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.

This position is funded through Extra-Budgetary (ExB) Project No. 1102667 focused on the ‘Prevention of human trafficking for labour exploitation in supply chains’ at the Office of Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (OSR/CTHB). The project runs until end of December 2028.

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 Mission Support Section (MSS) provides the working framework for OSCE’s procurement and contracting, assets, logistics, transport, travel and facilities management activities. It also acts as the policy development and co-ordination point for resource administration in the OSCE’s Executive Structures in relation to these activities, including providing on-site assistance and technical training programmes. The Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (SR/CTHB) represents the OSCE at the political level on anti-trafficking issues. It also assists OSCE participating States in the implementation of commitments and full usage of recommendations set forth in the OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings. In order to fulfil the tasks outlined in this vacancy, the incumbent will work closely with both the Procurement Division at MSS/DMF, and SR/CTHB.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

Under the overall supervision of the Chief, Procurement and Contracting Unit (C/PCU), as Associate Procurement Officer, you will provide all services and functions covering the support and guidance on procurement issues and processes to all OSCE staff and for the procurement of goods and services required by the OSCE Secretariat, or OSCE field operations, in accordance with OSCE financial Regulations and Rules, established procurement policies and procedures and relevant administrative instructions. The position is designed to provide expertise and resources required to meet supply chain obligations under MC Decision No. 6/17 “Strengthening Efforts to Prevent Trafficking in Human Beings.”

More specifically, you will be tasked with the following:

Assisting in incorporating sustainable procurement objectives throughout the full procurement cycle and/or CRMS updates as needed, with a focus on sustainable procurement, compliance and risk management. Providing recommendations for integration of plans into practice and develop resources for improvement. This includes the implementation of best practices and training campaigns in various formats;

Supporting the design, development, testing, implementation, maintenance and documentation of sustainable procurement data tools, including dashboards and reports. Conduct rigorous data quality checks;

Assisting in organizing, facilitating, and/or delivering training and presentations for OSCE procurement personnel and occasionally external stakeholders (e.g., UN stakeholders, suppliers etc.). In this regard, co-ordinating and supporting the work of OSR and PCU related to the UN Procurement Network (PN) Working Group on Sustainable Procurement and its Task Force on Combating Human Trafficking and Forced Labour in supply chains;

Acting as a PCU focal point for combating human trafficking and labour exploitation data and CTHB Action Plan implementation. Advising on integration with annual procurement plans and the use of templates and resources provided. Co-ordinating, managing, reporting, recording transparently and presenting the results of OSCE implementation of the executive structures’ CTHB Action Plans. Supporting development of communication material for external stakeholders;

Conducting market research to stay informed of sustainable developments and available resources in the area of sustainable procurement. Analysing statistical data and relevant commercial trends, particularly related to THB and Labour Exploitation thematic areas;

Planning, developing, and managing sourcing requirements end-to-end for goods, services or works required for the ExB project and as time allows for OSCE Secretariat clients. This task must be in line with the OSCE Common Regulatory Management System (CRMS). Ensuring adequacy of evaluation and contract award criteria during sourcing. Supervising the solicitation process and bid opening, and preparing final tender evaluation reports;

Preparing and presenting contract awards to the relevant awarding authority, supporting OSCE executive structures to prepare and present their contract award proposals ensuring visibility of the relevant sustainable strategy and alignment with internal practices and templates. Working and guiding the contract administrators/owners on contract implementation and as required to liaise with suppliers and address, report on and document any issues as required and in a timely manner;

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 in procurement/supply chain, business administration, commerce, engineering, law or related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of relevant experience will be accepted in lieu of the second-level university degree;
Professional certification such as CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply) Public Procurement Certification Level 3 (or equivalent) and/or sustainability certification is highly desirable;
A minimum of two years (four years with a relevant first-level degree) of progressively responsible experience in sustainable procurement, commercial contracting or supply chain management, preferably in an international environment;
Familiarity with sustainable public procurement policies and procedures, as well as knowledge of policies of other international organizations;
Demonstrated experience in supporting the management and development of sustainable procurement practices is required;
Ability to analyse, evaluate and report business-related data and/or statistics, ideally in the subject-matter area (procurement, supply chain management, sustainability indicators);
Ability to communicate data and visualization - such as presentations, training, reports, dashboards - through a variety of media;
Professional fluency in English with excellent communication (both oral and written) skills; professional fluency in another official OSCE language is an advantage (French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish);
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;
Ability to work under time pressure and with tight deadlines;
Computer literate with practical experience using Microsoft applications, word processing, Power Point presentations and Excel spreadsheets, the internet and email; experience with Oracle ERP system is desirable.

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

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.

The OSCE is a non-career organization committed to the principle of staff rotation; therefore, the maximum period of service in this post is 10 years.

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 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.

Issued by: OSCE Secretariat
Requisition ID: SEC000847
Contract Type: International Secondment
Grade: S
Job Type: Seconded
Number of posts: 1
Location: SEC - OSCE Secretariat, Vienna
Issue Date: Jul 23, 2025
Closing Date: Sep 3, 2025
Employee Status: Fixed Term
Schedule: Full-time
Education Level: Master's Degree (Second-level university degree or equivalent)
Target Start Date: As soon as possible