Mine Action Officer (S2)

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:

• Officer / Warrant Officer training and/or university degree in a relevant technical field
• Significant experience in arms control, peace-keeping operations and/or other relevant areas of military-related affairs
• Experience in negotiations and liaison with governmental and military authorities
• Ability to compile and analyse information of a political-military nature

Level of Professional Competence Requirements

Furthermore, this level of responsibility requires the following:

Education:

First-level university degree in security, disaster or/and emergency management, law enforcement, or other relevant fields, or/and graduate from a national military or police

Experience:
Minimum 6 years of relevant, diversified and progressively responsible professional experience

Mission Specific Requirements

Additionally, this particular post has specific requirements: 

Mandatory:

• At least six years of progressively responsible professional experience in a related field, preferably in an international environment or/and within operational missions with humanitarian mine action, commercial mine action, arms control, weapon contamination and/or military engineering portfolio, or/and at least 5 years in responsible roles in physical mine action programmes in lieu;
• Experience in designing and implementing awareness campaigns for diverse target groups (including men, women and children);
• Knowledge and/or experience in International Mine Action Standards (IMAS), in Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA), in Technical/Non-Technical Survey; Land Release process; in Geographical Informational System (GIS);
• Demonstrated experience/ability to conduct training or instruct in a field environment;
• Excellent analytical, diplomatic and negotiation skills;
• Understanding of the challenges facing Ukraine in mine action;
• Professional fluency in the English language and the ability to draft documents clearly and concisely;
• Ability to drive 4x4 vehicles with manual transmission;
• Willingness/ability to travel to hazard areas of the Mission;
• Flexibility and ability to work under pressure in a challenging environment and with limited time frames;
• Ability to cope with physical hardship and willingness to work extra hours and in an environment with limited infrastructure; proven resilience to high-stress environments;
• 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;
• Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, as well as the ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities;
• Ability to operate Windows applications, including word processing and e-mail. 
• Knowledge of Google MAP, ArcGIS or/and other platforms to process, record and keep the data base;
• Willingness and ability to learn and operate an unmanned aerial vehicle UAVs, including data processing.

Desirable:

• EOD, CIED, demining/mine clearance operations experience within last 7 years' period;
• Working knowledge of the Ukrainian and/or Russian language(s);
• Experience in working in Eastern Europe and/or knowledge of the region;
• Knowledge of the OSCE principles and commitments;
• Ability to drive 4x4 vehicles and holding a "C" driving license;
• Previous experience in operating UAVs and processing the respective data.

Note:

Based upon the Mission's Mandate, the successful candidate will never be authorized to handle mines and/or ERW whilst working for the Mission; this includes the detector-assisted search, recovery, moving, render safe procedures (RSP), neutralisation, and disposal/demolition of explosive items. The role of the Mine Action Officer is of a strictly non-technical, advisory nature.

Tasks and Responsibilities

The Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), in line with the OSCE Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality, is committed to further improving gender balance among staff in all areas and levels within the SMM. We encourage qualified applicants, especially women to apply for this position. 

If applicable, deployment is subject to attendance to and successful completion of pre-deployment training and assessment.

The selected candidate may be deployed Ukraine-wide, including hazardous areas.

Under the general direction and coordination of the Deputy Head of Operations of the SMM and the immediate supervision of the Senior Mine Action Officer, the Mine Action Officer will be tasked and responsible for:

1. Providing support to Senior Mine Action Officer, with monitoring of the implementation of mine action  activities in accordance with relevant Minsk agreements;
2. Supporting the Senior Mine Action Officer in preparing written communications  to provide SMM management with background and context on the objectives of the mine action activities;
3. Monitoring the area of operation (AoR), including potentially contaminated areas, ensuring the collection, compiling, analysing and providing of updated information to the SMM, including maps of the hazardous areas and database with all technical means available to the Mission;
4. Assisting Senior Mine Action Officer to provide technical expertise and advice on mine action. Supporting the implementation of the Mission's mandate and advising on progress in area of mine action within her/his area of responsibility, supporting as necessary, in fostering dialogue and in designing and implementing specific confidence-building measures that will enable parties to work together to reduce the threats posed by landmines and other explosive hazards;
5. Providing technical advice/expertise/recommendations, in relation to the mine action, including disengagement process and withdrawal of forces;
6. Providing information on type of mines, ammunitions, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), Unexploded Ordnance (UXO), military hardware, special equipment, explosive and other hazardous materials;
7. Supporting development of mine-awareness training programme for monitors to raise awareness about operating in hazardous areas; Providing gender-sensitive mine awareness training/instructions for the Mission members, as well as for the civilian population;
8. Developing, processing and keeping the data base, ensuring the provision of updated information on mine contaminated areas to the SMM, providing risk assessments of potentially contaminated (suspected) areas (infrastructures);
9. On behalf of the OSCE SMM, on a technical level, advising, where required, on mine action, co-ordinating activities with the relevant mine action stakeholders in Ukraine to support  implementation of the Minsk agreements and related tasks, as well as other International Conventions;
10. Contributing for development of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), plans, instructions, etc., related to mine action and delivering them as required;
11. Representing the OSCE SMM at relevant workshops/meetings related to Mine Action, including on implementation of UNSCR 1325;
12. Acting as the Senior Mine Action Officer as and when directed;
13. Performing other duties as assigned and when required.

For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, please see https://www.osce.org/special-monitoring-mission-to-ukraine

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.

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/ourcompetency-model.

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

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.