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.

The Department of Management and Finance (DMF) is responsible for managing the material and financial resources of the Organization. The objective of DMF is to provide efficient and effective management of non-staff resources in support of OSCE programmatic activities. It provides policy guidance on the management of OSCE financial and material resources and develops and maintains OSCE Financial Regulations and Rules and Financial Administrative Instructions. DMF consists of Budget and Finance Services, Mission Support Section, Information and Communication Technology Section and the Information Security and Co-ordination Unit.

Mission Support Section (MSS) provides the working framework for OSCE's procurement and contracting assets, logistics, transport, travel and facilities management activities. It also acts as the policy development and co-ordination point for resource administration in the OSCE's Executive Structures in relation to these activities, including providing on-site assistance and technical training programmes.

Tasks And Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Procurement and Contracting Officer, as Senior Contracts Assistant, you will be the primary contact point for certain tasks relating to corporate, regional or local window contracts and one-off agreements concluded by the OSCE Secretariat. More specifically, you will be tasked with:

Maintaining a tracking system for contract expiration and extension dates, alerting procurement staff/program managers of expiring contracts or contracts requiring corrective actions and providing timely notice to OSCE vendors on continuation or termination;

Notifying the relevant business unit on an annual basis, of the timeline for submitting the contractor performance evaluation form;

Preparing cases for the OSCE Secretariat's contract committees;

Monitoring annual expenditures under the various agreements to ensure compliance with the approved financial ceiling amounts;

Drafting contract amendments for extension and other required changes;

Supporting the Procurement and Contracting Officer in negotiation/renegotiation of contracts to ensure optimal pricing, delivery times, warranties and after sales service;

Complying with OSCE standard terms and conditions to ensure they take priority over vendors own conditions;

Performing due diligence, ordering industry standard business reports, reviewing registration documents and performing market research on vendors;

Preparing requests for quotations as well as tenders, including review of technical specifications and Terms of Reference (TOR); liaising with the requisitioning parties to ensure evaluation criteria are established prior to issuing a solicitation document;

Evaluating bids and financial proposals and ensuring that technical evaluation reports are duly finalized;

Raising purchase orders as well as other system procedures in the Oracle database;

Providing ad-hoc reports and statistical information on contract management issues, as required;

Reviewing the content and usage of the OSCE procurement manual and suggesting potential improvements;

Co-ordinating and providing input on trainings in procurement or contracting, as required;

Performing other related duties as assigned such as travelling to other OSCE Institutions or field operations.

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

Necessary Qualifications

Completed secondary education supplemented by formal technical training, commercial courses and courses on procurement techniques and processes, particularly with regard to contracting;

CIPS level 3 or any equivalent public procurement or supply chain certification is highly desirable;

Bachelor's degree in Law, Business Administration, Commerce, Supply Chain or similar is an advantage;

Six years of relevant procurement experience gained in an international organization; a legal or commercial background would be beneficial;

Field experience with international organizations would be an asset;

Professional fluency in written and spoken English, including good communication and drafting skills; knowledge of other OSCE working languages, in particular German and Russian, would be an asset;

Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, and an ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities;

Ability to work with minimum supervision and under time pressure;

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;

Proficiency in standard office computer applications, including Microsoft Word and Excel; knowledge of Oracle applications would be an asset.

Remuneration Package

Monthly remuneration, subject to social security deduction, is EUR 4,640 (12 times a year). OSCE salaries are exempt from taxation in Austria. Social benefits will include possibility of participation in the Cigna medical insurance scheme and the OSCE Provident Fund.