JOB DESCRIPTION

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:

– Work experience in either public administration, relevant international organizations, civic associations (including NGOs), political parties/affairs, or economic and political development
– Demonstrable organizational, communication, analytical and interpersonal skills

Level of Professional Competence Requirements

Furthermore, this level of responsibility requires the following:

Education:

Second-level university degree/certified training course in political sciences, social sciences, international relations,
public policy, law or equivalent professional experience

Experience:

Minimum 6 years of relevant, diversified and progressively responsible professional experience including at least 3 years
at the management level relevant to the actual position

Mission Specific Requirements

Additionally, this particular post has specific requirements:

Mandatory:

• 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;
• Extensive experience in development work with democratic and good governance institutions, with a focus on parliamentary, central, and local governance structures in transitional countries or societies; alternatively, extensive domestic practical work experience in central and/or local governance structures at a national, federal, state, or local level as an elected or appointed senior official;
• Extensive experience in programme and project design, project management, and supervision;
• Demonstrated and progressively responsible management experience;
• Strong analytical, organizational, and planning skills;
• Ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks under tight deadlines;
• Ability to work creatively and independently;
• Strong interpersonal, motivational, and communication skills;
• Strong drafting and presentation skills;
• Demonstrated facilitation and mentoring skills;
• Professional fluency in the English language;
• 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;
• Excellent command to operate Windows applications (including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, e-mail, and internet);
• Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility, with cultural sensitivity and judgement of local conditions and communities
• Possession of a valid automobile driving license and the ability to drive using manual transmission is a requirement for this post. New hires will be required to pass an OSCE Mission in Kosovo administered driving test using a manual transmission vehicle within six months of assuming the post and be able to confidently self drive.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of the political environment of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, including the mandate and structure of the international community present in Kosovo;
• Previous experience in field missions;
• Experience in negotiation and mediation;
• Knowledge of the local language or most common lingua franca;

Tasks and Responsibilities:

Under the direct supervision of the Director of the Democratization Department, the incumbent is responsible for:

1. Providing strategic direction for the Governance Section;
2. Supervising all professional and support staff of the Governance Section;
3. Responsible for the identification, design, implementation and evaluation of projects of the Governance Section with its respective portfolios, in accordance with departmental and Mission strategies, OSCE rules and regulations;
4. Co-ordinating and overseeing the drafting of reports based on information provided by the Section and the field;
5. Provides analysis and expertise on central and local level institutional development, including with reference to Electoral Management Bodies, as required, and advises on departmental policies aimed at enhancing the functioning of democratic institutions at the central and local levels;
6. Coordinates and liaises with relevant international agencies working with relevant Kosovo institutions such as the Prime Minister’s Office, Assembly of Kosovo, the Ministry of Local Government Administration, the independent Institutions, Electoral Management Bodies, and Municipalities;
7. Participating in the Department’s and Section’s policy-making process;
8. Representing the Section in meetings, seminars, and/or conferences;
9. Performs any other duties as required.

For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, please see: https://www.osce.org/mission-in-kosovo

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.

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.

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

Only those candidates who are selected to participate in the subsequent stages of recruitment will be contacted.

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.

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

If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCE’s online application link found under https://vacancies.osce.org/. If your participating State does not provide the option to apply online for seconded positions, you are kindly requested to submit your offline application form available at https://jobs.osce.org/resources/document/offline-application-form to the respective OSCE delegation whose address can be found at https://www.osce.org/contacts/delegations.

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.

Please be aware that OSCE appointments are subject to medical clearance.

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

Additional Information

• Issued by: OSCE Mission in Kosovo
• Requisition ID: KOS000383
• Contract Type: International Secondment
• Grade: S3
• Job Level: Middle Management
• Job Type: Seconded
• Number of posts: 1
• Location: KOS – OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Prishtine / Pristina
• Issue Date: Sep 29, 2025
• Closing Date: Oct 26, 2025
• Employee Status: Fixed Term
• Schedule: Full-time
• Education Level: Master’s Degree (Second-level university degree or equivalent)
• Job Field: Democratization
• Target Start Date: As soon as possible

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements