Senior Expert

This position is open for secondment only and participating States are kindly reminded that all costs in relation to this assignment at the Secretariat must be borne by their authorities.

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 recently established Strategic Policy and Planning Unit in the Office of the OSCE Secretary General (OSG) is seeking senior experts, seconded on a temporary basis, to be part of the Unit.  The aim of this new Unit is to enhance the capacity of the Secretariat to provide support to the Chairmanships (in line with MC.DEC/15/04) as well as to participating States on a wide-ranging portfolio of strategic issues affecting all three dimensions of security, in addition to cross-dimensional issues.

The Senior Experts will be part of a small yet dynamic multinational team within the OSG that will support the process of dialogue and negotiations among participating States by helping to identify issues of strategic importance, develop proposals, and provide policy and planning advice. In particular, the Senior Experts will support the work of the Troika and the Secretary General in developing OSCE strategies and policies and implementing their mandates, as well as enhancing continuity. They will work in close collaboration with colleagues in the Secretariat as well as with relevant OSCE offices/Institutions/Field Missions, OSCE supported networks and other experts and will be responsible for:

1. Providing advice to enhance priority setting and continuity, particularly in support of the Chairmanship/Troika;
2. Providing advice on a more long-term strategic approach to cross-cutting and thematic issues, as well as regional and country-specific strategies;
3. Through ongoing analysis of the political and operational environment, identifying, monitoring and assessing global trends (particularly in regions adjacent to the OSCE) that have an impact on the OSCE area and preparing information and presentations;
4. Following and providing background briefings on geo-strategic debates that relate to the OSCE and the OSCE area;
5. Developing and enhancing strategic co-operation with Track II initiatives, academia and think-tanks ¿ including through the OSCE Academic Network and Security Days ¿ in order to enhance focus on priority issues, generate concepts to inform multilateral discussion, and create informal spaces for dialogue, and raise the OSCE¿s profile.

• A  minimum of eight years of academic, policy and/or programmatic experience in relevant fields; of which at least three years should have been in a multilateral, multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder  environment;
• Demonstrated knowledge of issues affecting security and co-operation in the OSCE area;
• Expertise in developing policy related analysis, assessments and programmatic design;
• Proven analytical skills;
• Experience in strategic forecasting, global trends and/or dealing with big data;
• A good network of contacts relating to Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security issues ;
• Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, and an ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities;
• A high degree of initiative and sound judgement;
• Ability and desire to engage in solutions-oriented creative thinking;
• Experience in preparing and presenting high impact visual presentations;
• Professional fluency in English with excellent drafting and communication skills; knowledge of other OSCE working languages is an asset;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of different nationalities, religions and cultural backgrounds, while maintaining impartiality and objectivity.

If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCE's online application link found under https://jobs.osce.org.

Please note that vacancies in the OSCE are open for competition only amongst nationals of participating States, please see http://www.osce.org/states.

Only short-listed candidates 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 religious, ethnic and social backgrounds.

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

Please apply to your relevant authorities several days prior to the deadline expiration to ensure timely processing of your application. Delayed nominations will not be considered.