Elections Technical Assistance Officer

Please note that this is a short-term position for the period 1 September – 31 December 2019.

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro is implementing the “Continued Support to the Enhancement of the Capacity of the Electoral Management Bodies” project which aims to support Montenegro’s State Election Commission (SEC) and assist the Montenegrin government in fulfilling OSCE commitments related to administering democratic elections.

The Mission has been providing technical assistance, support and advice to the SEC since 2016. In 2017 and 2018, the Mission provided embedded international expertise and commissioned the development of software for the processing of electoral data. The software was donated to the Montenegrin SEC in February 2019.

In order to ensure that the Montenegrin SEC is further progressing in the areas of transparency, public trust and professionalization in view of the upcoming 2020 parliamentary election, the Mission will hire an international short-term professional who will join the Democratization team and will work at the premises of both Montenegrin SEC and the Mission. The short-term assignment is for the period of maximum four months. It aims to support the Montenegrin SEC with the day-to-day tasks and assess its compliance with international standards, commitments and obligations for democratic elections.

The Elections Technical Assistance Officer will work at the premises of both the Montenegrin SEC and the Mission to support the Montenegrin SEC with the day-to-day work and assess compliance with international standards, commitments and obligations for democratic elections. Under the supervision of the Programme Manager, Democratization Department, and, in close co-ordination with the National Programme Officer, should you be selected you will be tasked with:

1. Organizing meetings and consultations with the SEC Chair, the SEC Secretary, the commissioners and the staff of the SEC Secretariat at least once a week in co-ordination with the Programme Manager in order to identify needs; providing observations and recommendations on how to address those needs and facilitating goals and objectives for the 2019 UB project;

2. Based on the above-mentioned meetings, supporting with technical expertise and providing guidance to the Chair and the Secretary and the Montenegrin SEC staff;   

3. Assisting the Montenegrin SEC with advice on best practices in terms of internal administrative procedures in line with the Montenegrin legislative framework and OSCE values. Due attention should be given to the on-going digitalization process (software for processing of electoral data);

4. Identifying elements that facilitate and/or impede the smooth implementation of the recommendations made by OSCE/ODIHR in the report on the 2016 parliamentary elections and 2018 presidential elections;

5. Sharing knowledge of international best practices on transparency with the Montenegrin SEC and the Municipal Election Commissions of Montenegro (MECs);

6. Together with the Programme Manager and the National Programme Officer, designing and implementing one three-day training workshop for Montenegrin SEC members, SEC staff and MEC representatives on the processes of digitalization and transparency;

7. Supporting the Montenegrin SEC in liaising with local and international actors engaged in the election process to enhance international co-operation and exposure;

8. Co-ordinating with other local and international experts/consultants engaged by the Mission under the 2019 UB project;

9. Providing written weekly progress reports  and updates on additional developments;

10. Performing other duties as assigned.

For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, please see: https://www.osce.org/mission-to-montenegro

• Citizenship of an OSCE participating State, excluding citizenship or permanent residency of the country of the duty station;
• First level university degree in law, political sciences, social sciences, international relations, public policy or other relevant field;
• A minimum of two years of relevant professional experience in electoral assistance, some of which gained at international level;
• Sound knowledge of democratic electoral processes in the region;
• Prior knowledge of functioning and proceeding of election administration bodies;
• Knowledge of the electoral legislative framework in Montenegro and the region as well as the current political situation in South-East Europe would be an asset;
• Professional fluency in English; working knowledge of Montenegrin would be an advantage;
• Excellent negotiation, organizational and co-ordination skills;
• Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, and ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective work relations with persons of different cultural and national backgrounds;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to maintain impartiality, objectivity and confidentiality;
• Ability to work under pressure and within limited timeframes.

Monthly remuneration, subject to social security deductions, is USD 3,084.33 to which the Board and Lodging Allowance (BLA) is added, currently at the rate of EUR 113 per day.

Social security will include participation in the Cigna International medical insurance scheme.

If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCE's online application link found under https://jobs.osce.org/vacancies.

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 applicants 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 http://www.osce.org/states.

The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply to become a part of the Organization.

Please be aware that the OSCE does not request payment at any stage of the application and review process.