Chief Commercial Officer

   1. OVERVIEW OF DIANA 

The Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) is NATO’s newest body. From across the Alliance, DIANA will bring together innovators and operational end users to foster a transatlantic ecosystem supporting dual-use ground-breaking innovation in deep technologies.  

DIANA is an independent NATO body comprised of an Allied Board of Directors and an executive management team - the DIANA Executive (DX). Operating out of regional offices in Europe and in North America, the DX will carry out DIANA’s mission: accelerating deep tech, dual-use solutions to critical transatlantic challenges in defence and security. The DX will use Challenge Programmes in line with a published Strategic Direction, as the primary vehicle to accomplish this mission. DIANA is a dynamic, agile and hybrid workplace, which strives for innovation, diversity, and excellence. In order to achieve these aims, DIANA is committed to providing our people with an environment that is positive, inclusive, and collaborative.

   2.OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE 

DIANA’s Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) will manage and oversee tactical and strategic activities related to identifying, pursuing, enabling, and establishing commercial growth opportunities for DIANA’s innovator cohorts. This includes brokering and facilitating pathways for revenue and adoption via traditional Allied defence and security stakeholders and broader markets in alignment with DIANA’s unique dual-use model and holistic defence vision.

The CCO role is crucial in driving the overall commercial strategy of DIANA’s Accelerator Programme, aiming to help DIANA establish an expanded innovation base across the Alliance’s geographic footprint. The CCO will be responsible for delivering the Grow phase of DIANA’s accelerator efforts, working in close partnership with the Chief Operating Officer. The CCO will lead in the identification of relevant market opportunities for DIANA’s start-up cohorts, building sustainable strategic partnerships with venture, growth and scale-up partners driving dual-use market expansion in the Alliance, and provide critical commercial inputs to the development and evolution of DIANA’s Challenge Programmes and its accelerator curriculum.  

As a member of the DIANA C-Suite, the CCO reports directly to the DIANA Managing Director. The CCO’s team will be multinational -- having a presence throughout the DIANA offices in London, Tallinn, and Halifax -- and will be structured in a manner that is more commercial than any other element of DIANA. 

Main duties of this role include: 

• Supporting the Managing Director in the standing up of DIANA and its operational framework to be well positioned to reach Full Operating Capability in 2025 and beyond. 
• Leading the data-centric reporting on all DIANA’s commercialisation activities to the Allied Board of Directors, providing comprehensive updates on progress, risks, and key milestones. 
• Build and maintain the DIANA’s venture team: tasked with creating and executing processes for brokering DIANA’s startup cohort outputs to EDT investor needs; including devising methodologies for identifying trusted capital for defence end-user communities. 
• Establish bridge partnerships and alignments between conventional defence groups and communities within NATO and external technology market players; empowering DIANA’s aims related to accelerated technology development, joint venture partnerships and frictionless procurement. 
• Catalyse the expansion of a dual-use growth ecosystem. Establish enduring partnerships with the commercial sector; particularly amongst public and private investors and industry. 
• Maintain a database of contacts and organizations to support a cohesive investment community spanning the Allied Nations; covering a range of risk appetites, investment cheque sizes, and sectoral specialties. 
• Contribute to the delivery and continuous development of the DIANA Accelerator Programme in collaboration with DIANA affiliated accelerator sites; requiring close coordination with the Chief Technology Officer, the Chief Operating Officer, and Military Deputy Director. 
• Working on a daily basis with all members of the DIANA C-Suite and Senior Management Team to ensure coherence, consistency, and prioritization of activities throughout the DX in order to deliver our strategic priorities in a fiduciarily responsible manner.  
• Identifying, selecting, managing, and motivating individuals and teams to achieve results and enhance performance. Provide in-depth mentoring, coaching, and training opportunities and be available to offer feedback and guidance at critical moments.  
• Promoting diversity and inclusion across the DX and promote integrity, professionalism, and accountability through a sound and inclusive leadership culture.  
• Represent DIANA in public fora, as requested by the Managing Director, as well as in discussions with NATO partners and other stakeholders. 
• Perform any other related duties as may be required. 

