The OSCE PA Junior Professional Officers Programme is geared towards young professionals with relevant work experience and with a background in political science, law international relations, or other related fields, who are eager to engage in parliamentary and security affairs at an international level.
The JPO Programme is intended to further their knowledge of international politico-military, economic and environmental, and human rights affairs and boost their professional skills in areas connected to the work of the Parliamentary Assembly.
Accordingly, the main objectives of the Programme are to:
• Promote the engagement of young professionals in international security affairs by working for the most inclusive inter-parliamentary forum in the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian region.
• To increase the capacity of the Assembly to meet its growing ambitions and programmes in line with the OSCE PA Rules of Procedure and relevant mandates.
DUTY STATIONS
OSCE PA Junior Professional Officers can be assigned to work either in Copenhagen (Denmark), where the OSCE PA International Secretariat is located, or in Vienna (Austria), where the OSCE PA has a Liaison Office to maintain contacts with the executive structures of the OSCE and the Delegations of the participating States and Partners for Co-operation.
DURATION
Initially, JPOs shall be offered a one year contract, with the first 3 months serving as probation period. Upon recommendation from the Programme Coordinator, a JPO may be extended for an additional period of 1 year, up to a maximum of 2 years.
There should be no expectation of further employment with the OSCE PA once a JPO concludes his/her term.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the overall supervision of the Programme Coordinator, and the direct supervision of relevant permanent staff, JPOs will implement a wide range of programmatic and operational functions, including:
• Assist in coordinated policy planning, keeping the OSCE PA abreast of major security developments in the OSCE region;
• Conduct targeted analysis and research on topics relevant for the activities of the Assembly and advise senior staff accordingly;
• Support the organization of activities of the Assembly, such as election observations, statuary meetings, field visits, conferences, etc;
• Draft and review a variety of documents, such as briefing reports, speeches, statements, talking points, minutes of meetings and background papers, including in the context of election observation missions, official visits, meetings and special projects carried out by the International Secretariat;
• Support the work of Ad Hoc Committees by organizing field visits and conferences, leading research efforts, organizing official meetings, planning and implementing innovative initiatives and managing resources;
• Attend official meetings of the OSCE PA and OSCE decision-making bodies and other informal meetings of the OSCE participating States and write succinct reports;
• Provide support on matters pertaining to finance, budget implementation, general administration, translation and proofreading;
• Contribute to the media outreach efforts of the OSCE PA;
• Travel and represent the International Secretariat in a variety of external events and PA initiatives;
• Perform any other duty as required.
NECESSARY QUALIFICATIONS
• Citizenship in one of the OSCE participating States up to 32 years of age;
• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Political Science, International Relations, Law or a related field;
• Excellent written and spoken English is mandatory. Knowledge of other official OSCE languages (Russian, French, German, Italian and Spanish) is an asset;
• Strong analytical and writing skills;
• Keen interest in international security affairs and parliamentary diplomacy;
• At least two years of previous work experience in an international environment and/or in a parliamentary setting is highly desirable;
• Previous exposure to the OSCE and issues related to elections, human rights, arms control, migration, transnational threats, countering terrorism, good governance, climate change, media affairs, conference management, finance and administration is an important asset;
• Computer literacy, including of word processing and research tools.
There are currently no vacancies available.
