Staff Officer (Operations Assessment)

1.Post Context

Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) provides an integrated Strategic Effects framework, employing a multi-domain and multi-region focus to create a 360-degree approach, with the flexibility to enable, upon direction, a seamless transition from Baseline Activities and Current Operations (BACO) up to the Maximum Level of Effort (MLE). SHAPE supports SACEUR in fulfilling his terms of reference, as directed by the North Atlantic Council.

The Strategic Planning Branch is responsible for the development, maintenance and revision/review of Strategic Operations Planning, Advance Planning and Crisis Response Planning products for ACO, to include either NATO-led operations or EU-led operations using NATO assets and capabilities.

This is a challenging position which requires strong problem-solving skills, excellent interpersonal skills, a high level of personal initiative and the ability to concomitantly manage multiple work strands. The work of this post has direct implications not only across SHAPE, ACO and NATO.

This position will continue to develop the conditions for collective training for operations assessment. In addition, with the change in 2024 of the NATO Response System and Operations Planning Process, this post will ensure the update of operations assessment doctrine and policy.

This role fills a new critical gap with regards to the identification, assessment, planning for risk in the operations planning process. Moreover, the post will support the multiple work strands related to the new NAC task for NMI long-term planning. By ensuring that an integrated approach to risk is established, this role will enhance NATO's operational effectiveness and resilience in facing complex challenges.
 

2. Principal Duties

The incumbent's duties are:

- Developing operations assessment and operations risk policy documents to inform operations assessment collective training.
- Developing operations assessment and operations risk requirements for collective training.
- Translating the operations assessment requirement for collective training into the overall exercise and training policy and planning documents.
- Contributes to the development of collective training planning through the implementation of specific operations assessment requirements, events, incidents.
- Develops the requirement for data sets that enable the conduct of operations assessment collective training and coordinates the development and implementation of these data sets into the planning and execution of operations assessment collective training.
- Gathers and analyzes lessons identified and implements them into operations assessment documents and future operations assessment collective training events.
- Contributes to the update of operations assessment policy, doctrine and training based on the new NRS and OPP.
- Provides and coordinates inputs for ongoing development and improvement of the NATO Operations Assessment Handbook (NOAH).
- Supports the strategic campaign assessment of future and enablers the implementation of lessons identified in the reviews and revisions of these plans.
- Supports the campaign assessment of peacetime activities and enables the implementation of lessons identified into policy, doctrine, education and training for operations assessment.
- Assists the ACO Action Officer for the Nato Operations Risk Working Group.
- Develops guidance, procedures and capabilities for implementation of operations risk, identification, assessment and planning in the operations planning process.
- Gathers and analyzes lessons identified regarding operations risk and implements them throughout the operations planning process.
- Enables the implementation of operations risk expertise in all strategic planning and assessment work strands.
- Develops strategic assessments, analysis, scenarios and planning products in support of the NMI long-term planning.
- Leads and/or Coordinates SHAPE Tasker assignments for assigned area of responsibility.

3. Special Requirements and Additional Duties

The employee may be required to perform a similar range of duties elsewhere within the organisation at the same grade without there being any change to the contract

- The incumbent may be required to undertake TDY assignments both within and without NATO’s boundaries and be willing to work unsocial hours.

- The incumbent may be required to undertake deployments in support of military operations and exercises, and/or TDY assignments, both within and without 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 work is normally performed in a Normal NATO office working environment.

Normal Working Conditions apply.

The risk of injury is categorised as No risk / risk might increase when deployed.

4. Essential Qualifications

a.    Professional/Experience
- At least 2 years of previous professional experience:
•     developing, maintaining, reviewing and revising strategic operations, planning and assessment products;
•     developing policy, doctrine, guidance, procedures, education and training requirements for operations assessment;
- Ability to translate operations assessment and risk requirements into education and training, exercises, events and planning products.

b. Education/Training

University Degree in sociology, behavioural science or related discipline and 2 years function related experience, or 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.

In case of ambiguity the required job specific experience have priority over the standard education and training levels described here.

c. Language

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

5. Desirable Qualifications

a.    Professional Experience
- Previous experience with NATO missions / operations in positions relevant to this post.

b.    Education/Training
- Master’s Degree with focus on social and conflict studies or similar. 
- Certifications related to operations planning.
- Certifications related to operations assessment or evaluation.
- Certifications related to operation risks.

6. Attributes/Competencies

Personal Attributes: The incumbent is expected to approach problem solving from a comprehensive inter-disciplinary perspective. The incumbent must be capable of multitasking. The incumbent may be required to work outside normal working hours and must show a high level of maturity and ability to work under pressure and tight timelines. The incumbent requires proactivity, results orientation and ability to prioritize competing demands to maximize productivity and efficiency. He/ she must be capable of translating general guidance into workable proposals and deliverables. The incumbent must be willing to work unusual hours in a multinational environment.

Professional Contacts: The incumbent will the required to coordinate with personnel from across SHAPE and ACO commands.

Contribution To Objectives: As operations assessment collective training has never been properly conducted in NATO, this post will have direct impact on the way this will be established and conducted over the next period. The work of this post will impact operations assessment collective training across NATO.

REMARKS:
Duration of contract: The successful candidate will fill this post as a Project Linked NATO International Civilian (PLN) with a three-year definite duration contract within the NATO 2030 Agenda. On expiry of this term the PLN will be deleted or absorbed into the ceiling pending approval or will exceptionally be considered for extension.

The salary will be the basic entry-level monthly salary defined by the NATO Grade of the post, which may be augmented by allowances based on the selected staff member’s eligibility, and which is subject to the withholding of approximately 20% for pension and medical insurance contributions.

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.

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.

Applicants who prove to be competent for the post but who are not successful in this competition may be offered an appointment in another post of a similar nature, which might become vacant in the near future, albeit at the same or lower grade, provided they meet the necessary requirements.

HOW TO APPLY FOR A NATO CIVILIAN POST AT SHAPE:
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.

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Application Process  

Shortlisted candidates will be requested to provide original documentary evidence and a set of copies supporting statements in their applications. Appointment is subject to obtaining a NS security clearance and a medical certificate.

Final 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)    Qualified redundant staff of the same grade interested in this post should inform this office, via their HR/Personnel Office by not later than vacancy’s closing date.
d)    Candidates’ individual telephone, e-mail or telefax enquiries cannot be dealt with. All candidates will receive an answer indicating the outcome of their application.
e)    NATO will not accept any phase of the recruitment and selection prepared, in whole or in part, by means of plagiarism, 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.
f)    As part of the recruitment process, the organization may review publicly available information to assess potential conflicts of interest, reputational risks, or behaviors inconsistent with the organization’s values.