Project Officer (P2)

Background:

Please note that this is an extra-budgetary position with the funding until 31 March 2025 with possibility of extension.

Please note that this VN is issued for citizens of an OSCE participating States, excluding citizens or permanent residents of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The work of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana focuses on a range of security issues including countering terrorism and violent extremism, combating organized crime and drug trafficking, or combating trafficking in human beings. Within this context, the Politico-Military Unit, which implements the project, covers a broad variety of tasks related to regional security and OSCE commitments in the framework of the Forum for Security Co-operation that inter alia includes supporting the participating States in fulfilling their commitments in the field of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition (SCA).

The post is located in the Politico-Military Unit (PMU) within the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. It is an extrabudgetary (ExB) post within the project “Addressing Contemporary Safety and Security Risks in the Republic of Kazakhstan” that is currently envisaged to last three years (December 2023 – December 2026). In addition to this post, the project also comprises the following ExB posts: Project Officer, Project Assistant, Procurement / Asset Management Assistant, Finance Assistant, Human Resources / Payroll Assistant, Media Assistant and a Driver.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

Under the overall supervision of the under the Senior Politico-Military Officer, the successful candidate will be tasked with the following duties:

1. Selecting, interpreting, organizing and summarizing background information to describe the overall context and background relevant to the project and the life-cycle management of SALW and SCA and combating illicit trafficking of SALW, CA and explosives, assessing the local, regional or international context for the planning and administration of the project;
2. Leading the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project by defining implementation modalities, forecasting expenditures and conducting fundraising activities;
3. Monitoring and expediting project implementation systematically through discussions and correspondence with technical, substantive and project staff, field visits, analysis of periodic project progress reports, participation in project reviews and evaluations and utilizing information obtained as an input to corrective decision-making and revisions;
4. Appraising, reviewing and adjusting the project and/or its outputs and activities to ensure consistency with national, regional and sectoral priorities and programmes, and with available resources as well as developing schedules, arrangements and methods for the management of the implementation of project activities, in consultation with the supervisor, technical, substantive and administrative service units;
5. Exchanging information and negotiating on project implementation with the national stakeholders in planning, finance, donor input co-ordination and sectoral functions, as well as with representatives of multilateral and bilateral donor agencies;
6. Arranging and representing the project and its activities at the co-ordination meetings, workshops, training, discussion fora, sessions, briefings, visits, publications and related activities for visitors, missions and counterparts, including provision of guidance on related programmatic matters, in collaboration with designated internal and external partners and stakeholders;
7. Performing other related tasks as assigned. 

Necessary Qualifications:

• 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;
• First-level university degree in military, law, political science, strategic security studies, or another security related field; 
• A minimum of four years of relevant professional experience in the field of security sector and politico-military affairs in relevant national and international contexts, with obligatory military, police or customs service background;
• Demonstrated progressively responsible experience in project management, in particular managing complex projects;
• Demonstrated thematic experience developing, implementing and evaluating policy, projects and activities in the field of security related to life-cycle management of SALW and SCA and Border Security Management;
• Demonstrated experience in relationship building with and fostering co-ordination among as well as negotiation and liaising with project stakeholders such as national authorities, international community and civil society;
• Experience in managing teams is an asset;
• Working experience in Kazakhstan and/or Central Asia is an asset;
• Proven ability to compile and analyze information of a political-military and security nature;
• Professional fluency, both oral and written, in English and Russian. Working knowledge of Kazakh 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;
• Holding a valid driving license. 

Remuneration Package:

Monthly remuneration subject to social security deductions is about US$ 4,105 to which is added Board and Lodging Allowance (currently EUR 123 per day subject to change without prior notice). Social benefits will include possibility of participation in the Cigna medical insurance scheme and the OSCE Provident Fund.

Appointments are normally 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.

The mandatory retirement age at the OSCE is 65 years for contracted positions at the general service, professional and director level. The Organization shall apply an age limit of 63 years at the time of appointment as the incumbent selected is normally expected to carry out the contractual obligation of two years. 

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