Employee Relations Officer

Background:
This position is open for secondment only and participating States are kindly reminded that all costs in relation to an assignment at the Secretariat must be borne by their authorities.

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, combating human trafficking, 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 Chairpersonship 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 and Policy Unit is responsible for the accurate and timely administration of employee benefits and entitlements through the employee life cycle; for the development and interpretation of the HR regulatory framework; and for the management of employee relations cases, such as grievances. The Unit develops and delivers timely, client focused and innovative approaches on all aspects of HR administration, policies and employee relations.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

- Managing the assigned formal grievance procedures and disciplinary processes, ensuring compliance by the Organization with the due process and procedural requirements, by reviewing submissions from the parties, preparing the analysis of the case, in consultation with the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA), proposing the composition of the investigation panel, and drafting the proposed determination for the Director of DHR;
- Liaising with the OSCE institutions, field operations and staff representatives to implement activities aimed at the promotion of diverse, inclusive and professional working environment and early detection of issues, to resolve HR matters of mutual concern, and to research and propose enhancement to staff/management consultative mechanisms; delivering presentations and interventions in relevant meetings, workshops and training activities;
- Through collaboration with relevant stakeholders, conducting research, participating in inter-agency meetings and/or working groups, to develop and interpret the OSCE’s duty of care framework; identifying trends and issues in this field within the context of HR management across the OSCE, and developing and proposing strategies and feasible solutions to address and mitigate identified risk exposures, with special focus on staff serving in the field and taking due account of gender equality and other institutional values;
- Conducting research for preparation of relevant HR policy papers, analyzing precedents and practice throughout the OSCE, and other international organizations, in order to propose or draft changes to the HR related Common Regulatory Management System (CRMS) and for consideration by the supervisor;
- Providing advice and research on requests for exceptions to the CRMS covering human resources, which includes providing recommendations to DHR management on the creation of precedents under delegated authority, and proposing actions to be taken;
- Performing other related duties as assigned.

Necessary Qualifications:

- First-level university degree in human resource management, law or a closely related field;
- A minimum of seven years (five years with a relevant second-level university degree) of experience in human resource management or administrative law, such as dealing with employee grievances or disciplinary procedures;
- Legal or paralegal experience in drafting and reviewing documents of a procedural and technical issues;
- Experience working in an international or multicultural setting;
- Experience approaching difficult situations with empathy, patience and neutrality;
- Proven experience in the management of sensitive information, whilst displaying confidentiality, integrity and discretion;
- Professional fluency in English with excellent communication (both oral and written) skills;
- 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;

The OSCE