Project Officer (P3)

Background:

This is an extra-budgetary position. The initial contract will be for one year, renewable until the project ends. The expected duration of the project is until 31 December 2023, and the selected candidate should commit to being available for the duration of the project.

 

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 Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is the principal institution of the OSCE responsible for the human dimension. ODIHR is active throughout the OSCE area in the fields of election observation, democratic development, human rights, tolerance and non-discrimination, and the rule of law. ODIHR's assistance projects and other activities are implemented in participating States in accordance with ODIHR's mandate.

 

ODIHR's Human Rights Department (HRD) assists OSCE participating States in fulfilling their obligations to protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms. 

 

Within the new 3-year project "Increasing effectiveness, strengthening the enabling environment for human rights defenders", ODIHR  will implement a set of interventions to promote a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders (HRDs), including national human rights institutions (NHRIs) and journalists, and to support them in conducting their work more effectively and securely. This will include assessing the situation of HRDs in participating States, building their capacity to conduct their human rights work safely, and strengthening their ability to communicate with target audiences and better advocate on key human rights concerns, including through the use of technology tools.  

 

With the overall objective to increase the effectiveness of HRDs in promoting and protecting human rights in OSCE participating States the project will build on ODIHR's strong track record of training HRDs on monitoring, including on the issue of freedom of peaceful assembly, as well as on safety, security and communication. It will increase capacity of HRDs in utilizing the new communication strategies, methods and technologies.
 

Tasks and Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Deputy Head of the Human Rights Department and working closely with Human Rights Advisers as the leads on the substantive portfolios, the incumbent will  perform the following functions:

 

1. Co-ordinating the implementation of project activities, and overseeing the coherent implementation of project components and their financial and administrative aspects, by:

a. preparing an annual work plan reflecting the individual project components, including a timeframe for the activities and a framework for ongoing monitoring and evaluation;
b. assisting management to co-ordinate the allocation of pledges to project tasks, monitoring expenditure and expiration of pledges, and overseeing expenditure in line with pledge agreements;
c. supervising an Associate Project Officer, an Assistant Project Officer and a dedicated Administrative Assistant;
d. co-ordinating administrative aspects of short-term programmatic and administrative support contracted to implement the project;
e. consulting with relevant advisers on the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of project activities;
f. co-ordinating project-related communication internally, in particular with ODIHR's Project Co-ordination Unit and Common Services Department;
g. ensuring in consultation with Finance Department that all project expenditure and implementation of activities by project partners are in accordance with co-operation and donor agreements.

 

2. Supporting good donor relations, including project reporting and input for project evaluations, by:

a. organizing regular meetings to review project progress; 
b. drafting donor reports, ensuring timely and high quality input to enable results-based reporting;
c. proposing ways to achieving an appropriate level of visibility for the project;
d. drafting talking points/updates for ODIHR management on the project; 
e. identifying suitable donors, innovative funding streams and partnerships. 

 

3.  Providing support to the achievement of project results, by:  

a. monitoring the situation of human rights defenders in the OSCE region, and proposing issues and opportunities for possible incorporation into the project;
b. research, collecting and analyzing relevant information regarding programmes, methodologies and tools for monitoring, dialogue and capacity-building that could be useful in the implementation of the project;
c. supporting the coordination with activities of ODIHR and other OSCE institutions in the subject area addressed by the project;
d. feeding knowledge into project planning and implementation, and into consultation with relevant internal and external stakeholders.

 

For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, please see https://www.osce.org/odihr. 
 

 

Necessary Qualifications:

• A first-level university degree in public administration, political science, law, human rights or other relevant field;
• Minimum of six (6) years of professional experience at operational level of designing and implementing complex, international human rights projects involving multiple stakeholders;
• Experience working with relevant international human rights standards with a particular focus on human rights defenders; 
• Experience promoting human rights, including experience at the international level in an advisory or operational function in the OSCE area;
• Experience that provides familiarity with the situation of human rights defenders and civil society organizations in the OSCE region;
• Field experience in the OSCE participating State(s) or similar;
• Project management and supervisory experience is essential;
• Proven experience in capacity-building and institution-building strategies and methodologies;
• Experience that provides understanding of the political sensitivities in the work of inter-governmental organizations;
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English; working knowledge of other OSCE languages, in particular Russian, is desirable;
• Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, and an ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities;
• Ability to work with people of different nationalities, religions and cultural backgrounds;
• Computer literacy with practical experience using Microsoft applications.

 

Remuneration Package:

Monthly remuneration is around EUR 5,100, with the actual monthly salary depending on post adjustment and family status. OSCE salaries are exempt from taxation in Poland. Social benefits will include participation in the Cigna medical insurance scheme and the OSCE Provident Fund. The Organization contributes an amount equivalent to 15% of the employee's salary to this Fund and the employee contributes 7.5%. Other allowances and benefits are similar to those offered under the United Nations Common System.

 

Appointments are made at step 1 of the applicable OSCE salary scale.
 

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 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 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.

 

The OSCE is a non-career organization committed to the principle of staff rotation, therefore the maximum period of service in this post is 7 years.

 

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