Head, Border Security and Management Unit (S)

Background:

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.
 
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 Transnational Threats Department/Border Security and Management Unit (TNTD/BSMU) at the OSCE Secretariat responds to requests from participating States for specific expert advice and assistance on a wide range of border security and management issues and activities. The Transnational Threats Department was created in the OSCE Secretariat with a view to ensuring better co-ordination, strengthened coherence of action and more efficient use of OSCE’s resources in addressing transnational threats. It supports the Secretary General in functioning as the focal point of the Organization-wide programmatic activities that relate to countering transnational threats and in ensuring co-ordination and coherence of action across all three dimensions and among all OSCE executive structures, while respecting their mandates. 

Tasks and Responsibilities:
Under the overall supervision of the Co-ordinator of Activities to Address Transnational Threat (Co/TNT), the successful candidate will be tasked with the following duties:

1. Providing support to the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Secretary General, Co/TNT and participating States on all border security and management-related matters, ensuring a strong human rights protection and fundamental freedoms-oriented programming; supporting the Co/TNT in convening, as appropriate, conferences, meetings and negotiations on border security and management issues and preparing the pertinent documents as well the reports of such meetings;
2. Managing the development of the BSMU Unified Budget cycle and related proposals (Unified Budget activities, work plan, monitoring reports, Programme Budget Performance Report and Programme Outline inputs) to be submitted to Co/TNT; ensuring the proper planning and implementation of border-related programmes and supervising the work of the team members and activities of the Unit on a daily basis;
3. Giving guidance on the drafting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of OSCE border security and management programmes or projects by identifying possible issues to be addressed and proposing corrective action and liaising with relevant parties and stakeholders, including national authorities and external experts; providing support on border assistance programmes and projects and to border-related training courses and workshops;
4. Closely following developments in a series of thematic areas pertaining to border security and management, capturing good practices and lessons learned and facilitating their dissemination within the OSCE area and beyond. In particular, assisting, under the guidance of the OSCE Co/TNT and within delegated authority, the Secretary General, the field operations and Institutions, as well as the Chairperson-in-Office, participating States and Partners for Co-operation, in the implementation of the 2005 OSCE Border Security and Management Concept, including co-ordination of desk- and field-level assessments of national border management systems and the elaboration of national border strategies, as well as other related Ministerial Council, Permanent Council, Security Committee or Secretary General decisions;
5. Acting as the focal point for border-related matters throughout the OSCE area, maintaining close relations with all OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operations well as all donors, and designing resource mobilization strategies;
6. Preparing and following up on the implementation of the border-related decisions of the participating States;    
7. Performing other related duties as required.   

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

Necessary Qualifications:

• Second-level university degree or an equivalent specialized higher education establishment in law, law enforcement, political science, public administration or a related field; a first-level university degree in combination with at least two years of additional qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree;
• A minimum of ten years of professional-level experience in international security, including border-related issues;
• Demonstrated experience in fundraising, donor relations and resource mobilization;
• Sound knowledge of OSCE principles, commitments and fundamental documents;
• Demonstrated experience in fundraising, donor relations and resource mobilization;
• Sound knowledge of OSCE principles, commitments and fundamental documents;
• Professional fluency in English with excellent communication (both oral and written) skills; knowledge of other OSCE working languages is an asset;
• Demonstrated 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, while maintaining impartiality and objectivity;
• Computer literate with practical experience using Microsoft applications.

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 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 the nomination of qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds.

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

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.