TEMPORARY POSITION: Staff Officer (Operations and Exercise)

SHAPE NCISG  is looking for employing a qualified and suitable candidate to fill this post as a temporary staff from 1 January 2025 until 31 December 2025. If you meet the requirements described in the job description below and wish to work in a fast paced international environment, this post is for you.

In view of the nature and of the urgency of this temporary position, it is important for candidates to be available for temporary employment asap.

POST CONTEXT:

The J3 Division acts as NATO Communications Information Systems Group's (NCISG) Tasking Authority, central single point of contact for NCISG operational and technical matters, while maintaining situational awareness and Command and Control/Operational Control over NATO Signal Battalion Operations.

The Deployable Communications and Information Systems Operations Branch coordinates and executes tasking authority in support of operations, missions and exercises.

The Current Operations and Exercise Section (CUOpsEx) provides situational awareness and mission assurance on all ongoing OPS and Exercises.

The NATO CIS Group conducts CIS operational planning and provides deployed/deployable CIS services and support in support of NATO military operations and exercises.  The J3 Division is responsible for providing effective deployable CIS capabilities for the full spectrum of NATO operations and CIS services support to operations and exercises. J3 Operations directs and oversee operations functional area activities across NCISG, co-ordinates and executes tasking authority in support of operations, missions and exercises. J-3 controls and manages current CIS operations and missions throughout NCISG. It maintains situational awareness of current NCISG deployments and provides support to the fielded assets in coordination with all relevant divisions.

It provides timely updates, status tracking and briefings on current NCISG CIS status and coordinates running operations with the NCI Agency. J-3 acts as a central single point of contact for operational and technical matters throughout NCISG. It continuously assesses, reviews and evaluates deployed and fielded DCIS capabilities. The incumbent is a DCIS staff officer in the Operation Branch.

Principal Duties

1.         Exercise command and control of current operations and exercises across the NATO CIS Group.

2.         Exercise tasking authority over the implementation of equipment assignment plans and standby assets. - Contribute to the production of orders and their release to the NATO Signal Battalions.

3.         Coordinate NCISG activities in preparation and execution of operations, missions and related activities. - Maintain situational awareness of NCISG operations, exercises and related activities.

4.         Provide situational awareness and status reporting across NCISG and to NCIA, SHAPE J3/J6 and the NATO Cyber Operations Centre.- Support the resolution DCIS support issues.

5.         Maintain the RCR section as the focal point for all NNCISG NATO Crisis Response System (NCRS) and Crisis Response Measures (CRM) reporting.

6.         Conduct impact analysis on DCIS incidents and provide operational assessments to the NCISG Commander and the Combined Forces Cyber Component Commander.

7.         Conduct analysis and assessment of DCIS incidents, events and deficiencies.

8.         Contribute to the development and recommendation of mitigation measures in response to DCIS incidents, event and deficiencies.

9.         Manage the DCIS status reporting from the NATO Signal Battalions and maintain an overview of all NGISC equipment and capabilities.

10.       Coordinate between NCISG, SHAPE and the Joint Force Commands (JFC) regarding all readiness reporting of capabilities on standby for the Allied Response Force and Regional Plans.

11.       Validate the status of all NCISG capabilities on standby, compile Readiness Reporting Tool reports and submit to SHAPE and the JFCs.

12.       Act as the NCISG NATO Crisis Response System (NCRS) and Crisis Response Measures (CRM) subject matter expert.

13.       Contribute professional insight into the development of NATO CIS Group and J3 Division processes, procedures and management plans.

14.       Maintain close coordination with the NCISG HQ, NCIA OPEX/ESOC and NATO Signal Battalions in order to support SA, MA and C2 requirements.

15.       Participate in and contribute to VTCs, planning conference, point papers, coordination teams and other staff functions as required.

Special Requirements and Additional Duties

The incumbent 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.

This is a mandatory deployment post. The incumbent may be required to undertake deployments in support of military operations and exercises, and/or TDY assignments, both within and outside NATO boundaries.  Such operational deployment may exceed 30 days duration up to 183 days in any period of 547 days and may be on short notice.  For NATO International Civilian Staff, acceptance of an employment contract linked to this post constitutes agreement to deploy in excess of 30 days if required.

The incumbent may be required to undertake deployments in support of military exercises, and/or TDY assignments, both within and outside NATO’s boundaries.

Essential Qualifications

a. Professional Experience

·         Background in engineering or operations or logistics/financial support of CIS including at least 3 years pertinent and practical experience.

·         Experience in Business Administration, planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, controlling and evaluating the use of people, money, materials and facilities to accomplish assigned functions and tasks.

