Top employers in Vienna: A primer

For a small city with a population of just over 1.5 million, Vienna boasts an impressive number of agencies and organizations working within global development. Devex looks at these organizations — taking into account their headquarters, organization size, funding and budget, and project reach — to highlight the top global development employers in Vienna. Vienna has ranked highest in the world for “quality of life” in the annual Mercer Quality of Living survey for the ninth year running. As Austria’s political and economic center, the city was also praised for providing resident and international staff with high security, excellent public transportation, and a range of cultural and recreational activities. Most notably, the Austrian capital is home to what is known as the Vienna International Center, also commonly referred to as “UNO City,” with the United Nations Office in Vienna at the center. One of the four headquarters of the U.N. — along with New York, Geneva, and Nairobi — UNOV provides common services to organizations based in the Vienna International Center, liaising in Vienna with permanent missions to the U.N., the host government, and intergovernmental organizations and NGOs. View job openings with UNOV here. A number of other U.N. organizations also have their headquarters or regional offices in Vienna. UN in Vienna Energy Sustainable Energy for All: A global platform that uses research to bring together diverse leaders and mobilize new strategies to finance energy access, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. Narcotics International Narcotics Control Board: The independent and quasi-judicial monitoring body for the implementation of the U.N. international drug control conventions. U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime: A global leader in the fight against illicit drugs and crime, and the U.N.’s lead program on terrorism. Environment Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention, UN Environment: The convention provides a framework for cooperation and multisectoral policy coordination, a platform for joint strategies for sustainable development, and a forum for dialogue between all stakeholders involved. International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River: A transnational body that was established to implement the Danube River Protection Convention. Displacement and migration U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees: The agency leads and coordinates international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. International Organization for Migration: The leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration, which works closely with governmental, intergovernmental, and nongovernmental partners to promote human rights and orderly migration. U.N. Register of Damage Caused by the Construction of the Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: The group documents damage caused by the construction of the Wall by Israel in the Palestinian Territories, including in and around East Jerusalem. It receives processes and reviews claims related to material loss or damage. Nuclear and other weapons International Atomic Energy Agency: The agency mandated to work with member states and multiple partners worldwide to promote safe, secure, and peaceful nuclear technologies. IAEA also contributes directly to achieving nine of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization: The commission promotes the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, which is not yet in force. Its main tasks are the promotion of the treaty and building up the verification regime. U.N. Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation: The committee mandated by the U.N. system to assess and report levels and effects of exposure to ionizing radiation for governments and organizations worldwide. U.N. Office for Disarmament Affairs, Vienna Office: The office provides support for norm-setting in the area of disarmament through the U.N. General Assembly and its first committee, the disarmament committee, and other bodies. It fosters dialogue and provides objectives, impartial, and up-to-date information to member states. Industry and trade U.N. Industrial Development Organization: A specialized agency of the U.N. that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization, and environmental sustainability. United Commission on International Trade Law: A group mandated by the U.N. General Assembly to further the progressive harmonization and unification of the law of international trade. The commission has established six working groups, each dealing with a different topic. Other U.N. Postal Administration: The administration creates stamps to artistically promote the aims of the organization and provide income. Human rights, the environment, endangered species, and peace are some of the subjects visualized in the stamps. U.N. Office for Outer Space Affairs: The U.N. office responsible for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. It also prepares and distributes reports, studies, and publications on various fields of space science and technology application and international space law. Beyond the U.N., there are a number of funding agencies, consulting firms, institutes, and NGOs based in Vienna working in the global development space. Here are a few to consider if you are looking for jobs in the sector. NGOs, agencies, and more in Vienna Austrian Development Agency ADA is the operational unit of the Austrian Development Cooperation that plans, finances, and supports development programs and projects on behalf of the Austrian government. Founded: 2004 Mission: To work in close collaboration with public institutions, NGOs, enterprises, and local partners in order to improve the living conditions of people in Africa, Asia, South-Eastern and Eastern Europe, and the Caribbean. Focus areas: Poverty