Recruitment of local support staff for the Election Observation Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is the leading agency in Europe in the field of election observation. The Office co-ordinates and organizes the deployment of numerous observation missions, with thousands of observers, every year to assess the compliance of elections in OSCE participating States with OSCE commitments and other international standards and obligations for democratic elections, and with national legislation. ODIHR’s unique methodology provides in-depth insights into all elements of an electoral process, allowing the Office to offer concrete recommendations to further improve electoral processes. Further details about ODIHR can be found at www.osce.org/odihr.

Following an official invitation to observe the 4 October general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in accordance with its mandate, ODIHR is preparing to deploy an Election Observation Mission (EOM) for these elections. In this respect, ODIHR is looking to recruit local support staff for the below positions on a full-time basis:

Advance Team support positions:

• EOM/BiH Senior Operations Expert Assistant                                            – 1 position,
• EOM/BiH Senior Procurement and Contracting Officer Assistant              – 1 position,
• EOM/BiH Senior Procurement and Contracting Officer Assistant (HR related, temporary)    – 1 position,
• EOM/BiH Security Expert Assistant                                                         - 1 position,
• EOM/BiH Office Driver with vehicle                                                     - 1 position.

Administrative positions:

• EOM/BiH Front Office Assistant                                                            - 1 position,
• EOM/BiH Senior ICT Assistant                                                               - 1 position,
• EOM/BiH Office Cleaner                                                                       - 1 position,
• EOM/BiH Security Operations Room Assistant                                        - 3 positions,
• EOM/BiH Security Guards                                                                     - 2 - 4 positions,
• EOM/BiH Office Driver  with vehicle (temporary)                                    - 1 position,
• EOM/BiH Junior Operations Expert Assistant (temporary)                        - 3 positions,
• EOM/BiH ICT Assistant (temporary)                                                       - 1 position,
• EOM/BiH Office Driver with vehicle                                                     - 3 positions.

Programmatic positions:

• EOM/BiH Executive Assistant to the Head of Mission                             – 1 position,
• EOM/BiH Senior Administrative Assistant to the Deputy Head of the Mission                                                                                                                                  – 1 position,
• EOM/BiH Senior Political Analyst Assistant                                            – 3 positions, 
• EOM/BiH Senior Election Analyst Assistant                                              – 1 position, 
• EOM/BiH Senior Legal Analyst Assistant                                                  – 1 position,
• EOM/BiH Senior Media Analyst Assistant                                                 – 1 position,
• EOM/BiH Media Monitors                                                                     – 6 positions,
• EOM/BiH New Voting Technologies Analyst Assistant                            – 1 position,
• EOM/BiH Senior Long-Term Observers Coordinator Assistant                 – 1 position,
• EOM/BiH Senior Parliamentary Liaison Officer Assistant (up to two weeks around Elections period)                                               – 2 positions.

Regional positions:

Regional positions - support staff to Long Term Observers (locations are subject to change, confirmation at a later stage of recruitment):

• Long Term Observer Assistant/Interpreter in Doboj                                     – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Driver in Doboj                                                         – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Assistant/Interpreter in Banja Luka                             – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Driver with vehicle in Banja Luka                              – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Assistant/Interpreter in Bihać                                     – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Driver with vehicle in Bihać                                       – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Assistant/Interpreter in Brčko                                     – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Driver with vehicle in Brčko                                      – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Assistant/Interpreter in Prijedor                                  – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Driver with vehicle in Prijedor                                    – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Assistant/Interpreter in Zvornik                                  – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Driver with vehicle in Zvornik                                    – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Assistant/Interpreter in Livno                                     – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Driver with vehicle in Livno                                       – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Assistant/Interpreter in Mostar                                   – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Driver with vehicle in Mostar                                     – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Assistant/Interpreter in Sarajevo                                 – 2 positions
• Long Term Observer Driver with vehicle in Sarajevo                                  – 2 positions
• Long Term Observer Assistant/Interpreter in Tuzla                                      – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Driver with vehicle in Tuzla                                       – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Assistant/Interpreter in Zenica                                    – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Driver with vehicle in Zenica                                     – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Assistant/Interpreter in Trebinje                                 – 1 position
• Long Term Observer Driver with vehicle in Trebinje                                   – 1 position

For more information about the responsibilities and requirements of each post, please read the terms of reference in the Key Resources section at the bottom of this page.

Start date of employment for advance team support positions:     12 August 2026 (approx.)

Start date of employment for administrative positions:               14 August 2026 (approx.)

Start date of employment for programmatic positions:               20 August 2026 (approx.)

Start date of employment for regional positions:                          28 August 2026 (approx.)

Approximate duration of employment: 6-8 weeks (depending on the position) 

Location for advance and core teams: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Locations for regional teams: please refer to “Regional positions” section

Candidates must be citizens or permanent residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina.  

Remuneration is commensurate with the qualifications of the incumbent and requirements of the post, and is similar to those offered under the United Nations Common System for general services employees (in accordance with established OSCE rates). Social security will include participation in the OSCE life and accident disability insurance scheme.

Application procedure: Those interested in applying should forward their most recent curriculum vitae in English to hr-BiH@odihr.pl indicating the position for which you are applying (e.g. EOA/BiH Senior Election Analyst Assistant, ).

Each candidate may apply for up to three positions in separate e-mails. Please do not attach photographs, motivation letters and certificates. Additional relevant information should be submitted only upon request. 

The applicants without the required experience may be considered in case of an insufficient number of fully qualified applications received by the application deadline.

Applications received after the deadline or with no indication of the position for which the candidate applies, will not be taken into consideration.

Application deadline: 

For advance team positions –  10 August 2026, 17:00 local time

For administrative positions – 13 August 2026, 17:00 local time

For programmatic positions – 17 August 2026, 17:00 local time

For regional team positions –  21 August 2026, 13:00 local time

The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise 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 shortlisted applicants 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.

Note: No application fees are required by ODIHR for its recruitment process at any stage (application processing, interview meeting, training or any other fees).

Terms of reference for advertised positions can be found under the links below.