Senior Democratization and Media Officer (S2)

General Minimum Requirements

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 

Field of Expertise Requirements

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

• University education in political sciences, social sciences, international relations, public policy, law or equivalent
• Work experience in either public administration, relevant international organisations, civic associations (including CSOs), media, political parties/affairs or political development
• Demonstrable organisational, communication, analytical and interpersonal skill.

Level of Professional Competence Requirements

Furthermore, this level of responsibility requires the following:

Education:

First-level university degree in a relevant field; a second-level university degree in a relevant field is preferred.

Experience:

• Minimum 6 years of relevant professional experience.

Mission Specific Requirements

Additionally, this particular post has specific requirements:

Mandatory:

• International mission members in the OSCE are internationally recruited. For the purposes of OSCE Missions (Field Operations) this means that they are hired to work in a duty station outside of their home country or country of permanent residence. As a result, nationals and permanent residents of the duty station are not eligible for international mission member positions. In the case of individuals with multiple nationalities, candidates are still ineligible for consideration even if using another citizenship for application while simultaneously maintaining the citizenship or permanent residence status of the country where the duty station is located;
• Extensive knowledge and experience on senior level in democracy issues such as support to civil society organizations, women and youth, media and freedom of expression and/or extensive experience in development work with national and local institutions and media in transition countries;
• Proven experience in monitoring, reporting, policy-making and/or institutional reform projects in the democratic governance and media fields;
• Excellent knowledge of relevant OSCE and international principles, standards and commitments on democratic governance and legislative and professional standards for media;
• Extensive program and/or project management experience;
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills;
• Negotiation and diplomatic skills and experience;
• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to draft reports, work under pressure, manage multiple tasks and process large amounts of information within short deadlines;
• Professional fluency in English, with excellent communication skills (both oral and written);
• Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, with the ability to integrate a gender perspective into projects, tasks and activities;
• Ability and willingness to work as a member of a team, with people of different cultural and religious backgrounds, different genders and diverse political views, while maintaining impartiality and objectivity;
• Computer literacy with practical experience using Microsoft applications.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of the political environment relevant to the OSCE Presence in Albania and the overall political situation in South Eastern European countries;
• Working experience in international organizations or relevant institutions in the field of democratic governance or media development.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Head of Democratization Department, the successful candidate will be tasked with the following duties:

1. Providing strategic direction for democratization initiatives, including capacity building for democratic governance institutions and media;

2. Offering policy advice to Head of the Democratization Department on democratization-related issues, including media related matters;

3. Working on the development and enhancement of democratic governance institutions and legislation, aligning local standards with OSCE and international norms;

4. Providing advice on best practices and standards regarding democratization and governance legislation;

5. Strengthening institutional independence and promoting democratic governance practices, including assisting relevant institutions and media actors in the development of effective laws and regulations for independent media and its Code of Conduct;

6. Developing, administering and monitoring the implementation and evaluation of democratization projects, including support for civil society, women, youth and media, including developing horizontal and cross-departmental approach of the OSCE Presence in Albania;

7. Preparing and delivering relevant written and verbal communications, such as analytical reports, presentations, briefing notes and policy papers on democratic governance issues and media;

8. Organizing and administering training seminars, workshops and visiting delegations focused on democratization and media;

9. Establishing and maintaining contacts with key stakeholders, including government officials, media representatives, civil society leaders and representatives from democratic institutions;

10. Tracking developments and incidents related to freedom of the media and freedom of expression and liaising with the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media;

11. Collaborating with international organizations, media outlets, civil society organizations and, if necessary, with OSCE colleagues in neighbouring missions and relevant OSCE institutions;

12. Attending meetings and representing the Presence and the Department on democratization topics as required;

13. Deputizing for the Head of the Democratization Department upon request;

14. Performing other duties as required.

For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Presence in Albania  please see: Presence in Albania | OSCE

The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages the nomination of qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious, ethnic and social backgrounds. Please note that nationals or permanent residents of the country of the duty station are not eligible to apply.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.