** PENDING BUDGET APPROVAL **
1. SUMMARY
The Cyber and Digital Transformation (CDT) Division guides all aspects of NATO’s cyber defence and digital transformation and coordinates NATO efforts to counter hybrid actions, including Energy Security and Critical Undersea Infrastructure. CDT combines civilian and military expertise on strategies, policies, capability development efforts and operational delivery to ensure the Alliance retains decision and combat advantage for deterrence and defence.
Within, the Interoperability and Standardization Section (ISS), the incumbent supports NATO’s digital standardization activities by strengthening the quality, coherence, traceability and implementability of NATO digital interoperability standards and related products. They will contribute to ensuring standards are technically consistent, measurable/testable, configuration-controlled and aligned with architectural intent and operational requirements.
The incumbent will promote and support the use of structured, machine-readable/processable standardization artefacts and repository-based workflows to improve reuse, automation and sustained implementation across the Alliance. The incumbent also supports collaboration with international and regional Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs), as required.
2. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
The incumbent must:
• possess a university degree, or equivalent qualification in a field relevant for the position;
• have at least 4 years of experience in implementing, and managing projects and/or programmes related to standardization activities;
• have a strong background in design and development of complex systems;
• have excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to translate technical information into verbal/visual presentations, formal reports and/or decision briefs for senior leadership; and
• possess the following minimum levels of NATO’s official languages (English/French): V ("Advanced”) in one; and I ("Beginner") in the other.
The following would be considered an advantage:
• experience working in an international organisation or government;
• have experience supporting the development and governance of structured, machine-processable engineering artefacts; and
• familiarity with NATO standardization processes, practices and procedures;
3. MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES
Policy Development: Contribute to development of relevant NATO policies and regulation, and provide subject-matter advice, as required. Enable modern, coherent and enforceable NATO interoperability standards by ensuring alignment between policy intent, architectural choices, and standardization outputs.
Project Management: Work with members of the Standardization Writing Team and Working Groups to set the conditions for successful development and adoption of standards. Lead/coordinate workstreams as required; manage practical, administrative and logistic aspects; track progress, dependencies, risks and issues. Support reduction of integration risk in Command, Control, Communication and Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) and multi-domain operations through standards that are technically consistent and verifiable. Lead and/or support the development, staffing, adoption, maintenance and coherence of NATO standards and related products (e.g., reference architectures, semantic resources, doctrine/implementation guidance and directives), spanning to digital, cybersecurity and relevant materiel domains (including aviation and other complex systems where applicable).
Stakeholder Management: Participate in and represent the division in meetings, as required. Coordinate delivery across a complex stakeholder landscape (International Staff/International Military Staff, nations, NATO bodies and agencies). Prepare briefing memoranda, talking points, Q&As, speaking notes and background materials. Liaise, as required, with international and regional SDOs, and other external stakeholders.
Knowledge Management: Sustain lifecycle management and institutional continuity of NATO standards and related products. Establish and maintain configuration control, traceability, version control, and quality management practices for standardization artefacts and supporting materials, including use of repositories and collaboration platforms (e.g. Git). Promote and support the use of structured, machine-processable artefacts to improve coherence, reuse and implementability in engineering toolchains. Ensure standards are SMART, measurable, testable, and implementable across the Alliance. Contribute to definition and maintenance of conformance mechanisms (e.g. conformance criteria, compliance validation frameworks, test reference systems and implementation directives), supporting consistent application of interoperability- and security-by-design principles.
Expertise Development: Keep abreast of current techniques and developments in standardization, interoperability, and emerging technologies. Identify opportunities to improve NATO Standardization practices, including opportunities to enhance efficiency, quality and implementability of standards.
Perform any other related duty as assigned.
4. INTERRELATIONSHIPS
Reporting line: The incumbent reports to the Head, Interoperability and Standardization Section within CDT.
Interactions: The incumbent works in close cooperation with the entire CDT division and also with staff members in the Defence Industry, Innovation and Armaments Division (D2IA) division and NATO Standardization Office. They liaise extensively with government, military and industry representatives. They maintain good working relationships with members of other NATO bodies.
Direct reports: N/a
Indirect reports: N/a.
5. COMPETENCIES
The incumbent must demonstrate:
• Analytical Thinking: sees multiple relationships.
• Flexibility: adapts to unforeseen situations.
• Impact and Influence: takes multiple actions to persuade.
• Initiative: is decisive in a time-sensitive situation.
• Organisational Awareness: understands organisational climate and culture.
• Teamwork: cooperates.
6. CONTRACT
Contract to be offered to the successful applicant (if non-seconded): Definite duration contract of three years; possibility of renewal for up to three years, during which the incumbent may apply for conversion to an indefinite duration contract.
Contract clause applicable:
In accordance with the contract policy, this is a post in which turnover is desirable for political reasons in order to be able to accommodate the Organisation's need to carry out its tasks as mandated by the Nations in a changing environment, for example by maintaining the flexibility necessary to shape the Organisation's skills profile, and to ensure appropriate international diversity.
The maximum period of service foreseen in this post is 6 years. The successful applicant will be offered a 3-year definite duration contract, which may be renewed for a further period of up to 3 years. However, according to the procedure described in the contract policy the incumbent may apply for conversion to an indefinite contract during the period of renewal and no later than one year before the end of contract.
If the successful applicant is seconded from the national administration of one of NATO’s member States, a 3-year definite duration contract will be offered, which may be renewed for a further period of up to 3 years subject also to the agreement of the national authority concerned. The maximum period of service in the post as a seconded staff member is six years.
Serving staff will be offered a contract in accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Régulations.
NOTE: Irrespective of previous qualifications and experience, candidates for twin-graded posts will be appointed at the lower grade. These circumstances are described in the IS directive on twin-graded posts.
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
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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 reference documents without proper quotes (plagiarism), or any tools available on internet, including but not limited to translation facilities, or generative artificial-intelligence (AI) 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 tools will be rejected without further consideration, 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.
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