Chief, Integrated Resource Management Unit (P4)

Background:

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 OSCE Secretariat's Department of Management and Finance (DMF) is responsible for managing the material and financial resources of the Organization. The objective of DMF is to provide efficient and effective management of non-staff resources in support of OSCE programmatic activities. It provides policy guidance on the management of OSCE financial and material resources and develops and maintains OSCE Financial Regulations and Rules and Financial Administrative Instructions. DMF consists of Budget and Finance Services, Mission Support Section, Information and Communication Technology Section and the Information Security and Co-ordination Unit.

The Budget and Finance Services Section is responsible for co-ordinating and supporting the programme planning and budgeting process in general, including providing policy guidance and support to the Secretariat, OSCE Institutions and Field Operations. The Budget and Finance Services Section consists of the Accounts and Treasury Unit and Integrated Resource Management Unit.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

As Chief, Integrated Resource Management Unit, you will work with all executive structures to oversee and co-ordinate the Unified Budget (UB) and Extra-Budgetary (ExB) operations; work with the Secretariat Directors, Fund Managers, Programme Managers, Section Chiefs, Chiefs of Fund Administration to provide direction, guidance, and/or information exchange on substantive financial resource issues; work with Chairperson and members of the Advisory Committee on Management and Finance (ACMF) to explain budgetary details; and provide justification for requested funding levels and discuss budgetary policies and their application. In addition, you will work with donors of Extrabudgetary Contributions to co-ordinate extrabudgetary activities over the full cycle.

You will report to the Principal Deputy Director DMF, Head of Budget and Finance Section and the Director of Management and Finance will be your second-level supervisor. 

More specifically, you will be tasked with the following:

1. Ensuring that UB funds are expended as authorized by the participating States:
   - Supervises the proper allotment of funds as authorized by the Permanent Council, monitors the disbursement of funds and prepares quarterly performance reports;
   - Monitors budgetary expenditures, analyses expenditure forecasts and prepares variance analysis to ensure appropriate and optimum use of the approved budgets;
   - Provides guidance and advice on the efficient and correct use of allocated resources.
2. Drafting instructions, guidelines and technical procedures for preparation of all UB-related documents for both the annual budget cycle and any required supplementary budgets:
   - Drafts budget preparation instructions for use by all OSCE Institutions and Field Operations; prepares all necessary updated supporting technical instructions and develops Standard Cost guidelines for use in the budget preparation process; 
   - Provides guidance and support to Senior Management and to all staff involved in the budget preparation process on an Organization-wide basis, ensures a consistent approach to costing of the budget submissions, and ensures a unified budget format in accordance with the Common Regulatory Management System and established policy.
3. Compiling, reviewing and consolidating budget-related documents for the annual budget cycle and any supplementary budgets for submission to senior management and participating States:
   - Receives submissions from Directors of Departments and Fund Managers; ensures that correct and consistent methodology is applied, ensures that accurate budgeting is carried out, and that a unified format is applied to all submissions to the Senior Management and the Delegations;
   - Analyzes budget submissions from Institutions and Field Operations and ensures proposals adhere to PC Decisions, Financial Regulations and Financial/Administrative Instructions.
4. Ensuring the full cycle of extrabudgetary activities are managed properly in line with the CRMS and are carried out in a timely manner, including:
   - Providing advice to programme managers, donors and delegations; 
   - Processing pledges/voluntary contributions and reallocation of awards;
   - Managing grant contracts and acceptance thereof and issuance of allotments; 
   - Managing ExB financial reporting;
   - Overseeing administration of Oracle projects and Grants accounting modules.
5. Identifying needs and developing, implementing and maintaining major budget operational systems to meet changing requirements, including integrated resource management. Ensuring integration of the budgetary system with other organizational database systems to facilitate easy access to transfer of or recording of information. Writing documentation and manuals for users. Training budget officers and assistants and other budget focal points on the maximum and efficient use of computerized systems especially for forecasting and analytical purposes;
6. Attending Advisory Committee on Management and Finance and other meetings to provide technical direction, guidance, advice and support on all budgetary issues affecting the OSCE;
7. Planning, designing, implementing and evaluating special projects such as sensitivity analyses, new budget formats, efficiency studies and policy papers and reporting for the Advisory Committee on Management and Finance;
8. Developing and implementing policies and procedures on Integrated Resource Management (IRM), that ensure that the OSCE programme of work and resources are managed in a holistic and efficient way, to include:
   - Overseeing the integration of the strategic plans into the Organization's programme of work;
   - Managing the process of identification of organizational resource requirements, in a holistic manner, including co-ordinating with different stakeholders;
   - Providing training to staff on IRM principles and practices.
9. 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 accounting, business administration, finance or other related field; a first-level university degree in the said fields in combination with two additional years of relevant experience will be accepted in lieu of the second-level university degree;
• A minimum of seven  years of progressively responsible experience at the international and national levels in the area of resource management, half of which should be at a senior management level, of which five years are in a senior financial management position, preferably in the public sector or an international organization;
• Extensive experience with ERP systems such as Oracle or SAP;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English; knowledge of another OSCE official language is desirable;
• Computer literate, with extensive experience in computer applications, particularly Microsoft Excel spreadsheets;
• 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.

Remuneration Package:

Monthly remuneration is around EUR 9,400, with the actual monthly salary depending on post adjustment and family status. OSCE salaries are exempt from taxation in Austria. Social benefits will include possibility of participation in the Cigna medical insurance scheme and the OSCE Provident Fund. Other allowances and benefits are similar to those offered under the United Nations Common System.

Please note that appointments are normally made at step 1 of the applicable OSCE salary scale.

If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCE's online application link found under https://vacancies.osce.org/. 

The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise/re-post the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment, to offer an appointment at a lower grade or 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.

Candidates interviewed and found suitable in the recruitment process for this vacancy notice will be placed on a roster of suitable candidates (valid for three years) for fixed-term posts, should a suitable opportunity arise. The placement on a roster does not guarantee a future appointment or assignment.

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 qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply to become a part of the Organization.

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.

The OSCE is a non-career organization committed to the principle of staff rotation, therefore the maximum period of service in this post is 7 years.

The mandatory retirement age at the OSCE is 65 years for contracted positions at the general service, professional and director level. The Organization shall apply an age limit of 63 years at the time of appointment as the incumbent selected is normally expected to carry out the contractual obligation of two years. 

Please be aware that the OSCE does not request payment at any stage of the application and review process.