Administrative Officer

at  OSCE

Background
The OSCE Support Programme for Ukraine (Programme) 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 Programme - 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) Support Programme for Ukraine within the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC) at the OSCE Secretariat (SEC). The Programme is planned to run until 31 July 2025. The post extension is subject to the availability of funds as well as the extension of the project duration.
Please note that the post is located in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Tasks and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Director for Management and Finance, the incumbent will be responsible for the most efficient use of the Programme resources. In approving and co-ordinating administrative actions, the incumbent will be accountable for ensuring that they are taken and implemented within budget allotments and available resources. The Common Regulatory Management System, respective OSCE financial instructions, and staff rules and regulations shall guide the incumbent’s activities and decisions. The role requires solid judgement and co-ordination with administrative and operational components in the OSCE Secretariat. Furthermore, the incumbent will be tasked with the following:

• Directing the overall application of the Common Regulatory Management System within the Programme; advising the supervisor and the senior administration of the Programme on administrative policies and the management of financial and material resources; advising on budgetary consequences of Programme initiatives; and implementing administrative/finance instructions and adapting them to local conditions, when necessary in coordination with the Secretariat; consulting the senior administration of the Programme on the course of action to be taken when urgent and compelling circumstances dictate deviation from the application of the Common Regulatory Management System.
• Ensuring that financial resources of the Programme are used in accordance with the Financial Regulations, Rules and Instructions; ensuring that internal mechanisms are in place for the processing control and reporting of financial transactions; acting as administrative approving officer for the Programme, and ensuring that sufficient alternate approving officer is designated as required; ensuring that financial reports are prepared in accordance with the Financial Regulations, Rules and Instructions.
• Ensuring that the needs of the Programme for goods and services are accurately assessed and properly budgeted; procuring goods and services in accordance with the Financial Regulations and Rules, procurement standards and Instructions of the Organisation are within the limits of delegated authority; providing one half of the dual approval to ensure contracted Programme activities are carried out in accordance with requirements; ensuring that contracts are drawn up in accordance with OSCE standards and formats and that procedures are in place to ensure proper contract administration, monitoring and control; and approving contract awards for the Programme.
• Establishing a supply chain system to deliver goods and equipment where and when they are needed, including the functions of receipt, inspection, supply, warehousing, transport and distribution; overseeing activities related to the inventory control for the Programme: recording of items, updating of records, write-off and disposing of obsolete equipment; implementing asset management standards, including vehicle management and inventory system of IRMA; ensuring efficient use, distribution, maintenance and operational readiness of the vehicle fleet for the Programme; implementing building management policies and standards of the Programme and ensuring that they are observed when renting, refurbishing, occupying or using premises of the OSCE operations; implementing the Organisation’s travel policies and ensuring that cost-effective arrangements are in place to administer travel funds.
• Ensuring that an information/technology local area network is in place and properly maintained in accordance with the standards of the Organisation; ensuring that telephone, radio, voice and data transmission systems are in place and maintained utilizing landline or satellite facilities; ensuring that the required equipment, software, operating and maintenance systems are secured to keep the systems in good operating order; and implementing instructions on information technology and communication matters and adapting them to local conditions and operating requirements as necessary.
• Implementing the records and documents management system of the Programme applying the common standards for registry, distribution, local filing and retrieval; implementing the electronic retrieval system of the Programme of centrally maintained records, documents, and archival system; and implementing the Organisation’s standards for classification, handling, disposal, and archival of documents including institutional memory documents.
• Performing a variety of miscellaneous tasks, including liaising with local authorities on matters related to the status of international and local staff in the host country; liaising with local authorities on general administrative issues; reviewing selected portions of the local law as they affect administrative issues of relevance to the Organization, seeking legal advice and proposing solutions to management.
• Performing other related duties as required.

For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Secretariat, please see https://www.osce.org/secretariat.

Necessary Qualifications

• First-level university degree in public or business administration, administrative law, or other relevant field, preferably with specialization in finance or accounting;
• A minimum of seven years (five with a second-level university degree) of progressively responsible professional experience in general administration and/or accounting, preferably in an international environment or within operational missions;
• Professional fluency in English with excellent communication (both oral and written) skills; working knowledge of Ukrainian is an asset;
• Flexibility, good managerial and organizational skills and ability to work under pressure.
• 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 a 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;

Remuneration Package
Monthly remuneration is around EUR 7,200, with the actual monthly salary depending on post adjustment and family status. 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.

• Directing the overall application of the Common Regulatory Management System within the Programme; advising the supervisor and the senior administration of the Programme on administrative policies and the management of financial and material resources; advising on budgetary consequences of Programme initiatives; and implementing administrative/finance instructions and adapting them to local conditions, when necessary in coordination with the Secretariat; consulting the senior administration of the Programme on the course of action to be taken when urgent and compelling circumstances dictate deviation from the application of the Common Regulatory Management System.
• Ensuring that financial resources of the Programme are used in accordance with the Financial Regulations, Rules and Instructions; ensuring that internal mechanisms are in place for the processing control and reporting of financial transactions; acting as administrative approving officer for the Programme, and ensuring that sufficient alternate approving officer is designated as required; ensuring that financial reports are prepared in accordance with the Financial Regulations, Rules and Instructions.
• Ensuring that the needs of the Programme for goods and services are accurately assessed and properly budgeted; procuring goods and services in accordance with the Financial Regulations and Rules, procurement standards and Instructions of the Organisation are within the limits of delegated authority; providing one half of the dual approval to ensure contracted Programme activities are carried out in accordance with requirements; ensuring that contracts are drawn up in accordance with OSCE standards and formats and that procedures are in place to ensure proper contract administration, monitoring and control; and approving contract awards for the Programme.
• Establishing a supply chain system to deliver goods and equipment where and when they are needed, including the functions of receipt, inspection, supply, warehousing, transport and distribution; overseeing activities related to the inventory control for the Programme: recording of items, updating of records, write-off and disposing of obsolete equipment; implementing asset management standards, including vehicle management and inventory system of IRMA; ensuring efficient use, distribution, maintenance and operational readiness of the vehicle fleet for the Programme; implementing building management policies and standards of the Programme and ensuring that they are observed when renting, refurbishing, occupying or using premises of the OSCE operations; implementing the Organisation’s travel policies and ensuring that cost-effective arrangements are in place to administer travel funds.
• Ensuring that an information/technology local area network is in place and properly maintained in accordance with the standards of the Organisation; ensuring that telephone, radio, voice and data transmission systems are in place and maintained utilizing landline or satellite facilities; ensuring that the required equipment, software, operating and maintenance systems are secured to keep the systems in good operating order; and implementing instructions on information technology and communication matters and adapting them to local conditions and operating requirements as necessary.
• Implementing the records and documents management system of the Programme applying the common standards for registry, distribution, local filing and retrieval; implementing the electronic retrieval system of the Programme of centrally maintained records, documents, and archival system; and implementing the Organisation’s standards for classification, handling, disposal, and archival of documents including institutional memory documents.
• Performing a variety of miscellaneous tasks, including liaising with local authorities on matters related to the status of international and local staff in the host country; liaising with local authorities on general administrative issues; reviewing selected portions of the local law as they affect administrative issues of relevance to the Organization, seeking legal advice and proposing solutions to management.
• Performing other related duties as required