating a positive working environment, providing guidance to staff of the Office and helping them to meet their full potential;
8. Performing other related duties as assigned.

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

Necessary Qualifications:

• Second-level university degree in public or business administration, auditing, accountancy, law or a related field; professional certification (e.g. CIA, CPA, CA, CFE, CISA or similar) from an officially recognized oversight body; 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;
• A minimum of 12 years of relevant professional experience specifically in the programmatic and operational aspects of audit work, as well as evaluation, value for money assurance and internal investigations;
• Proven track record as a senior manager in audit/oversight functions in an international organization or at a national public sector level, with a good knowledge of the latest methodologies, requirements and developments in the audit, evaluation, and investigation fields in the international community;
• Leadership skills in a multilateral setting with the ability to establish and maintain effective and constructive working relations in a highly political environment with people of different national and cultural backgrounds;
• Proven ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities;
• Strong sense of impartiality and objectivity and positive attitude towards the Organization and its goals;
• Highly developed analytical and communication skills and the ability to quickly grasp complex issues and produce solutions;
• Professional fluency in the English language, with excellent oversight report writing skills; working knowledge of other OSCE working languages would be an asset.

Remuneration Package:

Monthly remuneration is around EUR 12,900, with the actual monthly salary depending on post adjustment and family status. OSCE salaries are exempt from taxation in Austria. Social benefits will include possibility of participation in the Cigna medical insurance scheme and the OSCE Provident Fund. Other allowances and benefits are similar to those offered under the United Nations Common System.

Please note that appointments are normally made at step 1 of the applicable OSCE salary scale.

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.

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.

The OSCE is a non-career organization committed to the principle of staff rotation, therefore the maximum period of service in this post is 4 years.

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 63 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.