   3.ROLE REQUIREMENTS, QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE 

ESSENTIAL 

The incumbent must have: 

• A Master’s degree, or equivalent, from an institute of recognised standing in a relevant field to DIANA and 10 years of post-related experience in technology entrepreneurship/innovation and strategy at national/international level OR 
• A Bachelor’s degree with 15 years post related experience in technology entrepreneurship/innovation and strategy at senior national/international level. 
• Experience as a Board level Director within private and/or governmental entities in the field of technology. 
• Direct experience within the venture capital sector, specifically with fundraising, investments, or the formation of new VC funds (such as participation in LP negotiations at international level). 
• A minimum of 5 years in senior leadership roles, including experience as founder/CEO, CCO or senior manager; overseeing vision, business and go-to-market strategy, technology roadmap and delivery, financial, administrative, project and human resources functions. 
• Extensive experience in an industry-leading technology-related organisation or in a high-tech, high-growth start-up environment. 
• A proven track-record of working and negotiating with experts across defence and security subject matter domains and functions; engaging with operational experts and international working groups and fora to advance deep-tech projects and programs.  
• Experience in leading, guiding, and developing diverse teams of professionals in complex and dynamic environments. 
• Advanced knowledge of current and emerging and disruptive technologies and trends and the track record of providing support to innovative business and entrepreneurs in this domain. 
• The following minimum levels of NATO’s official languages (English/French): V (“Advanced”) in one; I (“Beginner”) in the other. 
• A valid security clearance at NATO Secret, at the time of appointment.  

DESIRABLE  

The following would be considered advantageous:  

• Possess experience within a global deep-tech accelerator program. 
• Strong working knowledge of NATO and Allied technology and innovation ecosystems, including NATO cooperation with industry formats and forums, NATO defence planning, procurement policies and resilience work-streams. 
• Experience in advising high-level civilian and military stakeholders (ministerial equivalent) on issues related to deep-tech development and the management of multi-year, multinational programs.  
• Record of accomplishment of participation in high-level technology, business and defence and security events and fora as a speaker, moderator, and panel participant 
• Familiarity with the strategic issues and security challenges facing the Alliance regarding innovation and emerging and disruptive technologies, including NATO sectorial EDT strategies.  

   4.WHAT WE OFER 

• Genuinely meaningful work as part of the newest unit within the most successful alliance in history. 
• Tax-free salary. 
• Household and children’s allowances and privileges for expatriate staff including expatriation and educational allowances (where applicable) and additional home leave. 
• Excellent private health insurance scheme. 
• NATO pension scheme. 
• Generous annual leave of 30 days plus official holidays. 
• Flexible working conditions and a smoke-free office in London. 
• Opportunities for learning and development. 

In accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations, the successful candidate will receive a definite duration contract of three years, which may be followed by an extension. The maximum period of service in the post is six years. 

If the successful applicant is seconded from the national administration of one of NATO’s member States, a 3-year definite duration contract will be offered, which may be renewed for a further period of up to 3 years subject to the agreement of the national authority concerned. The maximum period of service in the post as a seconded staff member is six years. 

Appointment will be subject to receipt of a security clearance (provided by the national Authorities of the selected candidate) and approval of the candidate’s medical file by the NATO Medical Adviser. 

Applicants who are not successful in this competition may be offered an appointment to another post of a similar nature, albeit at the same or a lower grade, provided they meet the necessary requirements. 

NOTE: DIANA will not accept any phase of the recruitment and selection prepared, in whole or in part, by means of generative artificial-intelligence (AI) tools, including and without limitation to chatbots, such as Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (Chat GPT), or other language generating tools. DIANA reserves the right to screen applications to identify the use of such tools. All applications prepared, in whole or in part, by means of such generative or creative AI applications may be rejected without further consideration at DIANA’s sole discretion, and DIANA reserves the right to take further steps in such cases as appropriate.

For more information on DIANA, please visit our website.