Staff Officer (Strategic Deterrence SME)

Post Context 

ACT contributes to preserving the peace, security and territorial integrity of Alliance member states by leading, at Strategic Command level, Warfare Development required to enhance NATO’s posture, military structures, forces, capabilities and doctrines.

The Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (SPP) acts on behalf of SACT to formulate policies, strategies, engagements, ACT contributions to NDPP, and analytical practices that enable the Commander to provide strategic foresight, planning, strategy and policy advice, concepts, and strategic engagement to NATO’s political and military leadership. Principal outputs include but are not limited to: long term strategic foresight, strategic level concepts, situational awareness/strategic anticipation, Minimum Capability Requirements, Draft Capability Targets, Suitability Assessment of Allies and NATO Defence Plans, and regional and functional to security related environments.

The Branch provides SACT with advice pertaining to strategy and policy matters at the political and military levels. It coordinates the development of unfettered military advice and Transformation and Adaptation Plans and Policy, ensures coherence of ACT’s internal work strands in relation to overarching NATO policy and strategy, and supports the Commander’s engagements in areas relevant to policy and strategy. The Branch maintains a persistent relationship with the NATO Strategic Direction (South) Hub on Deterrence & Defence matters.

Within the Policy and Plans Branch, the incumbent assists the PolMil Advisor in planning programming and executing various deterrence projects of the Command towards internal ACT audiences and NATO-wide stakeholders. The branch itself supports the Commander’s advice in areas relevant to strategy and deterrence.

Principal Duties: 

• Develop and maintain a programme plan for delivery of Warfare Development based Deterrence Projects. Provide detailed subject matter knowledge and insight.
• Track progress of all deterrence projects using the “Design, Develop, Deliver methodology, identifying critical paths and dependencies for 2-star review.
• Plan and execute. Direct planning, programming and execution of approved deterrence projects.
• Identify dependencies and risks within and amongst projects within the deterrence programme.
• Provide Warfare Development related deterrence advice to DCOS SPP, CoS, DSACT and SACT.
• Provide leadership as chairperson of the ACT Deterrence Community of Interest.
• ACT as COTR for the 4 Square Study and follow on work, providing necessary direction and guidance to contractor work and ensuring quality standards for contractor deliverables.
• Maintain project coordination and coherence between various deterrence efforts, to include Four Square Study and follow on effort, Iran Nuclear Game and follow on effort, Warfare Development Agenda Lines of Delivery – Multi Domain Escalation Dynamics and Multi Domain Defence Framework, ACT input to NATO HQ CMX Exercise.
• Develop and provide point papers and briefings that provide SACT (and ACT) deterrence positions, efforts and results.
• Conduct planning (financial, personnel and ambition) that ensures continuity of NATO deterrence goals for ACT programme of work to include project follow on work.
• Position will act as Contracting Officers Technical Representative for multiple deterrence projects.
• Position will make decisions about study and line of effort deliverables, related to high priority projects with visibility at the CHOD and PermRep level.

Essential Qualifications / Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in management information systems accounting, economics, finance, business administration, public administration, operations research, project management, history, geography, politics and four (4) years of post-related experience.
• Two (2) years of experience as a Strategist or Strategic Analyst with DIME or PMESI experience preferred.
• Two (2) years of experience in Strategic Engagement and Strategic Planning.
• Experience in working with and monitoring delivery of contracted workforce.
• Experience in Project Management and Financial management and programming.
• Proficient in oral and written communications.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills; ability to work in a team environment.
• Military Strategy and Doctrine - The study of the specifics of combat, and the reduction of the many factors to a set of principles that govern all interactions of the field of battle.
• Works under general direction within a clear framework of accountability. 

Language:

English - SLP 4444 - (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)

Desirable Qualifications / Experience:

• Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) training or similar.
• Previous experience with NATO Warfare Development.
• Sound knowledge of the theory of Escalation Dynamics.

Attributes/Competencies:

Personal Attributes:

• The incumbent must be able to work well across several work strands in SPP. 
• Must be able to conduct independent deterrence research yet exhibit good collaboration skills across their directorate in order to cohere and structure the wide range of deterrence work that is being conducted.
• Must also be able to support the Deterrence IPT branch head, FOGOs, and front offices by providing a clear understanding of deterrence and how it relates to the priorities and work strands of the headquarters.
• The incumbent must be able to understand and work with academia and practitioners alike.
• Must have the ability to digest deterrence research from a variety of sources, including NATO policy, NATO nations’ policy, academia and think tanks.
• Should be capable of communicating research and advice to a variety of high-level audiences, including FOGOs, NATO representatives, and national policy makers.
• Working outside normal office hours may be required, and there will be a requirement to travel internationally as necessary.

Professional Contacts:

• With FOGOs and FOGO front offices in support of their decision-making, priority-setting, and their understanding of deterrence issues for external engagements.
• With staff across the strategic plans and policy division, in order to cohere deterrence work strands and provide advice and support where required.
• With deterrence academics and practitioners outside of the organisation, in order to collaborate when necessary, understand broader context for ACT’s work, and drive quality.

Security Clearance

The successful applicant will be required to apply for and receive A NATO SECRET Security Clearance prior to final confirmation of contract and commencement of employment.

Contract

• This position is linked to a specific NATO project and is for a limited duration of 3 (three) years only.
• Serving NATO International Civilian staff will be offered a contract in accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations.  Newly recruited staff will be offered a three-year definite duration contract.

Notes for Candidates

The HQ SACT web site gives full details on the eligibility criteria and application processes to be adopted by all candidates.  However, candidates should particularly note:

Please answer each of the pre-screening questions completely in English. Expressions such as: “please see attached CV, please see annex, please see enclosed document, etc.” are not acceptable; this is a cause of immediate rejection of the application. 

Particular attention should be given to Education and Experience section of your application form, which should be populated with details of your career to date and educational achievements and certifications as they relate to your application.

The candidature of NATO redundant staff at grade G15 will be considered with priority.

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.

This vacancy will close on 15 May 2024 @ 17:59hrs (EDT)/11:59hrs (CEST).