About Us

The OPCW’s mission is to implement the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention to achieve our vision of a world free of chemical weapons in which chemistry is used for peace, progress, and prosperity, and to contribute to international security and stability, general and complete disarmament, and global economic development.

The OPCW was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons.

General Information

• Contract Type
  Fixed-term Professional
• Grade
  P2
• Total Estimated monthly remuneration depending on post adjustment and family status: USD
  6,942
• Closing Date
  04/06/2026

Responsibilities

Job Summary

The Secretariat for the Policy-Making Organs (PMO) facilitates meetings and wider consultations between States Parties—as well as meetings and consultations between States Parties and the Technical Secretariat (TS)—by providing substantive and operational support to their decision-making process, coordinating the preparation of official-series and other formal documents (including editing and translation), and providing interpretation services for formal meetings.

The Associate Conference Services Officer works under the direct supervision of the Director, Secretariat for the PMO (D/PMO), and ensures overall logistical coordination of the Sessions of the Conference of States Parties (the Conference) and of the Executive Council (the Council) and their subsidiary bodies. The role carries out the planning, budgeting, coordination, and delivery of conference services and ensures that all logistical, documentation, and technical requirements are met for the effective and efficient running of sessions, meetings and events.

Main Responsibilities: 

1) Conference Management: 

• Ensure logistical planning and coordination of the sessions and meetings of the OPCW PMO, including the Conference, the Council, and its subsidiary bodies and committees, and TS briefings;
• Conduct analysis, provide recommendations and operational support in conference management, logistics, budgetary oversight, contract administration, and risk management;
• Develop and implement action plans, schedules, and contingency measures, coordinating across OPCW divisions, and external service providers;
• Ensure availability and readiness of conference rooms, conference registration portal, external venues, audio-visual systems, interpretation services, document distribution, livestreaming, confidentiality and security arrangements, and coordination of side events and exhibitions conducted in the margins of formal sessions;
• Serve as primary operational and technical focal point during sessions, providing on-site support for conference systems and troubleshooting audio-visual equipment technical issues, managing last-minute changes, high-level delegation requests, and protocol-sensitive issues;
• Maintain expert knowledge of conference room technologies, digital meeting platforms, and procedures relevant to the work of PMO. Liaise internally and with external providers to assess and implement relevant system upgrades, testing, system improvements/replacements;
• Communicate with delegations and the Head, Language Services Branch, to ensure that the interpretation teams, while servicing meetings of the policy-making organs, receive timely, accurate information, documentation, and due consideration for time constraints which may affect their work;
• Liaise with delegations and TS staff on organisational matters relating to meetings and events;

• Manage the performance of, and supervise the activities of two staff and temporary staff, including volunteers, during the meetings and sessions of the PMO, ensuring professional conduct, readiness of meeting rooms, effective delivery of services to delegates and TS personnel, maintenance of records of the policy-making organs, operation in accordance with OPCW policies and procedures, and dissemination of meeting information to delegates and staff.

2) Operations Management:

• Support the oversight of conference and event budgets, including forecasting, monitoring, and implementation, ensuring cost-effectiveness and compliance;
• Contract administration and supplier performance for venues, audio-visual services, catering, livestream support, and security equipment within the budget, in accordance with OPCW procurement rules and State Parties’ requirements;
• Assist the D/PMO, in the drafting of the biennium budget for meetings that are scheduled and financed by PMO. This includes accurately forecasting the material and other resources required for sessions of the Conference and of the Council, meetings of the subsidiary bodies, formal and informal consultations of delegations and the PMO, and other TS meetings;
• Coordinate projects and initiatives carried out by PMO;
• Initiate actions, relating to the coordination and delivery of meetings and conferences, particularly in anticipation or correction of situations where anomalies occur or new requirements arise;
• Conduct research and prepare recommendations for business continuity plans for the Conference and the Council sessions, and other critical activities of the PMO, monitors its implementation, and act as a risk management focal point. Assists the D/PMO on matters related to divisional risk, and conducts risk assessment.

 3) Documentation and Other Support: 

• Oversee the distribution of documents through PMO’s conference registration portal, confidential official-series documents to delegations and staff, through operational management of the OPCW Documentation Counter. This includes analysing documentation requirements of delegations and making proposals to D/PMO, to meet those requirements in support of Division objectives;
• Prepare, in consultation with D/PMO, official-series documents emanating from the policy-making organs and official-series documents for information purposes;
• Ensure preparation of various statistical analysis and reports to external sponsors, such as host-government reporting related to conference programme implementation;
• Ensure regular feedback process is maintained in the PMO with its two main stakeholders: delegates and TS Directors and Branch Heads;
• Act as an alternate for the Policy and Legal Coordination Officer, as requested;
• Support meetings of the Bureau of the Council and General Committee of the Conference, as well as subsidiary bodies;
• Assist the Director, PMO on knowledge management and communication classification policy of the OPCW.

Qualifications and Experience

Education

Essential:

• An advanced degree in Public and/or Business Administration, Communication Sciences, Economics, Management or related field;
• A first level university degree in combination with qualifying experience (minimum 4 years) may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Desirable:

• Certified trainings in Project Management, Conference Management and related areas.

Knowledge and Experience

Essential:

• A minimum of two years of professional conference and event management experience, preferably in an international organisation;
• Demonstrated experience in project management, contract administration, budgeting, and high-level drafting skills;
• Experience in conference diplomacy and procedures related to conferences, exhibitions, and meetings;
• In-depth knowledge and expertise in conference technology systems;
• Demonstrated supervisory experience.

Desirable:

• Knowledge or experience working with the CWC and Member States is desirable;
• Work experience in the UN Common System is also desirable.

Skills and Competencies

• Excellent and proven planning, organisational, coordination, negotiation and problem-solving skills;
• Ability to coordinate the work of others, work to tight deadlines and handle multiple concurrent activities. Demonstrated capacity for effective teamwork in a multicultural environment;
• Strong analytical, drafting, and reporting skills;
• Excellent stakeholder management with high-level diplomats and senior officials;
• Excellent inter-personal and communication skills with demonstrated ability to apply tact and accuracy and to present information clearly and logically both in writing and verbally;
• Advanced proficiency in SharePoint, ERP Systems, MS Excel, and conference management tools;
• Ability to work harmoniously with people in an international environment as well as maintain confidentiality;
• Good knowledge of protocol matters.

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

Please note that all vacancies will close at 22:00 The Netherlands local time on their respective closing day. Thereafter, the vacancy announcements will no longer appear in the Candidate Portal and you will no longer be able to submit your application. We recommend that you apply well in advance of the deadline.

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.

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.

According to article 8 paragraph 44 of the Chemical Weapons Convention the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.

OPCW is committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. OPCW recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.

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’.