Intern, Direction and Policy (Vienna)

Background:

The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is the principal institution of the OSCE responsible for the human dimension. ODIHR is active throughout the OSCE area in the fields of election observation, democratic development, human rights, tolerance and non-discrimination, and the rule of law.

The Office of the ODIHR Director recruits an intern to be located in liaison office in Vienna for a period up to 6 months starting on 1 September 2016

(Please note the starting date is subject to change. Please kindly mention your availability dates in the cover letter).

The selected intern will work in the Office of the ODIHR Director (its liaison office located in Vienna) and have an excellent opportunity to gain a broad overview of the current activities of the OSCE/ODIHR. The selected intern will be involved in the daily work of the ODIHR Director’s Office team in support of the Director, contributing to the team’s major outputs: development of broad organizational objectives, management and direction of the operation of the ODIHR; the implementation of its programme activities and commitments (including implementation of the HDIM); interpretation of political developments, and defining and forecasting their impact on OSCE operations and on the policies and programmes of ODIHR, etc.

The selected intern(s) will be tasked with the duties outlined below:

• Assisting the Head of the Director’s office and the Advisers of the Director in monitoring the implementation of OSCE commitments, including research and analysis of recent political developments and compiling information on specific issues related to the ODIHR mandate and activities;
• Assisting in ODIHR’s Liaison work to the Decision Making bodies of the OSCE in Vienna;
• Assisting with the organization and implementation of the conferences and follow-up thereto, including the preparation of Human Dimension events;
• Assisting in the preparation of written materials including reports, overviews, briefing papers and/or documents on general or specific issues and/or specific countries or regions;
• Assisting in preparations for the Director’s and the Head of the Director’s Office meetings and travels, including compiling background information, helping with the preparation of working files, taking minutes and preparing reports;
• Participating and note-taking at internal co-ordination meetings, including following up on associated tasks;
• Assisting the team in its daily activities and performing other duties, including filing and archiving, as requested.

Necessary Qualifications:

• Applicants should be from an OSCE participating State;
• Students in their final year of full-time studies from an accredited institution in International Relations, Political Science, Law, Journalism, Humanities, or similar field, at graduate or postgraduate level; or recent graduates or postgraduates, i.e. within two years after graduation;
• Previous exposure and/or experience in dealing with human rights issues is an asset;
• Good working knowledge of English, both oral and written; knowledge of Russian and German is highly desirable;
• Strong analytical, research, communication and reporting skills are essential;
• Strong organizational skills with ability to process and classify information quickly and efficiently;
• Good judgement and ability to handle sensitive information in a discrete manner;
• Experience in conference organization and/or project is highly desirable;
• Excellent IT knowledge, familiarity with Microsoft Office and Internet applications;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people from different national and cultural backgrounds, while maintaining impartiality and objectivity.

Remuneration Package:

The OSCE is not in a position to pay any remuneration or cover any expenses incurred by the intern during his/her stay nor reimburse travel expenses. Some compensation towards the cost of living may be offered to interns who do not reside in the place of assignment, subject to availability of the funds.

The selected intern may participate in the group health insurance scheme at his/her own expense, but the OSCE will cover life and accident/disability insurance. If the intern opts to arrange his/her own medical coverage, he/she shall provide evidence of medical coverage for the duty station he/she applies to, and for any eventual duty trip destinations.

The internship does not constitute a commitment to future employment with the OSCE.

How to Apply:

If you meet the above requirements and wish to apply for this internship opportunity, please use the OSCE's online application link found under http://www.osce.org/employment. Please mention your availability dates in the cover letter.

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 retains the discretion to re-advertise the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment, or offer an internship with modified terms of reference or a different duration.

The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, 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.