Chief, General Services (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: 

• University education in logistics, business/public administration, engineering or related field and proven experience in any discipline of logistics management and support, such as procurement, mission management, inventory or warehouse management and support

Level of Professional Competence Requirements

Furthermore, this level of responsibility requires the following:

Education:

Second-level university degree degree; Certified training course in a relevant field desirable. 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 6 years (8 years with a relevant first-level degree) of relevant, diversified and progressively responsible professional experience including at least 3 years at the management level relevant to the actual position.

Mission Specific Requirements

Additionally, this particular post has specific requirements:

Mandatory:

• International mission members in the OSCE are internationally recruited. For the purposes of OSCE Missions (Field Operations) this means that they are hired to work in a duty station outside of their home country or country of permanent residence. As a result, nationals and permanent residents of the duty station are not eligible for international mission member positions. In the case of individuals with multiple nationalities, candidates are still ineligible for consideration even if using another citizenship for application while simultaneously maintaining the citizenship or permanent residence status of the country where the duty station is located;
• Progressively responsible professional experience in procurement, logistics, including transport, and asset and building management in an international set up; 
• Proven operational, leadership and managerial skills, including planning, resource management;
• Demonstrated communication, analytical and reporting skills;
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to work as a member of a team, with people of different cultural and religious backgrounds, different gender, and diverse political views, while maintaining impartiality and objectivity;
• Flexibility and ability to work under pressure and with limited time frames;
• Professional fluency in English with excellent communication (both oral and written) skills;
• Computer literate with practical experience with ERP systems, such as Oracle or SAP, and Microsoft applications;
• Holding a valid driving license.

Desirable:

• Field experience with the OSCE, UN or other similar international organizations relevant to the actual position;
• Minimum CIPS 3 or equivalent qualification;

• Familiarity with OSCE administrative regulations, rules, policies and practices or demonstrated ability to quickly acquire and apply such knowledge.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Fund Administration (CFA), the successful candidate will be tasked with the following duties:

1. Providing strategic advice to the CFA on all aspects of procurement, materials building management, logistics and transport required for implementation of the Mission mandate;
2. Ensuring effective delivery of general services functions through management and coordination of the Mission’s procurement, asset and transport units, including fleet management, monitoring implementation, and proposing optimization measures to ensure continuous improvement in the quality and delivery of services to the Mission;
3. Providing oversight and supervision for the procurement of diverse services and supply commodities, developing standards and criteria for the evaluation of all phases and aspects of the procurement process;
4. Managing preparation of requests for large scale and major bids, including liaison with respective Secretariat units, processing of specifications and other exhibits that may be required in the procurement process to ensure that all actions have been taken and all           contracts have been issued in accordance with OSCE OSCE regulatory framework applicable to specific processes;
5. Advising the CFA and Programme and Project Managers on procurement issues and providing support and guidance during all stages of the procurement cycle; Formulating strategies and proposing solutions to resolve complex procurement issues;
6. Managing transport and fleet operations, ensuring safe, efficient and cost-effective service delivery in support of the Mission's operational requirements;
7. Overseeing vehicle fleet planning, vehicle maintenance, utilization, replacement and disposal, ensuring compliance with OSCE regulatory framework, road safety standards and regulatory requirements;
8. Ensuring that Mission staff are properly supported, guided and advised on the consistent application of OSCE regulatory framework on all aspect of material management;
9. Overseeing the management of Mission assets throughout their lifecycle, including asset receipt, assignment, transfer, return, replacement, write-off and disposal ensuring effective inventory control, safeguarding of assets and compliance with applicable policies and procedures; 
10. Overseeing work of General Services Section staff, ensuring implementation, evaluating performance and ensuring that staff development needs are met;
11. Interpreting and assessing the impact of policy changes and those made to the OSCE regulatory framework within the area of materials management. Identifying gaps and weaknesses and makes recommendations for follow-up actions and process improvements;
12. Acting as the principal administrative and logistical liaison between the Mission and other local international partners including EUFOR (Administrative tasks for access and cooperation with Military operational and security plans in coordination with the Mission’s Chief of Security).

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.

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

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.

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

Candidates should, prior to applying, verify with their respective nominating authority to which extent financial remuneration and/or benefit packages will be offered. 

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.

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.