Junior Professional Officer Programme

All costs relating to the assignment of these Junior Professional Officers are to be borne by the authorities of the nominating participating States. Candidates should, prior to applying, verify with their respecive nominating authority to which extent financial remuneration and/or benefit packages will be offered.

Junior Professional Officers are not entitled to a Board and Lodging Allowance payable by the Organization

The OSCE is again offering six slots within the framework of its Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme which are open for secondment of candidates by OSCE participating States with a view to contributing to the development of a gender and geographically balanced pool of qualified candidates for future applications.

The goal of the programme is to provide JPOs with a comprehensive overview of the Organization, with a particular focus on familiarization with the OSCE programmatic approach and managerial framework. JPOs will be offered the opportunity of gaining practical experience in different subject areas during a three month period at the OSCE Secretariat (15 April - 14 July 2013) and a six-month placement in a field operation/Institution (15 July 2013 - 15 January 2014). The respective supervisors will establish specific workplans for the JPO assigned to them towards this end. Whilst there is no guarantee of future employment with the OSCE, JPOs may apply for job openings in the OSCE field operations/Institutions for which they meet the necessary requirements after completion of the programme.

• Graduation (completed degree) from accredited universities in a field of study relevant to the OSCE's mandate and fields of work (this includes graduates from recognized police training schools or those with university degrees in economics, finance, accounting, human resources, environmental studies, educational/social sciences, international criminal law, terrorism studies, Central Asian or East European studies, peace and conflict studies)
• Applicants should be under the age of 30
• Professional fluency in English, both oral and written, and the ability to communicate clearly and concisely is mandatory (telephone interviews will be conducted)
• Knowledge of other OSCE official languages, especially Russian, would be an asset
• Computer literacy with familiarity with Microsoft Office applications, including word processing and e-mail
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds whilst maintaining impartiality and objectivity
• Awareness of the importance of integrating a gender perspective into tasks and activities
• Excellent physical condition
• Candidates should possess a valid driving licence and be able to drive using a manual transmission
• Ability to cope with physical hardship and willingness to work extra hours in an environment with limited infrastructure

How to apply:

Please note that vacancies in the OSCE are open for competition only amongst nationals of participating States which are listed under http://www.osce.org/who/83

Candidates interested in participating in this programme are requested to apply online using the application form to be found under the link: http://www.osce.org/employment

The online application system will forward applications directly to the respective authorities in your country of nationality, usually the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who may conduct an initial selection before nominating their candidates to the OSCE. If your participating State does not provide the possibility of an online application for seconded positions, you should contact the respective OSCE delegation, whose address can be found under the link: http://www.osce.org/contacts/delegations

Please direct all inquiries to your relevant national authorities and apply several days prior to expiry of the deadline to allow enough time for your application to be processed by them. Delayed nominations will not be considered.

Applications sent directly to the OSCE Secretariat will not be considered.

The selection process for this round of the Junior Professional Officer programme is scheduled to take place in early February. Selected candidates will be expected to join the programme on 15 April 2013 and will remain at the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna until 14 July 2013, after which they will be assigned to the respective Institution/field operation for the six-month period July 2013 - January 2014.

The OSCE is committed to achieving a better balance of women and men within the Organization. The nomination of female candidates is particularly encouraged.