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:
- Diplomatic experience or experience working in political affairs with international organisations or governments
- Experience in preparing analytical reports
- Excellent communication and drafting skills
- Knowledge of regional political history and developments
- Diplomatic and negotiating skills
- Some knowledge of the OSCE principles and commitments
Level of Professional Competence Requirements
Furthermore, this level of responsibility requires the following:
Education:
Second-level university degree in law, political or social science; advanced degree in a management discipline an asset. A first-level university degree in combination with two years of additional qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the second-level university degree or in relevant cases: a certificate from a Police or Military War College at the commissioned officer level is highly desirable.
Experience:
Minimum 10 years relevant, diversified and progressively responsible professional experience including at least 5 years at the management level relevant to the actual position.
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;
- At least 10 years of relevant professional experience (12 years with relevant first-level degree), with at least 5 years at the management level relevant to the actual position, and including six years in jobs related to minority rights and minority issues;
- Demonstrated knowledge of the political situation in Kosovo, the situation of non-majority communities, and of national minorities in the region;
- Established competency to organize, conduct meetings and negotiations, and write reports;
- Established experience in programming and project management, preferably on issues related to minorities and international human rights protection standards;
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English;
- 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 operate Windows applications, including word processing and email.
Desirable:
- Additional specialization in human rights protection mechanisms;
- Prior work experience in Kosovo would be welcome and considered an asset;
- Working knowledge of local languages including Serbian, Croatian, or Bosnian, or other languages spoken in the Mission area.
Tasks and Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision of the Head of Mission, the successful candidate will be tasked with the following duties:
- Identifying legal, political and other priority issues of concern for persons belonging to non-Albanian communities, ensuring close collaboration and communication with the Department for Human Rights and Communities and Office of Political Affairs and Communications. Indicating issues of concern for persons belonging to communities, which have the potential to escalate into conflict scenarios. Engaging in proactive advocacy and facilitation to resolve potential issues and/or to protect and promote the rights of persons belonging to non-majority communities;
- Supporting the mainstreaming of community rights into the Missions' overall programming; Advising, as appropriate, the Head of Mission, programmatic departments and offices, on immediate or systematic action to enhance and mainstream non-majority community rights into programme implementation; Advising departments on practical ways to enhance and mainstream community rights into programme implementation;
- Supporting the programmatic departments in the efficient planning of programmes, policies and activities, and their implementation regarding the protection and promotion of the rights of persons belonging to communities;
- In consultation with the Head of Mission, engaging and representing the Mission in outreach, conflict resolution and mediation activities related to non-majority communities, in particular related to security and property issues obstructing their return;
- Regularly meeting with representatives of communities in Kosovo, in particular the Kosovo Serb community, at the governmental and municipal levels throughout Kosovo, to discuss their concerns and to advise them on the protection and promotion of their rights. Participating and providing inputs for activities of relevance to communities, including community meetings, roundtables, seminars, workshops, and conferences;
- Advising the Head of Mission, Deputy Head of Mission and Mission Senior Management in developing policies that prioritise community issues needing an immediate Mission response, complementing Mission work on the protection and promotion of community rights in Kosovo; Addressing identified immediate response issues in terms of outreach to the affected community, institutions, and collecting relevant information to serve as the basis for designing the Mission’s response; Daily monitoring of open source and Mission information regarding community issues throughout Kosovo, gathering data including in collaboration with relevant sections and field offices; drafting thematic briefs, analysis and reports; working closely with resident participating States representation as appropriate;
- Reviewing existing policies and legislation in Kosovo to identify trends, gaps and other inconsistencies in the area of community rights with a special focus on non-Albanian communities. Following developments regarding the situation of communities and related legislative, policy and institutional frameworks, and providing advice for integration of communities’ perspectives in such developments.
For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, please see: OSCE Mission in Kosovo
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.
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 open for secondment, should a suitable opportunity arise. The placement on a roster does not guarantee a future appointment or assignment.
The OSCE is a non-career organization committed to the principle of staff rotation; therefore, the maximum period of service in this post or in the same Mission is seven 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.
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.
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 Mission in Kosovo
- Requisition ID: KOS000494
- Contract Type: International Secondment
- Grade: S4
- Job Level: Senior Management
- Job Type: Seconded
- Number of posts: 1
- Location: KOS - OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Prishtine / Pristina
- Issue Date: Jul 1, 2026
- Closing Date: Jul 29, 2026
- Employee Status: Fixed Term
- Schedule: Full-time
- Job Field: Political Affairs
- Target Start Date: As soon as possible
