Political and Press Affairs Officer

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

The general minimum requirements for working in this field of expertise are:

• University education in international studies, public policy, political science or law or related fields
• Diplomatic experience or experience working in political affairs with international organizations or governments
• Experience in preparing analytical reports
• Excellent communication and drafting skills
• Knowledge of regional political history and developments
• Diplomatic and negotiating skills
• Some knowledge of the OSCE principles and commitments

Furthermore, this level of responsibility requires the following:

Education:

First level university degree or equivalent experience

Experience:

Minimum 2 years of relevant professional experience including minimum 1 year in a relevant field strongly preferred

Additionally, this particular post has specific requirements:

Mandatory:

• At least two years of relevant professional experience in public service, international organizations and/or in the field of media affairs
• Experience in political analysis
• Ability to draft and communicate messages clearly and effectively while tailoring language, tone, style and format to match the audience
• Capacity to identify important social/political developments and analyze potential impact
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and meet tight deadlines
• Fluency in the English language, both oral and written, with demonstrated drafting and editing skills
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to work as a member of a team, with people of different cultural and religious backgrounds, different gender, and diverse political views, while maintaining impartiality and objectivity
• Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, as well as the ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities
• Cultural sensitivity and judgment
• Ability to operate windows applications, including word processing and e-mail

Desirable:

• Experience in public information, press affairs, media or communications
• Working knowledge of the Serbian language

Under the overall supervision of the Head of Mission (HoM) and Deputy Head of Mission (DHoM) and direct supervision of the chief of the political and press affairs section, the incumbent performs a dual role: drafting external communication material on behalf of HoM and DHoM, such as press releases, media advisories, correspondence, bi-weekly and spot reports, and analyzing Serbia's political environment and advising on adapting the Mission's policies accordingly. Specifically, the incumbent carries out the following duties:

1. Follows Serbia's political and media environment through regular review of the publications, as well as through maintaining regular communication with relevant external counterparts;
2. Drafts, reviews and/or edits talking points, reports, speeches for the Head of Mission and the Deputy Head of Mission, and clears external communication from programmatic Departments;
3. Establishes and maintains regular contact with the Mission's programmatic departments to ensure good communication and the highest quality of the Mission's reporting and external communication materials;
4. Provides feedback to the departments on the OSCE and Mission's policies and practices regarding reporting and external communication;
5. Assesses and analyzes political developments in the host country in co-ordination with other political and press officers;
6. Maintains regular contact with the relevant desk officer(s) in the OSCE Secretariat to ensure alignment with OSCE-wide policies;
7. Maintains contact with the Mission's field presences and, when tasked, serves as a liaison point between the relevant field officers and their counterparts in Belgrade;
8. Assists in preparing press conferences, press releases, interviews, statements etc.
9. Performs other related duties as required.

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

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

Please apply to your relevant authorities several days prior to the deadline expiration to ensure timely processing of your application. Delayed nominations will not be considered.