Staff Assistant (Legal)

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 Command Group provides general support, coordination, management, administrative service and specialist advice to SACT, DSACT and COS.

Chief of Staff (COS) is responsible to SACT and DSACT for the staff activity necessary to execute ACT’s mission. It is the focal point for the implementation of the Commander’s direction and guidance as well as the initiation and co-ordination of all ACT staff efforts.

The Staff Advisory Group (SAG) is comprised of different competencies grouped into several offices (Political Advisor, Legal Advisor, Gender Advisor, Financial Controller, Command Auditor, Communication Branch and Pentagon Liaison). It works under the direction and guidance of COS and provides general staff support, coordination, management, administrative service, and specialists’ advice to SACT.

As part of the Staff Advisory Group, the Legal Affairs Office at HQ SACT has two main functions:

1. To organize, oversee, and provide for the delivery of legal services throughout Allied Command Transformation, including HQ SACT and subordinate activities at the Joint Warfare Centre (Norway), the Joint Force Training Centre (Poland), the Joint Analysis and Lessons Learned Centre (Portugal) as well as the ACT Staff Element (Mons, BE) and SACTREPEUR (Brussels).

2. To provide advice, analyses and implementing documents to the Supreme Allied Commander and his headquarters staff and subordinate activities regarding the applicability of NATO policy and regulations and also international and national laws and regulations that affect the responsibilities, functions, and activities across ACT.

As part of delivering under the 2030 Agenda, a significant increase of incoming and departing staff and dependents is anticipated, which will have a direct impact on the ability of the office to effectively support the staff members and their dependents.

Principal Duties:

• Serve as initial point of contact for legal assistance matters for staff personnel. Responsible for assisting clients or referring matters, as appropriate, to Section Head (Legal Liaison), Legal Advisor or other appropriate sources.
• Perform general legal assistance duties for ACT staff and their dependents, such as explaining U.S. Federal and State laws and policies with respect to immigration, visa, customs, driver’s licenses, powers of attorney, vehicle registrations and related issues, visa renewals, and documentation for all U.S. Federal and State agencies. Prepare follow-up correspondence as required.
• Provide notary services to authenticate and explain documents such as affidavits, depositions, leases and court documents from any U.S. Federal or State jurisdiction, as well as materials from international legal sources.
• Review and process employment authorization documents (work permits), to include serving as the reviewing and endorsement agent for all NATO dependents in the United States. Liaise with U.S. Federal officials in resolution of all NATO dependent-related employment issues.
• Interact with U.S. Federal and State officials and agencies as well as consumer agencies to resolve problems affecting command members. Propose recommendations and draft correspondence to Federal, State and consumer authorities in resolution of issues.
• Monitor web sites of U.S. Federal and State agencies for policy changes potentially affecting Command personnel. Actively participate in discussions regarding effect on this HQ and its personnel; draft advisories announcing implementation of, or changes in, policy.
• Conduct basic and computerized research of legal materials; analyze issues to formulate appropriate queries for computerized legal databases and draft summaries of research.
• Support the administration of the Office of the Legal Advisor check-in process and individualized legal orientation for newly arrived personnel, providing information and guidance on insurance, visa status, banking, housing, employment, licenses, and other issues critical to establishing a household in the United States. Present Office of the Legal Advisor newcomer’s brief, as required.
• Maintain and update information in the topical information sheets, the Legal Transition Series and related information published on the Office of the Legal Advisor web sites on the NSWAN and NUWAN.
• Assist in the preparation of flag-level briefing and legal advisors’ presentations at international symposia, the NATO School and other significant fora.
• Assist with office administration as needed, and provide administrative support as required by legal advisors.
• Screen incoming calls, prepare correspondence in final form and perform routine office functions, to include oversight of office automation equipment.
• In order for the Office of the Legal Advisor to deal with emergent requirements the incumbent may be required to perform other related duties as directed (in particular, the incumbent can expect to work as a member of Working Groups, Project Teams, etc. for defined periods of time).
• The incumbent will function as Staff Assistant (Legal) and with the authority vested in the post, but will not hold any explicit legal authority.
• The incumbent holds supporting function and will not have any authority to committing NATO to accountable actions.

Essential Qualifications / Experience:

• Higher Secondary education and intermediate vocational training  which might lead to a formal qualification with 2 years experience, or Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training  leading to a professional qualification or professional accreditation with 4 years post related experience.
•  Minimum two years’ experience of providing office support and performing administrative duties.
• Two-four years’ experience as a Legal Assistant in a legal assistance environment involving direct problem-solving interaction with clients.
• Experience conducting computer-based legal research.
• Ability to handle sensitive information in a confidential manner.
• Good oral and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal and administrative skills.
• Practical experience using modern office equipment.
• Completion of post-secondary vocational training or education and certification as a legal assistant, or equivalent.
• Eligibility for certification as a Notary Public for Commonwealth of Virginia.

Language:

English - SLP 3322 - (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)

Desirable Qualifications / Experience:

• Familiarity with conducting research within NATO community to locate documents and publications.
• High energy and ability to manage multiple tasks and projects.
• Previous experience working at a large international organization, preferably in a joint or NATO environment.
• Previous experience as a Notary.
• Former military administrative or legal training/experience and knowledge of military command structures and organization.

 Attributes/Competencies:

Personal Attributes:

• Capable of working harmoniously in a fast-paced, multi-national environment

Professional Contacts:

• Must be able to liaise effectively, internally, with NATO military and civilian personnel, and externally with U.S. Federal, state and local governmental officials, as well as consumer agency officials.
•  Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are essential to this position. Position requires daily interaction with international military and civilian personnel and their dependents in resolution of host nation issues such as immigration, legal presence, visas, customs, insurance, medical care, and taxation.
•  Assistant (Legal) serves as the liaison with U.S. Federal agencies, including Citizenship and Immigration Services, Departments of State, Defense and Homeland Security (particularly Citizenship and Immigration Services and Customs and Border Protection), Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service; State agencies such as Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Taxation, Bureau of Insurance; and local City Treasurers and Commissioners of Revenue, as well as officials from various embassies and representatives of consumer organizations.

Contribution To Objectives:

• Provide specialized legal assistance support to handle the current and anticipated volume of legal assistance support throughout HQ SACT, NLR and PNLR offices, and other supported NATO entities in Norfolk. The HQ SACT Office of the Legal Advisor is the main source of legal assistance for the revolving staff of the assigned international personnel and their families representing more than 30 nations. This support is a primary building block in HQ SACT’s programme to assist international staff members and their families understand and manage the legal and administrative aspects of residence in the United States.

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 2 (two) 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 G10 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.

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.

This vacancy will close on 5 October 2026 @ 17:59hrs (EDT)/11:59hrs (CEST).