INTERNSHIP - International Military Staff - Office of the Legal Advisor (LEGAD)

INFO-SESSION ON THE VACANCY AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS
NATO is organising an info-session webinar on the recruitment process for this programme which will take place on 11/06/2025 at 4pm CET (Brussels time).

 This will be the opportunity for applicants and professionals to gain more insight into 
the steps of the recruitment process and to have the opportunity to ask questions to
Talent Acquisition Service. Some interns and/or former interns will also share their experience of the programme with the audience.

Please register using the following link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HdnqpN5hSDaM-t7JB8lAuQ

Are you eager to work in the most senior level of military HQ at NATO? Are you willing to work in a fast-paced environment with varied stakeholders such as NATO member and partner nations, the national delegations, European Union and Centres of Excellence? Do you have strong analytical and drafting skills? Are you keen to work on cross-cutting topics looking at the legal, gender or public affairs implications of NATO’s three core tasks: Cooperative Security, Collective Defence and Crisis Management? Then working as an intern in the IMS Advisory Group is the perfect place for you!

·       LEGAD

The Office of the Legal Advisor (LEGAD) provides independent legal counsel to the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Military Committee, the Director General of the International Military Staff (DGIMS), and to the IMS Directors and Staff. Their work includes interpreting documents, policies, and regulations; providing legal input to military advice on a wide range of topics and supporting strategic planning by providing expertise on the Law of Armed Conflict, the Rules of Engagement and the Use of Force. Additionally, IMS LEGAD Office advises on issues stemming from the IMS’s presence in Belgium (e.g. privileges and immunities) and on personnel matters. To maintain legal coherence across NATO, the office regularly coordinates efforts within the NATO Command Structure and the International Staff through their integration with the other NATO legal offices. 

The intern will assist the LEGAD with legal issues relevant to NATO military operations and non-operational and institutional legal issues routinely encountered when working for or with NATO organizations. Further, the intern will assist with identifying potential legal challenges to NATO/EU cooperation, developing viable options for mission accomplishment, coordination of ICRC dialogue and interaction discussions, and document review and disclosure recommendation regarding litigation support requests and other documents. Lastly, the intern will perform other LEGAD duties and administrative tasks as assigned by the Senior LEGAD or Deputy LEGAD.

How the daily work will look like?

Interns will gain a comprehensive understanding of NATO’s structure, working procedures and applicable legal framework. They will be able to attend meetings of the Military Committee and of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) as well as working level meetings.  Additionally, they will have an opportunity to participate in dialogues with international organizations, national delegations and other stakeholders, participating in conferences as required. They will have an opportunity to enhance their research and writing skills.

What do we offer?

• A 6-month traineeship at NATO Headquarters, in Brussels, starting in March / September 2026. 
• A full-time traineeship (38 hours a week).
• A monthly grant of €1,286.09 and a travel reimbursement upon joining and leaving the organisation.
• A rich programme of activities, attending regular events and participating in meetings with several stakeholders.
• NATO HQ Staff Centre which promotes employee well-being and foster a healthy work environment (click here for more info, special membership price for NATO interns)

Selection Criteria

Please note that you can apply for up to three (3) different vacancies!

Apply until 22 June 23.59, Brussels time

Essential:

The candidate must:

1.       be a national of a NATO member state,

2.       be at least 21 years old,

3.       have at least two years of university level studies OR equivalent education OR be currently a student OR a recent graduate (degree obtained no longer than 12 months ago),

4.       have proficiency in one of the two official NATO languages (English/French).

Desirable:

The following criteria will be considered an advantage:

1.       have a degree in law (Bachelor’s or Master’s) or be in the final stage of a degree in law (Master’s),

2.       elementary knowledge of the second official NATO language (English/French),

3.       be an advanced user of IT tools including Microsoft Office, SharePoint;

4.       previous experience with other international organizations, national administration, research or industry.

Competencies required:

The candidate must demonstrate the following competencies:

·       Achievement: Works to meet standards.

·       Analytical thinking: Breaks down problems and see basic relationships.

·       Clarity and accuracy: Shows general concern for order and clarity, and checks own work.

·       Customer service orientation: Responds appropriately, maintains clear communication.

·       Empathy: Listens actively.

·       Flexibility: Acts with flexibility.

·       Initiative: Reacts to short-term opportunities or problems.

·       Organizational awareness: Understands the Organization’s structure.

·       Teamwork: Cooperates, shares information and knowledge freely, offering support and cooperation.

Our Values:

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, and strongly encourages women and candidates living with disability to apply.

NATO is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible working environment, where all candidates living with disabilities can fully participate in the recruitment and selection process. If you require reasonable accommodation, please inform us during your selection process. Candidates will be required to provide documented medical evidence to support their request for accommodation.  

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.

Special Notice:

In order for the Internship Office to assess your eligibility for the Internship Programme, please attach the following documents:

1.       Copy of university qualifications you have completed and/or

2.       Proof of ongoing studies with the dates clearly mentioned if you are still studying.

We prefer that these documents are in one of the NATO official language (English or French). If you don’t have these documents in English or French, please attach a self translation.

Please ensure that all information is complete and accurate before submitting your application.

Please note that the application cannot be updated after the relevant deadline. 

The pool of candidates will be available to all NATO IS / IMS Divisions, Offices and NATO Bodies in case there is a need for a similar profile.

Due to the broad interest in NATO and the large number of potential candidates, telephone or e-mail enquiries cannot be dealt with.

Read more about the Internship Programme, including terms and conditions, and what we offer at our website.

Kindly note that 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.