Counter-Terrorism Officer (S)

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.

The duties and requirements of this seconded (S) position correspond to a P3-level role in the UN common system. Candidates should, prior to applying, verify with their respective nominating authority to which extent financial remuneration and/or benefit packages will be offered. Please note that seconded staff members in the OSCE Secretariat and Institutions are not entitled to a Board and Lodging Allowance payable by the Organization.

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.

OSCE Ministerial Council Decision MC.DEC/9/11 of 7 December 2011 established the Transnational Threats Department (TNTD) as part of the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna, Austria. TNTD plays a key role as the focal point of OSCE-wide programmatic activities aiming at countering transnational threats and ensuring the co-ordination and coherence of action across all three OSCE dimensions among all executive structures, while respecting their mandates. TNTD comprises the Co-ordination Cell, the Action against Terrorism Unit, the Border Security and Management Unit and the Strategic Police Matters Unit.

The Action against Terrorism Unit (ATU), operating under the Transnational Threats Department (TNTD) within the OSCE Secretariat, serves as a pivotal element in the organization's counter-terrorism efforts. Led by the Head of the Unit (H/TNTD/ATU) who reports directly to the TNTD Co-ordinator, the ATU stands as the central node for information, co-ordination, and implementation of counter-terrorism activities. This unit embodies the OSCE's commitment to combating terrorism, as mandated by decisions from the Permanent and Ministerial Council meetings, especially in enforcing the “OSCE Consolidated Framework for the Fight against Terrorism” as per PC Decision No. 1063.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

The incumbent, under the supervision of the Deputy Head and guided by the Head of the ATU, plays a crucial role in advancing the Unit’s objectives in the fight against terrorism. As a key team member, the individual is responsible for monitoring and reporting on anti-terrorism developments, identifying areas for assistance, and formulating policy and project proposals. This role involves proposing actionable courses to supervisors, enhancing activity implementation, and mobilizing extra-budgetary funds. The incumbent’s contributions are not limited to team collaboration; they also extend to facilitating interactions among participating States, focusing on technical assistance and co-operation. This proactive engagement in project design and implementation underscores the individual's vital role in fostering collaborative efforts to combat terrorism.

More specifically, the Counter-Terrorism Officer will be tasked with the following:

1. Participating in the conception, development, implementation and the evaluation of OSCE counter-terrorism programmes or projects in line with the OSCE counter-terrorism commitments; monitoring programme/project development and implementation; at each stage of the process, identifying possible problems and issues to be addressed and proposing corrective actions; liaising with relevant parties and stakeholders, including national authorities and external experts; identifying and tracking follow-up actions;
2. As a portfolio manager, following closely the developments occurring in a series of thematic areas pertaining to counter-terrorism and/or identified as key issues to the TNTD/ATU activities; With a strong focus on human rights, rule of law, and strong awareness on gendered aspects of violent extremism and terrorism, identify trends and possible gaps; and propose course of action; Capturing best practices and lessons learned; Facilitating their proper dissemination within the OSCE environment;
3. Participating actively as a representative of the TNTD/ATU in counter-terrorism activities set up by other OSCE institutions and bodies, international and regional organizations as well as other stakeholders;
4. Facilitating the co-ordination of the assigned portfolio activities with those developed by other OSCE Institutions and Field Operations; Reporting to the relevant OSCE bodies as required, including the Security Committee; Providing expert advice as requested by the Secretary General or the Chairman-in-Office through the Head of the Unit;
5. Avoiding overlapping and duplication of work, identify, exploring and fostering synergies and complementarities between the ATU and possible project partners; Drawing on OSCE strength in terms of facilitation abilities and political visibility;
6. Facilitating interaction between the participating States following PC Decision No. 1063 and other relevant OSCE documents, including bilateral technical assistance and co-operation in the assigned portfolio. Identify, together with the interested participating States, gaps, needs, requirements and resources for assistance in implementing counter-terrorism measures; Assisting in identifying possible additional tasking by the Permanent Council of the OSCE field presences in close co-operation and agreement with host governments; Assisting H//TNTD/ATU and the Deputy Head in providing guidance to fund managers of OSCE executive structures to facilitate the achievement of the established counter-terrorism goals;
7. Performing other related duties as assigned.

For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Secretariat, please see: Secretariat | Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

Necessary Qualifications:

• A first-level university degree in international relations, political science, criminology, international law, human rights, terrorism studies, security studies or a closely related field;
• A minimum of seven years (five years with a relevant second-level degree) of progressively responsible and relevant professional experience in political affairs, with a strong focus on human rights;
• Understanding of UN SCR 2242 and the women, peace and security agenda, and at least two years with international organizations and previous experience at the OSCE (Institutions/field operations) is a distinct asset;
• Solid understanding of the global counterterrorism framework and relevant OSCE documents and UN resolutions;
• Established relevant professional experience in human rights and rule of law;
• Established relevant experience in project management and donor relations;
• Experience liaising with a wide range of stakeholders, including high-level government and international organizations;
• Professional fluency in English with excellent communication (both oral and written) skills; Working knowledge of at least one other language from the OSCE region is 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;
• Digital literacy to operate windows applications including word processing and email.

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.

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 open for secondment, should a suitable opportunity arise. The placement on a roster does not guarantee a future appointment or assignment.

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.

Additional Information

• Issued by: OSCE Secretariat
• Requisition ID: SEC000956
• Contract Type: International Secondment
• Grade: S
• Job Type: Seconded
• Number of posts: 1
• Location: SEC - OSCE Secretariat, Vienna
• Issue Date: Jul 16, 2026
• Closing Date: Aug 13, 2026
• Employee Status: Fixed Term
• Schedule: Full-time
• Education Level: Bachelor's Degree (First-level university degree or equivalent)
• Job Field: Political Affairs
• Target Start Date: As soon as possible