About Us

The Inspectorate Division is responsible for the efficient and effective deployment of inspection teams to both military and commercial facilities around the world, as required by the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The Division maintains readiness to conduct Challenge Inspections and Investigations of Alleged Use, and to deploy the Rapid Response and Assistance Mission (RRAM) to Member States, as needed, in the event of a chemical incident.

General Information

• Contract Type
  Fixed-term Professional
• Grade
  P4
• Total Estimated monthly remuneration depending on post adjustment and family status: USD
  9,788
• Closing Date
  18/12/2023

Responsibilities

Job Summary

The Operations and Planning Branch (OPB) plans, coordinates, and monitors all OPCW missions.

The Branch’s Situation Centre (SitCen) provides 24-hour support, ensures secure reliable communications, and provides information analysis to help senior management decision-making and crisis management operations.

Main Responsibilities

The post holder will undertake the following duties:

Conduct long and Short Term Chemical Weapons and Industry Inspection Planning.

Review the annual verification plan. Conduct a detailed resource-based analysis. Identify resource limitations and develop an implementable Inspection Plan. Select Inspection Team Leaders. Direct the composition of the Inspection Teams based upon an evaluation of the specific mission requirements, detailed facility information and past inspection experience. Direct employment priorities in the event of conflicts.

Plan for the implementation of the world-wide OPCW verification regime for Chemical Weapons.

Monitor States Parties’ Annual Destruction Plans and develop long-term options for the on-site verification of compliance with the CWC. Compare these options with the mid-term budget in order to identify resource constraints. Develop planning options to ensure an effective verification regime. Review the budget-based OPCW Annual Inspection Plan and conduct a resource-based analysis. Identify conflicts and make planning proposals. Plan for the effective use of all inspection resources in the implementation of the OPCW verification regime.

Oversee the implementation of the Short Term Chemical Weapons and Chemical Industry Inspection Plans.

Co-ordinate an average of 83 Chemical weapons and 241 industry inspections annually in cooperation with the other MPC. Oversee the mission preparation activities of the Inspection Team. Instruct the Inspection Team on country specific issues and past inspection experience. Co-ordinate mission preparations with other divisions/branches and other OPB staff sections. Such coordination includes, but is not limited to financial, logistics and administrative aspects Assess the Inspection Team preparedness for its mission. Review the progress of each inspection, anticipate problems and refer issues to the applicable agency within the Secretariat. Direct action by the Inspection Team. Collect and collate operational lessons learned. Develop remedial measures to avoid re-occurrence of problems. Write Working Procedures for Inspection Teams at Chemical Weapons Destruction Facilities and mission planning related processes.

Plan and organise inspectors’ assignments and activities.

Manage the mission assignments, training and leave.

Provide information and coordinate SMPC-specific IT requirements.

Provide statistical data to Senior Management and to States Parties regarding Inspection Activities and Operational Information. Coordinate projects for OPB involving the Inspector Rostering Solution (Quintiq) and the Electronic Mission Warning Order (EMWO).

Serve as the point of contact with National Authorities.

Maintain a regular contact with the States Parties’ local delegations and National Authorities. Participate in bilateral discussions, acting as the authority for operational policy issues.

Qualifications and Experience

Education

Essential:

1. You should have an advanced university degree or equivalent from a recognised institution in a job related field.
2. A first level university degree in combination with qualifying experience (minimum 9 years) may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
3. Equivalent or specialized training in combination with at least 13 years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of a university degree.

Desirable: Management of IT projects.

Knowledge and Experience

Essential:

• Make sure you have at least 7 years of relevant experience in activities that relate to the planning for and movement, by a variety of transportation alternatives, or sizeable numbers of personnel and sensitive equipment is required and 9 years with first level degree
• Experience working in an environment that handles classified information

Desirable:

• Experience in logistics and administrative management
• Experience in crisis management or dealing with emergency situations is highly desirable
• Experience in transport and handling of dangerous goods is desirable
• Experience in using resource scheduling application, or project management software

Skills and Competencies

To succeed in this role you will need the following skills and competencies:

• A thorough understanding of the overall planning and operational/logistical support requirements associated with the movement of personnel and equipment by air, rail and road;
• IT knowledge, in general, and of relational databases, in particular, is highly desirable.

Other Skills:

• A well-developed sense of judgment, an ability to work well with others under time-sensitive conditions where innovative and imaginative planning/problem solving skills are necessary;
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal;
• Flexibility and ability to work under pressure;
• Tact, discretion, and the ability to work harmoniously in a multi-cultural environment.

Languages

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.

Additional Information

This fixed-term appointment is for the duration of two years with a six-month probationary period, and is subject to the OPCW Staff Regulations and Interim Staff Rules.

The OPCW is a non-career organisation with limited staff tenure. The total length of service for Professional staff shall not exceed 7 years.

The mandatory age of separation at the OPCW is 65 years.

Fixed-term staff members participate in the OPCW provident fund. A monthly staff contribution is met with a doubled amount by the OPCW to ensure separating staff have the capital necessary to move on to new challenges.

The Director-General retains the discretion to not make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description. Several vacancies may be filled.

Only fully completed applications submitted before the closing date and through OPCW CandidateSpace will be considered. Only applicants under serious consideration for a post will be contacted.

Applications from qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged.

OPCW General Terms and Conditions

Important notice for applicants who are currently insured under the Dutch Social Security system

Although headquartered in the Netherlands, the OPCW is not a regular Dutch employer but a public international organisation with its own special status. Please be advised that if you are currently insured under the Dutch Social Security system, you will be excluded from this system as a staff member of the OPCW. You will consequently be insured under the organisation’s system. The above also applies to your dependents unless they are employed by a regular Dutch employer, they are self-employed in the Netherlands, or are receiving Dutch social security payments.

Please refer to the website of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment for more information about the possible consequences for you and your dependents, such as exclusion from ‘AWBZ’ and ‘Zorgverzekeringswet’ coverage: ‘Werken bij een internationale organisatie’.