International Consultant - Strategic OSH and Duty of Care Consultant (SSA)

Background:

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) with 57 participating States is the world’s largest regional security organization. All 57 participating States enjoy equal status, and decisions are taken by consensus on a politically, but not legally binding basis.
For more detailed information on the structure and work of the Secretariat, please see: http://www.osce.org/secretariat

The Department for Human Resources (DHR), through its Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) function, supports the health, safety and wellbeing of personnel across the OSCE Secretariat and executive structures. The portfolio includes occupational health and medical support, psychosocial support, health risk management, prevention, staff wellbeing, return-to-work and workplace accommodation, as well as support to field operations and managers.

As DHR develops its strategic priorities for 2027 and beyond, there is an opportunity to strengthen how OSH is integrated into broader human resources and workforce management. The assignment is intended to move beyond individual services and initiatives and establish a clearer organizational architecture for OSH and duty of care, including governance, accountability, interfaces with HR and management, minimum standards, priorities and measurable outcomes. The work should preserve appropriate professional independence and confidentiality while strengthening organizational ownership of health, safety and wellbeing risks.

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

Objective of Assignment:

The objective of the assignment is to provide an independent strategic assessment of the OSCE's current OSH and duty of care arrangements and to develop a practical operating framework and implementation roadmap for 2027-2029. The consultant will support DHR in defining how OSH should be positioned within people and workforce management, clarify organizational responsibilities and decision-making, identify priority areas for development, and propose a sustainable model that can be implemented across the Secretariat and executive structures.

Duration of Assignment:

The assignment is expected to take place from end of October to 31 December 2026, for up to 32 working days. The work will be primarily home-based, with one mission to Vienna anticipated, subject to operational requirements and agreement with the OSCE.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

Under the overall supervision of the Chief Medical Officer, the successful candidate(s) will be tasked with the following duties:

• Conduct an inception and desk-review phase, including review of relevant OSCE policies, staff instructions, organizational structures, strategic priorities, existing OSH services, initiatives and available workforce/health data.
• Undertake targeted consultations with relevant stakeholders in DHR, OSH, management and selected executive structures to understand current arrangements, needs, gaps, overlaps, dependencies and expectations.
• Assess how OSH, staff wellbeing and duty of care are currently positioned within HR and workforce management, including governance, accountability, professional interfaces, escalation routes and management responsibilities.
• Review relevant approaches and good practice from comparable UN and international organizations, with particular attention to integrated duty of care, organizational wellbeing and occupational health governance.
• Develop a proposed OSH-DHR operating model that clarifies roles and interfaces between central OSH, HR functions, managers, field structures and other relevant stakeholders, while safeguarding medical confidentiality and professional independence.
• Develop a governance and accountability framework, including proposed decision rights, organizational responsibilities, coordination mechanisms and a practical allocation of roles across central, regional and local levels.
• Define strategic priorities for 2027-2029, including minimum service standards, priority workstreams, performance indicators and monitoring arrangements.
• Identify resource and capability requirements and provide options for a sustainable implementation model, taking account of organizational size, geographic dispersion and operational context.
• Prepare a prioritized implementation roadmap and present key findings and recommendations to DHR leadership and other stakeholders, incorporating feedback into the final package.

Deliverables:

1. Inception note, confirmed scope and current-state mapping - by 30 October 2026.
2. Organizational assessment based on stakeholder consultations, identifying key gaps, overlaps and opportunities for stronger integration of OSH into HR and workforce management - by 20 November 2026.
3. Draft OSH-DHR operating model and governance/accountability framework, including roles, interfaces and decision rights - by 18 December 2026.
4. Draft strategic framework for 2027-2029, including priorities, minimum service standards, key performance indicators and resourcing principles - by 18 December 2026.
5. Final consolidated Duty of Care Framework and 2027-2029 implementation roadmap, including leadership presentation and handover package - by 31 December 2026.

Necessary Qualifications:

• • Second-level university degree in organizational psychology, psychology, occupational health, organizational development, social science or another relevant field; a first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
  • A minimum of 7 years of working experience in duty of care, organizational wellbeing, occupational health, human resources, organizational development or a closely related field, preferably in international organizations;
  • Demonstrated experience designing organization-wide strategies, frameworks, governance arrangements or operating models related to staff health, wellbeing, duty of care or workforce management;
  • Experience working with the international organizations, humanitarian organizations or similarly complex multicultural organizations is highly desirable;
  • Strong understanding of organizational accountability, leadership responsibilities and the interface between specialist health/wellbeing functions and HR or workforce management;
  • Knowledge of occupational health, psychosocial risk, staff wellbeing and duty of care in complex or high-risk operating environments;
  • 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 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.
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Remuneration Package:

Remuneration will be based on the selected consultant's/expert's qualifications, experience, the tasks and deliverables for this position and in accordance with the OSCE established rates.

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

The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise/re-post the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment or to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration.

Only those candidates who are selected to participate in the subsequent stages of recruitment will be contacted.

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.

Candidates should be aware that OSCE officials shall conduct themselves at all times in a manner befitting the status of an international civil servant. This includes avoiding any action which may adversely reflect on the integrity, independence and impartiality of their position and function as officials of the OSCE. The OSCE is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. For more information on the values set out in OSCE Competency Model, please see https://jobs.osce.org/resources/document/our-competency-model.

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