Officer, Defence Planning Synchronization

Primary Location
Belgium-Brussels

NATO Body
NATO International Staff (NATO IS)

Schedule
Full-time

Application Deadline
18-Jan-2026, 11:59:00 PM

Salary (Pay Basis)
8,273.12

Grade
NATO Grade G17

Pending budget approval

• SUMMARY The Defence Policy and Planning (DPP) Division has the lead role on the defence-related aspects of NATO's fundamental security tasks at the political-military level. Within DPP, the Defence Planning Directorate (DPD) leads the International Staff (IS) in the conduct of the NATO Defence Planning Process (NDPP), harmonising and assisting national defence planning efforts and capability delivery by Allies. The NDPP requires close cooperation with national capitals and delegations as well as the NATO Military Authorities (NMAs) on all defence planning issues related to NATO, including the analysis of national defence programmes. (Please note that defence planning is usually conducted at national headquarters/Ministry of Defence/General Staff level and is distinct from operational planning which focuses on planning for the conduct of actual operations.) The incumbent acts as Secretary to all levels of the NATO Defence Planning Staff (NDPS) Governance Structure, supporting the Directorate in the management of the NDPP by cohering and coordinating defence planning across the NATO Enterprise. The incumbent further acts as subject matter expert for EU defence capability development and transatlantic defence industry. Their tasks will include:
• Supporting the long-term planning of the NDPP programme of work and facilitating the synchronization of efforts between the relevant stakeholders during all steps of the NDPP, in particular through preparing and managing the interactions of the NDPS at all levels of the Governance Structure;
• Promoting coherence between NDPP capability requirements and multinational capability development within the NATO framework, incl. through facilitating the linkage between the work of the Defence Industry, Innovation and Armaments Division of the IS and the NDPP;
• Monitoring the EU's efforts to develop defence capabilities at the political and programmatic levels and coordinating with EU staffs to promote coherence between NATO's NDPP requirements and EU capability development efforts.

The incumbent will work in a division which considers diversity and inclusion as essential to the way it works. At DPP, Diversity and Inclusion is considered to be as important as our programme of work and the number of staff who support it. DPP is a workplace which values each staff member for their contributions, perspectives and potential. At DPP, staff members feel equally involved in and supported in all areas of the workplace.

• QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential
The incumbent must:

• possess a university degree from an institute of recognised standing in a relevant discipline; or have attended a NATO or national military staff college or equivalent;
• have at least 3 years' national or international experience in the field of defence and security, evidenced through previous posts;
• be familiar with the NDPP and its interaction with other NATO processes;
• have experience in the management of a large and diverse set of civil/military stakeholders;
• have knowledge of the EU's and NATO's tools and vehicles to develop European and Allied defence capabilities;
• have experience in conducting analyses of complex documents, interpreting, advising and issuing reports on defence programmes;
• have the ability to communicate clear, logical, and persuasive arguments in oral and written form;
• possess the following minimum levels of NATO's official languages (English/French): V (\"Advanced\") in one; I (\"Beginner\") in the other;
• be flexible to travel frequently (approximately 20% of working time) and work outside normal office hours.

DESIRABLE
The following would be considered an advantage:

• a Master's degree in a relevant field;
• experience in developing capability strategy and/or capability and acquisition management, for example as a project/programme manager, in a national, EU or NATO context;
• have national or international experience in the field of defence and security in a NATO context;
• awareness of the political, economic and financial considerations underlying national, EU and NATO defence plans and policies;
• a clear understanding of, and experience in handling, major current international political and politico-military problems, particularly as they relate to the Alliance and the EU;
• a good understanding of military capabilities and their organisation, preparation, command and employment;
• being conversant with NATO's organization and structures, including their interaction and relationship.
• an understanding of the Alliance's political and military consultative processes and their related policies and procedures.
• MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES

Policy Development
Contribute to the further development of NATO defence planning policy and procedures particularly through deriving a clear 'NATO demand signal to defence industry' from NDPP data. Provide advice to the single and joint service subject matter experts in the Defence Planning Directorate regarding all NATO initiatives supporting NDPP Step 4 as well as the overall development of the defence industrial sector throughout the Alliance.

Expertise Development
Act as DPD's subject matter expert for transatlantic defence industry and EU capability development. Contribute to the analysis of EU capability development policies and programmes as well as the evolution of the defence industrial spectrum with a specific focus on how both of these areas can contribute to the implementation of NDPP capability targets. Contribute to the analysis of Allied defence plans and programmes, with a particular emphasis on Allies' national industrial landscape and their ability to deliver on their NATO Capability Targets based on transatlantic industrial production capacity.

Stakeholder Management
Build strong cross-boundary relationships throughout the NDPS, especially across the IS, the International Military Staff, and Allied Commands Transformation and Operations. Act as Secretary to all levels of the NDPS Governance Structure, ensuring the timely coordination of meetings and agendas in order to facilitate the synchronization of workstrands and NDPP timelines. Engage the relevant entities of the EU on EU capability development policies and programmes and explore options to synchronise these efforts with the NDPP. Keep abreast of relevant political, military and financial developments in Alliance nations through regular meetings and contact with relevant stakeholders. Liaise with representatives of Allied delegations, other Divisions of the IS, the NMAs and staffs of the EU institutions.

Knowledge Management
Contribute to the analysis of Allied defence industrial capabilities and EU capability development programmes and their assessment against corresponding national plans of member nations of the Alliance, and other subjects dealt with by the Defence Planning Directorate as the need may arise, including for the North Atlantic Council in Defence Minister format and the Defence Policy and Planning Committee. Be aware of the work taken forward by the Conference of National Armaments Directors and its substructure and manage the integration of defence industrial considerations into the NDPP. Channel information to key players in NATO and influence strategy and opinions. Assist appropriate NATO committees in the development and preparation of documents dealing with the conceptual development of the Alliance's defence policy. Draft a wide range of documents, analyses and briefing material for DPP leadership and other senior NATO officials, assist in the drafting of reports and documents for NATO Committees, draft documents for public use.

Project Management
Maintain the NDPP programme of work, ensuring the deconfliction of timelines and events across all levels of the NDPS Governance Structure. Manage projects and/or programmes as directed by the Director and/or the Deputy Director of Defence Planning Directorate, in particular their preparation for Committee meetings, presentations and other engagements.

Perform any other related duty as assigned.

• INTERRELATIONSHIPS The incumbent reports to the Director, Defence Planning Directorate, or their deputy, in case of absence, and coordinates closely with other staff members of the Directorate. The incumbent also works in coordination with the Division and across NATO HQ with the IS, the NMAs and Allied officials, as well as with counterparts in other international organisations. The incumbent also maintains close working relationships throughout DPP and work effectively with other NATO divisions, in particular with those related to defence planning, the International Military Staff, Allied Command Transformation and Operations to ensure shared situational awareness, effective staff-level coordination and stakeholder management. Direct reports: n/a. Indirect reports: n/a.
• 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 organizational climate and culture;
• Teamwork: Cooperates.
• 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.

• 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:

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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 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.

• 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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NATO does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. For more info please click here .