Serbia, anticipated election

Recruitment for the Election Observation Mission to Serbia

Based on the findings of the Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) conducted from 6 to 10 July 2026, ODIHR is preparing, in accordance with its mandate, for the possible deployment of an Election Observation Mission (EOM), pending the announcement of an election date and receipt of an official invitation to observe anticipated early parliamentary elections in Serbia in 2026. 

To facilitate the timely deployment of a possible ODIHR EOM once the election date is announced, ODIHR is undertaking advance recruitment to establish a pool of qualified international election experts for the following profiles:

• Head of Mission
• Deputy Head of Mission
• Political Analyst (2 positions)
• Election Analyst 
• Legal Analyst
• Media Analyst
• Long-term Observers Co-ordinator

Procedure

All assignments are temporarily contracted positions and their duration will be for approximately eight weeks. ODIHR retains the discretion to re-advertise the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment, or to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration. 

Candidates should be available for deployment at short notice following the announcement of election date. They must be citizens of OSCE participating States, excluding citizens of Serbia. 

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.

Please complete the following steps in order to apply:

1. Register in the ODIHR Election Expert Database (if you have already registered, please move on to the next steps)
2. Complete or update all sections of Your Profile, including your personal information, professional experience, training, and education (complete your profile accurately, as ODIHR will select you on the basis of the information provided)  
3. Using the Election Expert Database, apply for the positions indicated under Available Vacancies (please note that you may apply for a maximum of two core team positions)
4. Check the status of your applications once the recruitment is completed under Recruitment Result and receive an automatic notification via e-mail

The deadline for applications is 18:00 CET, 17 August.

Please note that it will not be possible to apply after the deadline. Applications that are not submitted through the ODIHR Election Expert Database will not be considered. 

ODIHR retains the discretion to re-advertise the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment, or to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration. The OSCE is an equal opportunity organization and encourages applications from women candidates.

Remuneration will be in accordance with established OSCE election consultancy rates. Coverage of travel expenses and a standard per diem will be provided by ODIHR, in accordance with OSCE travel policies.

Long-term and short-term observers

Based on the recommendation of the Needs Assessment Mission, OSCE participating States will also be requested to second 32 long-term observers and 300 short-term observers. Should you wish to become a long-term or a short-term observer, please contact your respective national focal point for election observation. Seconded vacancies are not published on the ODIHR Election Expert Database but you need to have a completed profile in the database to be nominated by your focal point.

In addition, a limited number of funded long-term observer positions may be available for direct recruitment by ODIHR, financed through the Diversification Fund. Access to these vacancies requires the creation of a profile in the ODIHR Election Expert Database. The posting of potential vacancies does not guarantee that a selection process will take place, as the final decision on whether to utilize funded long-term observers is only taken by ODIHR based on need and available resources shortly before deployment.