Principal Assistant (Pay and Allowances)
🔍 Belgium
- 📅
- 250809 Requisition #
**Through this competition we are also aiming to select potential back-up candidate for a post of Assistant, Payroll (G10)**
INFO-SESSION ON THE VACANCY AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS
NATO IS is organising an info-session webinar on the recruitment process for this post which will take place on 21/05/2025 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 the
Talent Acquisition Service. The Hiring Team will also share more details regarding the
responsibilities of the position and concrete tasks of this post.
Please register using the following link:
1. SUMMARY
The Executive Management Division, has the lead role in the overall management of the NATO Headquarters (HQ). The EM Division covers the following directorates: HQ Support and Transformation (HQST), Human Resources (HR), and Information Communication, and Technology Management (ICTM).
Within the Executive Management Division (EM), NATO’s International Staff (IS) Human Resources (HR) Directorate is comprised of five pillars: Talent Management and HR Integration (TMHRI); Staff Services (StS); HR Policy and Strategy Coordination (IS and NATO-wide HR policy); Data Analytics, Leave & PMIS Support; and the Medical Service.
Staff Services include Insurances; Pay and Allowances; Pensions; and Privileges and Immunities (P&I). The Pay and Allowances Service provides services also to certain other NATO bodies in an HR Shared Services framework.
The incumbent assists the Head and the Officer, Pay and Allowances in ensuring the accurate calculation and proper allocation of the pay and allowances which are due under the Civilian Personnel Regulations (CPRs) to international civilian staff employed by the IS and by the other NATO bodies which are customers of the IS under HR Shared Services. In addition, the incumbent also provides payroll services for temporary staff, consultants and interns and answers applicable questions of a confidential nature. They may also be called upon from time to time to perform duties within other areas of HR Staff Services. Among the team, the incumbent acts as the senior Assistant and checks the work of other Assistants.
2. QUALIFICATIONS
ESSENTIAL
The incumbent must:
- possess higher secondary education qualification with at least 6 years of relevant experience OR
- possess upper vocational training/ post-secondary degree in a discipline relevant for this position with 3 years of experience in a similar position carrying out administrative and/or financial management duties;
- possess knowledge of and experience in Human resources Payroll system
- have a demonstrated track record of delivering high quality service to customers;
- have solid experience in bookkeeping;
- possess an eye for detail and demonstrate critical thinking;
- have a strong operational knowledge of databases running in a Windows environment, such as MS Access and Excel;
- possess the following minimum levels of NATO’s official languages (English/French): V (“Advanced”) in one; III (“Intermediate”) in the other.
DESIRABLE
The following would be considered an advantage:
- work experience in an International Organisation or a national administration;
- experience of work in a Shared Services environment;
- hands-on experience in the use of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system;
- experience in team coordination and supervision;
- knowledge of other NATO member country languages.
Information Management
Ensure, both individually and through the supervision of the quality of the work of other team members, the accurate calculation of allowances and entitlements due to staff based on their circumstances and in accordance with the applicable rules, such as household status; educational and family allowances; pending separations and entitlements to beneficiaries. Verify that each individual on NATO payroll receives confirmation of payroll payment. Establish the pay records for temporary staff and consultants. Close the accounts of staff members at time of separation or when contract expires, which may include: payment of account balances, Defined Contribution Pension Scheme, loss of job indemnity and/or allowance in lieu of notice. Oversee the establishment of the payroll on a monthly basis and prepare electronic media files for payment of salaries and pension contributions. Maintain liaison with the Office of the Financial Controller on payroll payment matters. Prepare and distribute letters and memos relevant to entitlements and allowances.
Stakeholder Management
Communicate accurate information on salaries and allowances to staff, HR Officers and other NATO bodies. Explain clearly the entitlements and allowances as per the CPRs to staff members. Participate as a subject matter expert in working groups with respect to the development of HR functionality in the ERP system and the Personnel Management Information System (PMIS). Participate in initiatives to broaden the scope of Pay and Allowance services in the context of the development of NATO-wide HR Shared Services. Assist in planning updates to shared systems to reflect changes relating to salaries and allowances, and in scoping requirements for use in IT updates and new system developments.
Expertise Development
Check the accuracy of salaries, allowances and indemnities calculations paid to staff members. Produce statistics on a variety of payroll fields (entitlements, sick leave, and overtime). Develop, capture and document expert knowledge on the payroll and allowances and automate and improve work processes where necessary. Assist in benchmarking payroll procedures and identify good practices. Contribute to the development of common guidelines relating to the processing of pay and allowances. Coach team members in the performance of their duties as necessary with a view to continuously enhancing the quality of service delivered to customers.
Knowledge Management
Update the individual financial records of all staff members as well as the accounting archives. Maintain the overtime records and the records of NATO contributions to various insurance schemes and the Belgian social security system. Establish records of extended sick leave and of the various insurance premiums payable under the group insurance scheme. Extract data from the PMIS and collate statistics and provide payroll data to the Office of Financial Control, Budget, Planning and Analysis, and various other NATO organizations.
People Management
Provide guidance to other Assistants and assists the Head of Section in coordinating the team and fostering a motivating and effective working environment.
Perform any other related duty as assigned.
4. INTERRELATIONSHIPS
The incumbent reports to the Head, Pay and Allowances Service and works in close cooperation with the other members of the Service and of Human Resources. The incumbent must possess tact, diplomacy and discretion as they are required to interact frequently with staff of all levels of seniority, with HR and other administrative staff in other NATO bodies, and with members of national delegations.
Direct reports: N/a
Indirect reports: N/a
5. COMPETENCIES
The incumbent must demonstrate:
- Achievement: Works to meet standards;
- Analytical Thinking: Sees basic relationships;
- Clarity and Accuracy: Checks own work;
- Conceptual Thinking: Sees patterns based on life/work experience;
- Customer Service Orientation: Takes personal responsibility for correcting problems;
- Empathy: Reads non-verbal cues and understands meanings;
- Impact and Influence: Takes multiple actions to persuade;
- Initiative: Is decisive in a time-sensitive situation;
- Teamwork: Co-operates.
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 indefinite duration contract.
7. USEFUL INFORMATION REGARDING APPLICATION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Please note that we can only accept applications from nationals of NATO member countries. Applications must be submitted using e-recruitment system, as applicable:
- For NATO civilian staff members only: please apply via the internal recruitment portal (link);
- For all other applications: www.nato.int/recruitment
Before you apply to any position, we encourage you to click here and watch our video providing 6 tips to prepare you for your application and recruitment process.
Do you have questions on the application process in the system and not sure how to proceed? Click here for a video containing the information you need to successfully submit your application on time.
More information about the recruitment process and conditions of employment, can be found at our website (http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/recruit-hq-e.htm)
Appointment will be subject to receipt of a security clearance (provided by the national Authorities of the selected candidate), approval of the candidate’s medical file by the NATO Medical Adviser, verification of your study(ies) and work experience, and the successful completion of the accreditation and notification process by the relevant authorities.
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.
8. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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 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.
Due to the broad interest in NATO and the large number of potential candidates, telephone or e-mail enquiries cannot be dealt with.
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.
The nature of this position may require the staff member at times to be called upon to travel for work and/or to work outside normal office hours.
The organization offers several work-life policies including Teleworking and Flexible Working arrangements (Flexitime) subject to business requirements.
Please note that the International Staff at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium is a non-smoking environment.
For information about the NATO Single Salary Scale (Grading, Allowances, etc.) please visit our website. Detailed data is available under the Salary and Benefits tab.
NATO does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. For more info please click here.