Executive Coordination Off (DP Reqs Determination)

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 ACOS Strategic Plans & Policy / Defence Planning Division is responsible for ACT’s contribution, in conjunction with other HQ SACT divisions, to the NATO Defence Planning Process (NDPP) steps 1 thru 5.

The DACOS Defence Planning is responsible for management and delivery of the ACT contribution to the NDPP Step 2, 3 and 5.

The Defence Planning Requirement Determination Branch (DPRD) Branch is responsible for the identification and management of defence planning capabilities requirements, and to provide project management and Subject Matter Expertise (SME) advice during the Capability Requirement Review (CRR) as part of the  NATO Defence Planning Process (NDPP).

Within Defence Planning Requirements Determination Branch the incumbent’s main responsibility is managing the  key outputs from NDPP Step 2.

Principal Duties:

• Responsible for maintaining broad oversight over all Branch activities and ensuring the Branch Head is fully briefed on all matters affecting coordination and harmonization of activities.
• Responsible for the coordination and day-to-day direction of DPRD Branch staff officers in their conduct of the activities during the Step 2 process.
• Acts as the lead DPRD Branch Coordinator overseeing and directing the output of the other Branch Coordination officers on behalf of the Branch Head.
• Manages the day-to-day administration of the MCR data and outputs.
• Oversees Branch interaction with relevant ACOS SPP and DACOS DP branches, for deriving and producing all DPRD Branch products, primarily the MCR Final.
• Briefs both internally to FOGO level and externally to key interlocutors affecting delivery of NDPP Step 2.
• Advises, and trains new Staff Officers in the NDPP process, specific focus on NDPP Step 2.
• Exercises quality control over the products associated with the MCR and acts as the Editor in Chief of the final products.
• Assesses the NDPP Step 2 processes and identifies opportunities to develop, improve, and transform the derivation of the MCR.
• Coordinates the development and implementation of defence planning tools, as required.
• Conducts and/or attends DP meetings and Workshops with other Branches, NATO Commands, NATO Agencies and with Nations.
• Responsible for coordinating NDPP Step 2 and MCR with the Nations, NATO International Staff, NATO International Military Staff and ACO.
• Responsible for Information Knowledge Management in DPRD Branch.
• Responsible for coordinating DPRD Branch SharePoint portal with assigned staff members.

Essential Qualifications / Experience:

• University Degree  and 6 years post related experience, or Higher Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training  leading to a professional qualification or professional accreditation with 6 years post related and 2 years function related experience.
• Four-seven years’ experience (depending on educational background/degrees) in the field of defence planning processes related to capabilities and requirements in national or international organizations; e.g. staffing complex data for presentation, and summarizing international political trends.
• Must be knowledgeable in the NDPP and be intimately knowledgeable of Step 2 of the NDPP.
• Experience in interpreting information on future trends in order to measure their effect on required military capability.
• Good interpersonal skills and experience in working as a team member in a national or international environment.
• Knowledge of Prioritizations and Resource Allocation methodologies.
• Experience in the field of Defence and/or Operational Planning.

Language:

English - SLP 3333 - (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)

Desirable Qualifications / Experience:

• Experience working in a NATO military command.
• Previous staff experience in joint and/or multi-national HQ.
• Knowledge of the NATO Defence Planning Process.
• Masters Degree in Strategic Studies.
• Knowledge of Project Management.

Attributes/Competencies:

Personal Attributes:

• The work associated with this post requires considerable tact, persuasion and perseverance when dealing with other elements of ACT staff, International staff and other Agencies. The ability to chair large scale meetings and working groups is required. Significant skills of persuasion and logical presentation are essential.
• The incumbent must have good interpersonal skills and the ability to work harmoniously in a multi-national environment to produce coordinated and cohesive branch outputs, while representing and projecting ACT positions in a firm but tactful manner.
• Clarity of thought, problem-solving creativity, analytic skills to extract information from a variety of sources and propose sound and well-reasoned solutions clearly and articulately under stressful conditions and in the numerous instances when precedents are unavailable or inappropriate.
• Adept at analytical thinking, public speaking and negotiation methods necessary to develop articulate and coordinate technical positions and gain agreement at the highest levels.
• Willingness to travel in support of the listed duties and to occasionally work outside normal working hours.
• Ability to produce documents and correspondence of exceptional quality and persuasiveness in the English language.
   

Managerial Responsibilities:

• There are no subordinates to this post, but the incumbent must be able to work as part of a team drawn from within and beyond the CR Branch, persuading and reasoning to achieve solutions. The individual will be guided where required by virtue of knowledge or experience.

Professional Contacts:

• The incumbent must develop and maintain professional contacts, typically at a higher level, both within the HQ and with external HQs, specifically with NATO HQ International Staff, and agencies involved in defence policy and planning. These contacts will require the demonstration of considerable skills, tact and diplomacy coupled with broad professional skills in Transformation, Defence Planning, Capability Development and Strategic Planning and Policy. As required, the incumbent will conduct regular direct briefings to flag officers, National representatives and other NATO and National Staff officers (primarily OF-6/OF-5). He/she represents SACT at regular steering committee meetings to ensure NATO direction and guidance is developed and conveyed to the senior national representatives.

Contribution To Objectives:

• In support of the commands strategic objectives by contributing to military transformation, developing capabilities to address defence and security challenges and proactively support the efforts related to future military estimates, perspectives and advice, capability requirements, and solutions engineering aimed to improve effectiveness and interoperability, the incumbent will facilitate collaboration with Nations, partners and amongst NATO, share best practices and make use of transformational and innovative inputs to seek multi-national solutions to the Alliance and Nations needs in terms of capability development. The incumbent significantly impacts both directly and indirectly to the deliverables and objectives of HQ SACT and NATO. The incumbent, through his/her work is able to bring new and enhanced capabilities to NATO. Through the incumbents work Transformation and support to operations in NATO and alliance Nations is also directly and indirectly impacted.

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

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 G20 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 30 November 2026 @ 17:59hrs (EST) / 23:59hrs (CET).