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, 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 Chairmanship in its activities, and provides operational and administrative support to the field operations, and, as appropriate, to other institutions.
The Department of Human Resources (DHR) ensures that the OSCE has the human resources capacity necessary to successfully implement its mandates. DHR sets the policies and provides services in the areas of talent acquisition, administration of benefits and entitlements, payroll, performance management, talent development, and policy and employee relations across the Organization.
The HR Administration & Payroll Unit, is responsible for implementation of HR management policies of the organization, in particular through advice and HR administration for onboarding of newcomers/transfers or separations of current staff, Junior Professional Officers (JPOs) and interns; contract management; administration of benefits and entitlements, administration of social security packages to all categories of staff funded from both, Unified Budget (UB) and extra-budgetary (ExB) resources, payroll and administration of compensation schemes (salary scales, PAM, BLA, hazard pay). It provides the full range of the above-mentioned HR support services to management and staff at OSCE as first-line support for the Secretariat and Freedom of the Media (FoM), and as secondary-line support to all other OSCE executive structures. In addition, the HR Administration & Payroll Unit co-ordinates the process of duty station determination with regard to family/non-family and hardship statuses. The unit also performs protocol function, related to accreditation by the host government of staff located in Vienna and issuance of OSCE IDs for Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to all OSCE Executive Structures. In the discharge of its functions, the Unit provides advisory and consultative support to the Secretariat, Institutions and Missions.
Tasks and Responsibilities:
As Senior HR Assistant, you provide client-oriented guidance to OSCE colleagues on the full range of HR administrative procedures during the employment life cycle from onboarding until separation, in particular, their contractual arrangements, entitlements, benefits and social security coverage in the OSCE Secretariat and Freedom of the Media; you also review, establish eligibility and process those in ERP system upon certification of the HR Officer; you ensure that personnel records and documents are retained in line with the organizational procedures; in performing your duties you maintain close co-operation with your HR colleagues in the team, DHR and counterparts in other OSCE Executive Structures. As service-oriented colleague, you contribute to improvement of HR Administration systems and processes. In particular, you will be responsible for the following duties:
Monitoring contractual status, and based on performance review recommendation, implementing regular step increments and/or prepare letters of appointment/terms of assignment; drafting all related correspondence and administering contracts for staff in organizational units for which the incumbent is responsible;
On the basis of knowledge of policy guidelines and interpretation of regulations, rules and procedures, drafting correspondence related to entitlements, allowances and benefits. In cases where exceptions arise, researching available guidelines and policy files and preparing recommendation for consideration by HR Officer;
Reviewing applications for entitlements, determining eligibility, calculating, processing necessary changes and briefing Vienna and Prague based staff members in the Professional and General Service categories upon appointment, temporary assignment, transfer or separation, regarding salaries and related allowances, as well as a range of benefits and entitlements such as installation grant, removal of household effects upon appointment or separation, dependency benefits, education grant, education grant travel, rental subsidy, entitlement travel, including appointment travel, home leave and travel upon separation/change of duty station, repatriation grant, and ensuring the completion of payroll clearance formalities, as well as payment of all entitlements upon separation;
Answering queries and administering staff members’ enrolment, change to or withdrawal from appropriate social security schemes: health, duty-incurred life/accident disability, including participation in the extended life and accident disability, temporary incapacity and OSCE Provident Fund;
Answering queries from the staff members and following up on cases regarding implementation of special leave without pay, maternity leave and extended sick leave. Comparing entitlements of staff members insured with the national security system against payments due from the OSCE in case of maternity/extended sick leave, and preparing necessary calculation on possible rectification regarding salary and insurance premium;
Inputting the changes in connection with appointments, extensions, reassignments, transfers, promotions, changes in status or benefits/entitlements, social security participation and separations in the HR module to feed the data for payroll processing;
Performing other related tasks as assigned.
Necessary Qualifications:
Completed secondary education; post-secondary training in personnel administration-related issues is an asset;
A minimum of six years of relevant professional experience, preferably in an international environment;
Good drafting skills, ability to work with figures; accuracy in completing forms and tables/lists and data entry; attention to detail. Ability to organise and to establish work priorities. Customer orientation. Tact and discretion;
Professional fluency in English with excellent communication, both oral and written skills; knowledge of another official language of the OSCE, especially German or Russian, 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;
Computer literate with practical experience using Microsoft applications, including human resources databases. Knowledge of ORACLE applications is a distinct asset.
