Human Resources Assistant (G5)

Background:

Please note that this position is open to citizens and permanent residents of Montenegro only.
The OSCE Mission to Montenegro (Mission) provides assistance to the host country to institute reforms, and in further strengthening democratic development in line with the OSCE’s commitments and principles. In line with its mandate, the Mission works with the national and local authorities, civil society and the media in the following areas: election administration reform, parliamentary reform, combatting corruption and organized crime, law enforcement and security sector reform, building media professionalism, promoting economic development and environmental protection.

The Fund Administration Unit (FAU) of the Mission supports implementation of the Mission`s mandate. It provides administrative and management supports to the 3 main Programmes that enable the Mission to fulfil its mandate towards the host country in accordance with the Common Regulatory Management System (CRMS) requirements in a timely, efficient and most effective manner. Specifically, by monitoring expenditures for receiving goods and services through proper authorization and procurement procedures, including fixed assets and payroll expenditures. Furthermore, the FAU ensures the standard administrative instructions as well as established internal procedures enabling the most efficient and transparent operational administrative processes and workflows are in place at the Mission.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

Under the direct supervision of Human Resources Officer (S1) and second-level supervision of the Chief of Fund Administration (P2), you will assist in implementation of recruitment projects, payroll management, learning and development tasks, HR administration and Performance Management Process (PMP), contribute to enhancing the FAU's capacity to support the Mission's mandate in alignment with the CRMS, ensuring timely and effective administrative and management support. Additionally, you will contribute ideas and proposals for improvements of processes, structures and systems in his/her area of work. Within the scope of assigned duties, you will make decisions on selection of working methods, will make recommendations and proposals to the Human Resources Officer and the Chief of Fund Administration Unit on issues related to recruitment and human resources. The consequences of error in giving recommendations could be providing a wrong conception of the developments, jeopardizing the credibility of the OSCE and causing embarrassment to the Mission. Ineffectively performing activities could cause delay in work and result in addition work of other staff.

Internally, you will maintain contacts with the Fund Administration Unit team, colleagues from Procurement, Material Management and Finance divisions, other Mission Members, and OSCE Institutions: Secretariat and OSCE/ODIHR, as well as OSCE Offices/Missions with the purpose of organization of work activity, briefing, reporting, exchange of information and co-ordination of activities. Externally, you will contact with candidates for employment, local authorities (such as Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro), international and local organizations, educational institutions with the purpose of obtaining and exchange of information, organizational matters, as well as co-ordination of diverse issues.

More specifically, you will be tasked with the following:

1. Supporting, administering, and coordinating all stages of the Mission's standard recruitment processes for local and international contracted and international seconded positions, local and international Experts/Consultants, and Interns (such as utilizing the Oracle Taleo platform for setting the full cycle of the recruitment process, assessing applications quality, pre-screening candidates, organizing interviews, and preparing selection reports, advising on interview questions, acting as a Secretary of the Board, managing recruitment correspondence, and maintaining the recruitment archive).
2. Co-ordinating the recruitment and contracting of Experts/Consultants under Special Service Agreements (SSAs), ensuring compliance with the CRMS and advising on selection methods; reviews SSA packages, including Terms of References (ToRs) and Consultancy Selection Reports for accuracy and compliance; managing recruitment procedures, from posting REQs to finalizing Selection Reports and communicating offers; creating Purchase Orders (POs) and maintains archives, updating the Mission's Roster of Experts/Consultants and Translators/Interpreters accordingly.
3. Assisting the Human Resources Officer by collecting and validating monthly payroll data, ensuring precision and timeliness; co-ordinates and processes payroll entries for Mission Members' assignments; regularly reviewing payroll reports to detect and rectify any discrepancies in adherence to the OSCE Payroll Manual guidelines; managing both physical and digital archives of the Mission's Payroll records for easy accessibility and reference.
4. In coordination with the Human Resources Officer, maintaining and updating personnel folders for current Mission Members, initiating personnel actions for appointments, extensions, and separations, certifies enrolment for various benefit programs, acting as a point of contact for HR policy interpretation, briefs Mission Members on HR procedures, following up on leave and overtime requests in the absence of the HR Officer, drafting correspondence and preparing certificates, registering International Mission Members for diplomatic IDs and Tax Exemption cards, and organizing the Mission's HR archive.
5. Advising Mission Members on technical and content aspects of the Performance Management Process (PMP), guiding them through all phases of the cycle, including probationary evaluations, and ensuring completion rates; organizing and monitoring both internal and external learning activities as the Mission’s Alternate Training Focal Point, assisting the FAU in arranging periodic presentations to update Mission Members on existing and new regulations, the FAU's role, and OSCE employment conditions for newly recruited staff.
6. Providing guidance to staff and interpretation on the correct application of OSCE’s Instructions, Staff Regulations & Staff Rules, and the Common Regulatory Management System (CRMS) requirements.

For more detailed information on the structure and work of the Fund Administration Unit, please see: https://www.osce.org/mission-to-montenegro

Necessary Qualifications:

• Completion of secondary education supplemented by courses or formal trainings in recruitment, human resources, administration, finance or any other relevant field;
• A minimum of 4 years of relevant working experience in Human Resources, Administration, or Finance;
• Good drafting and analytical skills, ability to produce background reports, conduct independent research, and organisational skills;
• Digital literacy and proficient use of Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint). Experience with an ERP software would be an asset;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English as well as in local language;
• 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 EUR 1,545.25. Social benefits will include participation in the Cigna medical insurance scheme and the OSCE Provident Fund.

Appointments are normally made at step 1 of the applicable OSCE salary scale. At the discretion of the appointing authority a higher step may be approved up to a maximum of step 3 subject to specific conditions.

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 this position is open to citizens and permanent residents of Montenegro only.

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

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.