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 Support Programme for Ukraine (SPU) has been established in order to continue supporting the Ukrainian Government’s reform efforts and mitigating the increased risks to civilians caused by the war against the country. The objective of the SPU – and therefore of all its projects – is to support Ukraine across all three OSCE dimensions on the government’s reform efforts and on the evolving risks to civilians caused by the war, thus ensuring that the OSCE’s work conducted over the past three decades and in the future, continues to impact positively the institutions and people of Ukraine and that Ukraine’s comprehensive security is enhanced in line with the OSCE commitments.

This post is financed from the extra-budgetary (ExB) SPU project under the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC) at the OSCE Secretariat (SEC). The SPU is active until 31 July 2025, and planned to be extended until 2028. The post extension is subject to the extension of the project duration.

Please note that this post is located in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Tasks and Responsibilities

The incumbent will report to the Chief of Operations and should seek technical guidance of the Senior Adviser on Gender Issues. Furthermore, the incumbent will be tasked with the following:

1. Spearheading the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of a systematic approach to integrate a gender perspective across the SPU’s operations, with a specific programmatic focus on the OSCE’s human dimension, security, and cross-dimensional issues. Internally, this involves analyzing existing systems, processes, and policies, leading to the recommendation of improvements for a more consistent and effective gender mainstreaming framework. Ensuring all gender initiatives are aligned with broader organizational goals.
2. Analyzing and supporting the development of projects, providing guidance to ensure they are fully gender-mainstreamed, to the extent possible, in alignment with OSCE commitments and the 2004 OSCE GAP. Ensuring the gender aspects are properly monitored and evaluated both within the framework of the project, and the scope of an SPU Gender Strategy and Action Plan, that is also aligned with the CPC Gender Workplan.
3. Conceptualizing and developing training materials for staff members and stakeholders, emphasizing capacity building in gender mainstreaming. Delivering OSCE tailored trainings on gender equality and mainstreaming, utilizing up-to-date and effective forms and methods for staff and stakeholders. Facilitating and moderating substantive discussions and training sessions, showcasing a high level of expertise.
4. Locating, analyzing and distilling specific data relevant for gender mainstreaming in the SPU and based off this, and upon request, providing technical expertise and guidance on priority issues of gender mainstreaming to the Chief of Operations.
5. On the basis of evidence, assisting both the SPU and the Gender Issues Programme in the design of gender equality projects, supporting their implementation, monitoring and evaluation and recommending improvements as appropriate.
6. Performing other relevant duties as requested.

Necessary Qualifications

• First-level university degree in gender, women’s studies, social sciences, international development, human rights, international relations or other development-related field.
• A minimum of seven years (five with a second-level university degree) of progressively responsible professional-level experience in gender issues, human rights in relation to gender equality, combatting violence against women and women’s empowerment, preferably in an international environment.
• Proven ability to analyze, conceptualize and evaluate critical matters in the field of gender related issues and to design strategies to address them.
• Demonstrated experience in analyzing and implementing systems, processes or policies, and recommending improvements.
• Experience in applying methodology of gender analysis, gender audits and gender mainstreaming as well as international texts and conventions related to gender equality and concepts of technical co-operation.
• Experience in supporting human rights commitments and international practice on women’s empowerment.
• Demonstrated experience in planning, implementing and managing donor-funded projects, including field operations.
• Demonstrated experience in drafting and editing reports, presentations and other substantive work outputs.
• Experience in conceptualizing, designing, implementing and conducting trainings and capacity building on gender mainstreaming and gender equality.
• Professional fluency in English with excellent communication (both oral and written) skills. Working knowledge of Ukrainian would be 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.
• Computer literate with practical experience using Microsoft applications.

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.

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.