Head of the Council of Europe Office in Geneva

The Council of Europe Office in Geneva is in charge of liaison with United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva. It acts as the Council of Europe focal point for co-operation with the United Nations and maintains and develops relations with the United Nations. It is composed of a Head of Office, a Deputy Head of Office and an assistant.

The Office reports to the Directorate of Political Affairs and External Relations (DPAER), which has the overall mandate to assist and advise the Secretariat of the Council of Europe on relevant matters affecting, on the one hand, member and applicant states, and, on the other hand, relations with non-member states, as well as Council of Europe relations with other international organisations and institutions, in particular the EU, the OSCE and the UN. DPAER promotes co-operation and partnerships, increases synergies and enhances external visibility, and co-ordinates the relevant activities in terms of external representation of the Organisation).

As Head of Office in Geneva, you will report and advise on matters which affect the Council of Europe’s relations with the United Nations.

To this end, you will:

• represent the Secretary General of the Council of Europe vis-à-vis the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Human Rights Council and related bodies, the governing bodies of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration and the International Labour Organization, the International Telecommunication Union, where appropriate, as well as other relevant international organisations and institutions in Geneva;
• follow the activities carried out by the UNOG, the OHCHR, the Human Rights Council and related bodies, the governing bodies of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration and the International Labour Organization, the International Telecommunication Union, where appropriate, as well as other relevant international organisations and institutions in Geneva and report on developments relevant to Council of Europe activities and policies;
• contribute to developing and intensifying relations with the United Nations in Geneva; 
• provide support for the preparation, organisation and follow-up of Council of Europe events in Geneva;
• identify opportunities for joint activities and provide advice and support in the planning, negotiation, implementation and reporting on these activities;
• promote diplomatic relations and conduct a proactive media, academic and civil society policy; 
• raise the visibility of the Council of Europe by promoting greater awareness and understanding of its principles, standards and activities;
• prepare high-level Council of Europe visits and provide guidance and support for visits of various Council of Europe institutions;
• manage the Office by allocating roles and responsibilities, setting objectives and evaluating performance; foster co-operation, team spirit and a harmonious working environment with a view to increasing efficiency;
• in close co-operation with the headquarters, deal with administrative, logistical, budgetary and human resources aspects of the Office, including accreditation, privileges and immunities, customs exemption in relation to the host country and international intergovernmental organisations and institutions to which you will be accredited; 
• ensure application and adherence to the administrative rules and procedures of the Office.

• Managerial - Vision and Strategic Insight
• Managerial - Leadership
• Operational - Analysis and problem solving
• Interpersonal - Relationship building
• Interpersonal - Negotiating

• Professional and technical expertise:

• Vision on international affairs, namely knowledge of the international political, economic, social and cultural context; organisational awareness with special regard to the United Nations.
• Diplomatic political experience at senior level in international relations and knowledge of the United Nations system and other assigned international intergovernmental organisations and institutions to which you will be accredited; substantial knowledge of the Council of Europe.  
• ICT skills: ability to use current ICT tools.

• Managerial - Decision making
• Operational - Results orientation
• Interpersonal - Adaptability

• Professional and technical expertise:

• Specific knowledge of the United Nations system.

This vacancy is for a secondment, ruled by Article 23 of Committee of Ministers’ Resolution CM/Res(2012)2. You can consult the conditions of secondment to the Council of Europe (days of leave, allowances etc.) on the webpage What we offer. This secondment foresees the relocation allowance and the travel expenses from the Organisation as indicated in Article 23 of the Resolution.

This secondment should start as soon as possible. 

For more information on how we recruit, you can consult the page Our recruitment process of our Career's website. The deadline for applications is indicated in the General information section of this vacancy notice (see above) and is fixed at 23:59:59 Central European Time (CET). Only applicants who meet the conditions of the Committee of Ministers’ Resolution CM/Res(2012)2) and who best meet the abovementioned criteria will be considered for selection and for the next stage.

As an equal opportunity employer, the Council of Europe welcomes applications from all suitably qualified people, irrespective of sex, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or social origin, disability, religion or belief. Under its equal opportunity policy, the Council of Europe is aiming to achieve gender parity in staff employed in each category and grade.At the time of appointment, preference beetwen suitable people shall be given to the person of the gender which is under-represented in the relevant grades within the category to which the vacancy belongs.

Applicants with specific needs are encouraged to request reasonable accommodations at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact us at [email protected], we will ensure that your request is handled.

The information published on the CoE’s careers website regarding working conditions is correct at the time of publication of the vacancy notice. Any changes to these conditions during the recruitment process will beupdated on our Portal and will apply at the time of the job offer. Our career's website is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have. Should you have remaining questions, please contact us at [email protected].