·         Officers require broad military background including previous major staff experience in a joint or combined staff in a large HQ, Joint Command, NATO HQ or MOD. Wide experience in office communication and information systems. High level of organisational, coordination and communication skills.

b. Education/Training

·         University Degree in accounting, finance, management, business administration, public administration or related discipline and 2 years function related experience.

·         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 3322 (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing).

Desirable Qualifications

a. Professional Experience

·         Minimum two years’ experience with mobile communications unit.

·         Qualified communication and information system officer with minimum two years’ previous experience in a signal unit S3 branch/operations staff.

·         Four years’ working experience in a CIS Office of an international organization or military Headquarters.

b. Education/Training

·                     Proved practical knowledge of deployable command post operations, mobile communications systems, and routine maintenance procedures.

·                     NATO C4ISR Orientation for Officers (CCC-SM-22206) provided by NATO Communications and Information Academy (NCI Academy)

·                     NATO CIS Operational Planning (CCC-SM-32208) provided by NATO Communications and Information Academy (NCI Academy)

·                     NATO Orientation Course (ETE-MW-3834) provided by NATO - School Oberammergau (NSO)

·                     NATO Crisis Response System Course (JPL-OP-3562) provided by NATO - School Oberammergau (NSO)

·                     NATO Crisis Management Course (JPL-OP-2553) provided by NATO - School Oberammergau (NSO)

Attributes/Competencies

1.         Personal Attributes: The incumbent will need to display a high degree of professionalism and technical expertise in performance of his/her duties. The rapidly changing NATO environment and increasingly constrained resource situation creates a requirement to solve numerous complex problems and challenges, which shall require the incumbent to draw upon a comprehensive ability to reason, analyses, act with persuasion and diplomacy, arrive at an adequate conclusion to ensure the adequate execution of tasking authority over NATO CIS Group in support of all NATO operations. Many of the arising problems will require the ability to exercise excellent judgements to propose solutions based on resources available. The incumbent’s solution of these problems, and his resulting actions, will impact the delivery of DCIS capability to meet SACEUR’s operational tasking. The incumbent must have a strong aptitude for analysis and problem solving. The incumbent works without supervision in accordance with policies and directives, and must possess excellent inter-personal and communication skills, as well as tact, in order to effectively interact with SHAPE HQ Divisions, NATO CIS Group Divisions and NSBs as well as Deployed HQs to support the operational tasks.

2.         Professional Contacts:  The incumbent works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise through strong coordination. Day-to-day contact at staff level, generally ranking up to OF4/5. Day-to-day contacts with SHAPE CCOMC, NATO Signal Battalions, Deployed Headquarters and other NATO HQ’s and Commands.

3.         Contribution to Objectives: - The incumbent will be responsible for the development of operational reports for ongoing exercises and operations. The incumbent will be responsible for developing and to provide operational status reports for all NCISG DCIS capabilities on stand-by for NRF and GRP and for capabilities at stand-down and stand-up. Where these objectives are challenged by external circumstances, the incumbent must be able to advise on and introduce, where necessary, revised methods and plans to achieve the established goals and objectives. The incumbent contributes to mission objectives by proactively identifying problems for independent resolution and ensuring the effective DCIS capability support to missions and tasks.

WHAT WE OFFER

- 38 hours per week schedule.

- 2.5 paid days of leave per month worked.

- Fulfilling working atmosphere in an international and military community.

- Contract period: definite duration contract until 31/12/2024.

- Salary: the remuneration of temporary personnel will be specified in their contracts. It is exempt from taxation in the Host Nation.

- Benefits package: temporary personnel are covered by a benefits package which consists of an additional sum of 12% of basic salary for pension purposes + basic medical and accident insurance provided under the NATO Group insurance contract (death and invalidity). The cost for insurance amounts to 2.57% of basic salary (2/3 payable by the Organization and 1/3 payable by staff).

- For staff eligible under NATO rules, there is also a dependent child allowance and coverage for dependent children for medical benefits.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Candidates possessing a valid NATO or National security clearance will be given priority consideration.

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.

NTAP allows adding attachments. A copy of the qualification/certificate covering the highest level of education required by the job description must be provided as an attachment.

Essential information must be included in the application form. Particular attention should be given to Education and Experience section of the application form. Each question should be answered completely. Expressions such as “please see attached CV, please see annex / enclosed document” or invitations to follow links to personal webpages are not acceptable and will be disregarded. All answers should be in English.

Shortlisted candidates will be requested to provide original documentary evidence and a set of copies supporting statements in their applications.

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) Candidates’ individual telephone, e-mail or telefax enquiries cannot be dealt with. All candidates will receive an answer indicating the outcome of their application.