Head, Strategic Police Matters 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 OSCE Secretariat in Vienna assists the Chairpersonship in its activities, and provides operational and administrative support to the field operations, and, as appropriate, to other institutions.

The Transnational Threats Department/Strategic Police Matters Unit (TNTD/SPMU) is the focal point for co-ordinating and facilitating the OSCE’s police-related activities. TNTD/SPMU contributes to the implementation of the OSCE’s police-related commitments by providing support to the Chairperson-in-Office, the Secretary General, the OSCE field operations and the participating States in two key domains. Firstly, it promotes police development and reform within the principles of democratic policing. Secondly, it provides capacity building support in countering organized crime, terrorism, trafficking in illicit drugs, small arms and light weapons and human beings, and cybercrime, while upholding the rule of law and ensuring respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. TNTD/SPMU works closely with external partners, including UN bodies and regional organizations working on police-related matters.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

The Head, Strategic Police Matters Unit leads and oversees the Unit’s work to promote implementation of the OSCE Strategic Framework for Police-Related Activities. She/He co-ordinates support to enhance effective, democratic policing throughout the OSCE area, and to develop effective responses to current and emerging threats posed by criminal activity, including transnational organized crime, trafficking, and cybercrime, while upholding the rule of law and ensuring respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. She/He also provides expert advice on policing and police-related activities to participating States and OSCE Executive Structures on request, including on strengthening law enforcement co-operation.

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. Managing the planning and delivery of the SPMU Unified Budget cycle (work plan, monitoring reports, Programme Budget Performance Report, Programme Outline) and of the Unit’s extra-budgetary activities (fundraising, monitoring reports), and supervising the work of unit members in implementing these activities;
2. Co-ordinating the conceptualization, drafting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of SPMU’s programmatic projects and activities, ensuring co-operation with relevant stakeholders including participating States, national authorities, international organizations, OSCE Executive Structures and experts; providing expert input to project activities as required;
3. Providing expert support and advice on police-related matters to the OSCE Chairpersonship-in Office, Secretary General, Co/TNT, OSCE Executive Structures and participating States, including in the preparation and organization of related events, and by providing briefings and input upon request;
4. Promoting co-operation between law enforcement authorities in participating States by facilitating exchange of information and good practices on effective police development and reform and on preventing and countering transnational criminal threats, including in promoting and respecting human rights in policing;
5. Acting as the focal point for police-related matters across the OSCE, including maintaining co-operation with OSCE Executive Structures and Field Operations, participating States and Partners for Co-operation, and other international and regional actors;
6. Co-ordinating, under the guidance of the Office of the Secretary General, the preparation of the Secretary General’s Annual Report on Police-related Activities, and supervising activities to showcase the Unit’s work to key stakeholders;
7. Performing other duties as assigned.

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 from a university, Police Academy or an equivalent specialized higher education establishment in social or political science, law, 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 second-level university degree;
• Additional professional training or certification in leadership, management, strategic studies or related field is an asset;
• A minimum of ten years (twelve years with a first-level degree) of professional and progressively responsible experience in law enforcement, of which at least six years of experience in line management, supervising staff in the planning, organizing, scheduling, monitoring and evaluating of programmatic activities;
• Knowledge of current and emerging issues in police and criminal justice development and reform, including at the international level;
• Experience in designing and delivering capacity-building activities related to police development and reform and addressing criminal threats, including at the international level;
• 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;
• Digital literacy and proficient use of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint), internet.

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.

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.