Policy, Procedure and Legal Coordination Officer (P-2)

Principal Functions

Under the direct supervision of the Secretary to the Policy-Making Organs (Director, PMO) and in accordance with the OPCW Core Values of Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity/Gender Equality, the Policy, Procedure and Legal Coordination Officer performs the following duties:

1. To assist the Director, PMO, in the overall preparations of the substantive activities of the Secretariat for the Policy-Making Organs. This includes providing ongoing analysis, research, consultation, and drafting of documents in general, and to coordinate the analysis of the decisions and reports of previous meetings;
2. To assist the Director, PMO, in preparing for regular, Review and Special Conferences of States Parties, Executive Council’s sessions/meetings through monitoring developments in ongoing consultations, drafting of agendas of the above events and by providing related policy, procedural and legal advice in response to internal or external requests coming from national delegations and the Secretariat;
3. To assist the Director, PMO in drafting of official-series documents required by the policy-making organs, including PMO’s contribution to the OPCW’s annual report;
4. To prepare analytical summary of the outcome of sessions/meetings of the Executive Council and sessions of the Conferences of the States Parties and to assist the Director, PMO, in ensuring timely follow-up actions;
5. To act as a coordinator for the review process of outstanding issues for the Executive Council. This task includes providing support to the coordinators of clusters of outstanding issues, and organising outcome of the review process for consideration by the policy-making organs;
6. To maintain a record of precedents relating to the functioning and work of the policy-making organs and other background information for ease of reference in response to internal or external requests;
7. To assist the Director, PMO, in preparing meetings of the Bureau of the Executive Council, General Committee of the Conference, and any other meetings or consultations pertaining to the activities of the OPCW policy-making organs, as requested, and to prepare minutes of the meetings;
8. To assist the Director, PMO, in providing policy, procedural, legal advice and background information to the Chairpersons of the Executive Council and the Conference of States Parties, as well as preparing drafts of the Chairpersons’ statements to the OPCW policy-making organs;
9. To assist the Director, PMO, in drafting of correspondence of the Division, both for external or internal recipients;
10. To perform other duties as required.

Knowledge and Experience

Education

Essential

Advanced university degree in international relations, political sciences, law, or equivalent.  A first level university degree in combination with qualifying experience (minimum of 4 years) in these areas may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

Essential 

1. Minimum of 2 years of professional experience in analytics of meetings/sessions and diplomacy with a high level of client communication in either national administration and/or international environment, preferably in the area of disarmament and non-proliferation with an advanced degree, or 4 years of such experience with first level degree;
2. Proven work experience in multilateral decision-making processes..

Desirable 

1. Experience in an organisation of the UN system.
   
   

Skills and Abilities (key competencies)

Professionalism:

1. Knowledge of and familiarity with international treaties, specifically of the Chemical Weapons Convention, as well as procedural practices of international organisations;
2. Proven analytical skills with regard to analysing developments and trends and ability to conceive and apply original ideas;
3. Demonstrable sense and understanding of political climate and methodologies of multilateral decision making processes;
4. Ability to produce accurate work under time pressure.

Planning and organising:

1. Proven planning and organising skills;
2. Demonstrated ability to multi-task, prioritise and work within deadlines; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary;
3. Flexibility and excellent problem solving skills.

Communication:

1. Excellent inter-personal skills;
2. Excellent communication skills with demonstrated ability to apply tact and accuracy and to present information clearly and logically both in writing and verbally.

Leadership:

1. Is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives relevant to the role;
2. Anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions.

Teamwork:

1. Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organisational goals; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position;
2. Proven ability in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Client orientation:

1. Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions.

Writing Skills:

1. Demonstrated ability (and experience with) writing formal statements and reports in a political/legal context;
2. Proven ability to take and develop minutes.

Computer skills:

1. The ability to perform and work with standard office software (MS Office Suite);
2. A quick learner with new software.

Language Requirements

Fluency in English is essential and a good working knowledge of one of the other official languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) is desirable.