reduction; peace and security; environmental conservation; development education and communication in Austria. Staff number: 150 Other officers: Kosovo, Albania, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique, Bhutan, and the Palestinian Territories. Funding info: ADA has supported 3,500 projects worth €1 billion in the past 10 years. View job openings with ADA here. OPEC Fund for International Development OFID is a development finance institution established by the member states of OPEC to act as a channel of development aid. Founded: 1976 Mission: To eradicate poverty by fostering South-South partnerships with fellow developing countries worldwide. Focus areas: Energy; transportation; strengthening financial systems; agriculture; water and sanitation; industry; health; telecommunications; education. Organization info: OFID has 13 member countries: Algeria, Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. Funding info: OFID’s resources are made up of voluntary contributions from its member countries, income from its investments, and loan repayments. OFID provides financial assistance to help partners realize specific development goals in these areas. It does this through public sector loans, direct support to private enterprise, trade financing, and grants. View job openings with OFID here. Renewable Energy and Energy Efficient Partnership REEEP is an international multilateral partnership with its international secretariat based in Vienna and regional secretariats on the ground globally. Founded: 2002 Mission: To accelerate the market-based deployment of renewable energy and energy efficient systems in developing countries. Focus areas: Smart cities; cross-sector systems; energy access. Organization info: The partnership now comprises more than 350 partners, including 45 governments, private companies, and international organizations. Funding info: REEEP is currently funded primarily by sovereign governments, multilateral groups, and international organizations. The group is also furthering collaboration with global foundations in this space. Human Dynamics Human Dynamics, headquartered in Vienna, is a specialized provider of consulting services for public sector clients with a focus on transitioning and developing countries. Founded: 1993 Mission: To help countries to develop, integrate, and implement workable poverty reduction strategies through improved policy and financial management functions. Focus areas: Institutional; infrastructure; judicial development. Staff number: 70 permanent in-house staff. The group also has field offices in most countries of operation and is working with 300+ field experts at any one time. Other offices: Turkey, Serbia, Belgium, Germany, Bulgaria. Organization info: Initial geographic focus was on Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, but it has expanded to include the Caucasus, Southern and Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. Funding info: Contract volume of €130 million for 2018. In the Vienna office, public sector knowledge, extensive project management, and field expertise are highly valued. View job openings with Human Dynamics here. International Center for Migration Policy Development ICMPD is an international organization with 17 member states. It holds U.N. observer status and cooperates with more than 200 partners including EU institutions and U.N. agencies. Founded: 1993 Mission: To make migration and mobility of people orderly, safe, and regular through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies. Focus areas: Border management; preventing and curing irregular migration; return and readmission; asylum and international protection; combating trafficking in human beings; legal/ labor migration/immigration; social cohesion; migration and development. Staff number: 200+ Other offices: A mission in Brussels and regional offices and representatives worldwide. Funding info: ICMPD receives funding from member states, the European Commission, the U.N., and multilateral and bilateral donors. View job openings with the ICMPD here. World Vision Austria World Vision is one of the largest international aid organizations, delivering long-term development cooperation and disaster relief. The Christian faith is the basis and motivation of their work but the organization is nondenominational and supports children and families regardless of religion, nationality, culture, or gender. Founded: 1998 Mission: To support children, families, and communities to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustices. Focus areas: Eight long-term regional development projects in five countries: Mozambique, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, and Vietnam. Organization info: World Vision Austria is one of 20 fundraising and support offices. The World Vision Partnership has almost 40,000 staff working globally across 100 countries. Funding info: World Vision Austria raises approximately half of its funds from private donations, and the remaining from public donors such as the Austrian government, the EU, and the U.N. CARE Austria CARE is one of the largest private aid organizations worldwide and CARE International now consists of 14 independent national member organizations, including CARE Austria. Founded: 1986 Mission: CARE works around the world to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice Focus areas: Project work in Africa accounted for 37 percent of CARE Austria’s expenditure in 2017, followed by work in the Middle East at 35 percent. Staff number: 44 Funding info: In 2017, the total income of CARE Austria amounted to €29.8 million with the organization's project costs totaling €21.4 million. CARE Austria received 55 percent of its public funds that year from the EU. Domestic public funds made up 18 percent and private donations accounted for 27 percent of funding. Operations info: In 2017, CARE Austria handled 84 projects in 26 countries.