Defensive Cyberspace Operations Planner
🔍 Belgium
Post Context/Post Summary
The Cyberspace Operations Branch will be the means by which the Cyberspace Operations Centre (CyOC) will coordinate the full spectrum of NATO military activity within cyberspace.
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) provides an integrated Strategic Effects framework, employing a multi-domain and multi-region focus to create a 360-degree approach, with the flexibility to enable, upon direction, a seamless transition from Baseline Activities and Current Operations (BACO) up to the Maximum Level of Effort (MLE). SHAPE supports SACEUR in fulfilling his terms of reference, as directed by the North Atlantic Council.
The Cyberspace Operations Centre (CyOC) is NATO's only Theatre Component for cyberspace, providing persistent, centralised and comprehensive cyberspace situational awareness, Command and Control (C2) and execution. The CyOC is within the SHAPE establishment but with different roles and responsibilities.
The Cyberspace Operations Branch will be the means by which the Cyberspace Operations Centre (CyOC) will coordinate the full spectrum of NATO military activity within cyberspace.
The Cyberspace Defence and Effects Section defines, coordinates and manages ACO Cyberspace Defence across SACEUR’s Area of Responsibility (AOR).
The Defence and Effects Planner works within the Defence and Effects Section to plan Defensive Cyber Operations (DCO) in order to deliver practicable and innovative cyber operations across SACEUR’s Area of Responsibility (AOR).
The incumbent is to support the production of candidate cyber operations for prioritization and authorization by DCO Planning Coordination Cell and in addition to liaise with NATO Command Structure, NATO Force Structure, CIS Providers for the planning processes.
Principal Duties
1. Acts as a planner for cyber effects within the Defence and Effects section;
2. Acts as a NATO planning SME within the Defence and Effects section (training available);
3. Contributes in the Operational Planning Teams (OPT) for cyber effects;
4. Assists the Cyber Operations Room as required;
5. Supports in writing directives, standard operating procedures (SOPs), military orders etc., in order to support domain advice and to provide NATO the necessary level of mission assurance and;
6. Supports the production of candidate cyber operations for prioritization and authorization by DCO Planning Coordination Cell;
7. Liaise with NATO Command Structure, NATO Force Strucure, CIS Providers for the planning processes.
8. Contributes to the preparation of and participates in NATO conferences/workshops related to the CO discipline and CO capability development;
9. Provides substantial support in identifying short medium and long term mitigations for the acceleration of the cyberspace operations discipline;
10. Contributes to Cyberspace Resilience assessments during major NATO Excercises;
11. Develops and maintains processes and procedures in areas of DCO and coordinates within CyOC and with the key Stakeholders to ensure compliance;
Special Requirements and Additional Duties
The incumbent may be required to undertake deployments in support of military operations and exercises, and/or TDY assignments, both within and without NATO boundaries up to 180 days. The employee may be required to perform a similar range of duties elsewhere within the organization at the same grade without there being any change to the contract.
Essential Qualifications
A. Professional/Experience
- Experience inActivities relating to the defence, denial and exploitation of cyberspace encompassing: the search for, interception and identification of cyber activities, the orchestration of (nationally) provided cyber effects, including cyber offensive activities, to safeguard, reduce or prevent hostile use of the cyberspace, and actions to ensure its effective use by friendly forces.
B. Education/Training
- University Degree in computer science, engineering disciplines, statistics or similar numerate discipline, operations research or related discipline and 2 years function related experience, or Higher Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training in that discipline leading to a professional qualification or professional accreditation with 4 years post related experience.
C. Language
- English - SLP 3333 - (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)
NOTE: The work both oral and written in this post and in this Headquarters as a whole is conducted mainly in English.
Desirable Qualifications
A. Professional Experience
- Specific and recent experience in cyber defence and related policy making but this must be combined or complimented by a broad military operational experience.
- Recent knowledge and experience of cyber and cyber defence capabilities in relation to support of the operations of a large international, governmental or military organisation.
- A Minimum of 2 years in a military environment, with operational experience including experience in Operational Centres of higher formations
- A minimum of 2 year experience in operational planning activities related with the cyberspace domain
- Experience working for a large organization;
- Experience with cyber security in multinational organizations;
- Experience working with: Blue, Red or Purple Teams;
- Previous experience in serving at a NATO entity;
B. Education/Training
- NATO Comprehensive Operations Planning Course
- Cyber Defence Operations & Planning
- Integrating Cyber Considerations into Operational Planning.
- International Law of Cyber Operations Course.
Attributes/Competencies
Contribution To Objectives: S the production of candidate cyber operations for prioritization and authorization by DCO Planning Coordination Cell.
REMARKS:
Duration of contract: The successful candidate will fill this post as a Project Related NATO International Civilian (PLN) with a three-year definite duration contract within the NATO 2030 Agenda. On expiry of this term the PLN will be deleted or absorbed into the ceiling pending approval or will exceptionally be considered for extension.
The salary will be the basic entry-level monthly salary defined by the NATO Grade of the post, which may be augmented by allowances based on the selected staff member’s eligibility, and which is subject to the withholding of approximately 20% for pension and medical insurance contributions.
NATO is committed to diversity and inclusion, and strives to provide equal access to employment, advancement, and retention, independent of gender, age, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, cultural background, sexual orientation, and disability. NATO welcomes applications of nationals from all member Nations.
Building integrity is a key element of NATO’s core tasks. As an employer, NATO values commitment to the principles of integrity, transparency, and accountability in accordance with international norms and practices established for the defence and related security sector. Selected candidates are expected to be role models of integrity, and to promote good governance through ongoing efforts in their work.
Applicants who prove to be competent for the post but who are not successful in this competition may be offered an appointment in another post of a similar nature, which might become vacant in the near future, albeit at the same or lower grade, provided they meet the necessary requirements.
HOW TO APPLY FOR A NATO CIVILIAN POST AT SHAPE:
Applications are to be submitted using NATO Talent Acquisition Platform (NTAP) (https://nato.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobsearch.ftl?lang-en). Applications submitted by other means (e.g. mail, e-mail, fax, etc) are not accepted.
More information to be found on these links:
Shortlisted candidates will be requested to provide original documentary evidence and a set of copies supporting statements in their applications. Appointment is subject to obtaining a NS security clearance and a medical certificate.
Remarks:
A) Only nationals from the 32 NATO member states can apply for vacancies at SHAPE.
B) Applications are automatically acknowledged within one working day after submission. In the absence of an acknowledgement please make sure the submission process is completed, or, re-submit the application.
C) Qualified redundant staff of the same grade interested in this post should inform this office, via their HR/Personnel Office by not later than vacancy’s closing date.
D) Candidates’ individual telephone, e-mail or telefax enquiries cannot be dealt with. All candidates will receive an answer indicating the outcome of their application.
E) NATO 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. NATO 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 NATO’s sole discretion, and NATO reserves the right to take further steps in such cases as appropriate.