Senior Policy Support Officer (GID) (S)

Background:

Please note that this is a new post proposed for establishment in the context of the 2026 Unified Budget (UB). Consequently, the issuance of a fixed-term assignment is subject to approval of the post as part of the UB. However, the successful candidate may be issued short-term assignment(s) that may be converted to a fixed-term assignment following the UB approval.

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.

The duties and requirements of this seconded (S) position correspond to a P4-level role in the UN common system. 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.

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 Policy Support Service (PSS) serves as the Organization's primary point of contact on all matters concerning field operations; it also analyses early-warning signals regarding the situation in the field and recommends the implementation of relevant preventive or reactive action. Support provided to the SG and the Chairpersonship includes background information, policy support and advice, input to speeches and travel files as well as drafting summary records. PSS also provides support for the Chairperson-in-Office's (CiO) representatives dealing with conflict-related formats.
 

Tasks and Responsibilities:
 

The incumbent, under the direct supervision of the Deputy Director for Policy Support Service, will provide policy advice on relevant issues with a focus on the Geneva International Discussions (GID) and related meetings and engagements by the OSCE Secretariat and relevant other stakeholders. Additionally, she/he will draft speeches, statements, background briefings and talking points on a variety of related OSCE activities in the conflict context.

In support of the Chairpersonship, the incumbent (a) leads and manages a Policy Support Officer in support of the GID; (b) actively analyses the impact of present and future activities on agreed tasks and objectives; (b) monitors and analyses developments in the context; (c) provides policy advice, reporting and entry points for early warning, early action, including confidence-building measures.

The Senior Policy Support Officer reports to the Deputy Director for Policy Support Service, while the Director of CPC acts as the second-level supervisor. The Senior Policy Support Officer manages the activities of Policy Support Officer, overseeing workload, managing performance and guiding professional development; has responsibility for all tasks during their absence; supervises other staff as required.

More specifically, the incumbent is tasked with the following:
 

1. Monitoring and analyzing developments in the assigned context, with a focus on early warning signals of potential crisis situations, alerting the Secretary General and OSCE Chairpersonship to issues that might constitute a threat to security and stability, and providing recommendations on appropriate preventive or reactive action that could be taken in response to such developments;
2. Assisting in implementing policy/mandate guidance from the Secretary General and the participating States, including leading or participating in CPC/Secretariat meetings with the involvement of relevant Institutions/Units, and the OSCE Troika representatives, including in relation to the Geneva International Discussions (GID) and its formats;
3. Providing the Secretary General and, through him/her, the Chairpersonship, as well as their relevant representative(s), with expert, advisory, material, technical and other support which may include conducting research on political topics and presenting findings, preparing analytical reports and policy options proposals, background information, draft decisions and draft statements on issues related to OSCE activities on the ground;
4. Supporting the CiO engagement on the ground, particularly supporting CiO representative(s) in the GID; acting as the co-moderator in Working Group 2, and providing support to Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism meetings;
5. Facilitating the co-ordination of programmes and activities in support of confidence-building, people-to-people contacts, and entry points for mediation and dialogue, including with Secretariat Units and the Institutions, contributing to regular senior level meetings in Vienna; paying regular visits, preparing pre-GID travel and any other engagement by the OSCE senior management and the CiO and other relevant stakeholders; 
6. Taking an active part in and leading consultations with partner organizations on issues related to these activities, both at HQ level and in the field, in support of the OSCE’s mandate and the CiO; giving presentations on the work of the Organization to representatives of international organizations, officials and delegations; 
7. If appropriate, participating in selection panels; supervising the activities of a policy support officer, possibly interns; ensuring appropriate task and resource allocation, fostering strong performance and facilitating professional development of team members; providing input to the onboarding and briefing of staff; 

8. Ensuring that a gender perspective is considered and included in all activities developed and managed by the team. 

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

Necessary Qualifications:

• A first-level university degree in political science, public or international law, international relations or another related field is required;
• A minimum of nine years (seven years with a relevant second-level degree) of progressively responsible professional experience in a government, diplomatic service, international organization, national administration or an international non-governmental organization;
• Work experience in the region would be a distinct asset; experience in project management and resource mobilization;
• Demonstrable experience in dialogue facilitation, producing political analysis and reporting;
• Demonstrable people management experience;
• Professional fluency in English, including excellent drafting skills; working knowledge of Russian is mandatory;
• Working knowledge of another OSCE official language and/or another language spoken in the region would be an asset;
• 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, whilst 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-formto 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.

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 open for secondment, 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 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.