*Pending Budget Approval*

Through this competition, the NATO International Staff seeks to identify qualified applicants for G8/G10 Assistant, Net Assessment as well as for G8/10 post of Assistant, Enablement & Resilience (Civil experts).

1. 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 the DPP Division, the Net Assessment Section is responsible for the preparation of NATO net assessments to support deliberations by the Defence Policy and Planning Committee and other NATO committees by addressing trends and patterns in strategic design and operational capacity between the Alliance and state and non-state competitors and potential adversaries. Such assessments help support consideration of asymmetries and relative vulnerabilities and opportunities, to inform policy formulation and capability development. It supports strategic level discussions at Council, Military Committee and Ministerial levels.

The incumbent will carry out the duties of Assistant for the Net Assessment Section located within DPP. They will be accountable for efficiently handling support duties of an administrative and organisational nature, including in relation to the production of net assessment drafts, ensuring effective support to the Head of the Section and efficient coordination among Section members. They will be responsible for keeping track of Division-level schedules of relevant HQ committees and other meetings and the schedules of the division’s senior leadership as appropriate, as well as managing schedules for the Section, supporting the preparation of net assessments as necessary, arranging meetings, preparing travels, helping organise net assessment seminars and undertaking all other tasks to ensure a smooth running of the Section. They will work as part of a team with the other Assistants of the Division, and in a mutual support fashion as necessary provide support to other sections/directorates.

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.

2. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL

The incumbent must:

• have a good general education at least to higher secondary level or to secondary level;
• have at least 4 years of experience in administrative and organisational work; out of which at least 2 years of experience as a personal assistant and have thorough knowledge of good office practices and procedures;
• be familiar with various software packages, in particular the Microsoft Office suite, Sharepoint, and some experience working with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP);
• possess experience in organising conferences or programme administration;
• have very good communication skills;
• have knowledge of, and experience in budgeting;
• possess the following minimum levels of NATO’s official languages (English/French): V (“Advanced”) in one; I (“Beginner”) in the other;
• Be willing  to work outside normal office hours when necessary.

DESIRABLE

• Knowledge of NATO work-flows, procedures and practices;
• A sound knowledge of Microsoft Excel, complex tables and graphics;
• Experience in an international organization, a national administration  or the armed forces;
• Experience in working in an evolving Information Services environment and with interfacing new applications, such as the nascent Net Assessment information systems and data-bases.

3. MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES

Planning and Execution

Manage the Net Assessment schedule. Organise meetings, including Section meetings, and handle related details, such as necessary travel arrangements and mission coordination, as well as the co-ordination of staff leave plans. Assist in preparing and organising the net assessment activities, such as seminars and workshops. Reserve meeting rooms, in a timely and coherent manner and participate in the organisation of meetings for other bodies, as directed. Prepare, send and follow up documents. Provide secretarial and administrative support to committee secretarial work as required. Assist with administrative and logistical arrangements and organize assigned tasks to ensure the accurate and timely execution of duties.

Information Management

Answer enquiries and direct calls. Support, as required, the preparation of net assessments, including figures and tables. Prepare draft memoranda and covering letters. Send advance copies and routing forms for hard copy distribution of net assessments. Oversee the paper flow into and out of the Section, channelling the information to the relevant staff officers as necessary, and coordinating timely responses and actions within the section as required. Maintain an effective follow-up and/or reminder system for pending actions. Manage the communication flow related to meetings, in order to ensure that all involved possess the correct information to achieve their specific objectives.

Knowledge Management

In accordance with security guidelines and requirements, collect, categorise, and track relevant information required for various tasks and projects and maintain well-structured paper and electronic filing systems. Input and verify data entries into relevant databases. Work closely with the Section’s staff in the further development and management of the Net Assessment information management tools.

Stakeholder Management

Liaise with points of contact to ensure efficiency in daily management of workload and processes. Be the point of contact for initial requests of varying nature and maintain all lists of internal and external contacts. Liaise with representatives of committees pertinent to DPP as needed.

Financial Management

Assist in preparing the Section’s budget submission. Monitor the Section’s expenditures, notably those related to travel. Responsible for follow-up of necessary budget for the Section’s activities outside of NATO Headquarters. Submit and process financial requests in a timely and accurate manner.

Expertise Development

Proactively develop skills in areas such as planning and organising. Liaise with other Assistants to leverage knowledge. Provide constructive suggestions to improve office procedures.

Organisational Efficiencies

Provide constructive suggestions to improve office procedures. Find ways to be faster, better and more effective in managing information and using office tools.

Perform any other related duty as assigned.

4. INTERRELATIONSHIPS

The incumbent reports to the Head, Net Assessment Section.  They maintain close working relationships with staff throughout the Section, the three Directorates of the Division, as well as throughout the Organization.  They maintain efficient and collegial working relationships with the other assistants of the division.

Direct reports: N/a.

Indirect reports: N/a.

5. COMPETENCIES

The incumbent must demonstrate:

• Clarity and Accuracy: Checks own work;
• Customer Service Orientation: Takes personal responsibility for correcting problems;
• Empathy: Listens actively;
• Flexibility: Acts with flexibility;
• Initiative: Is decisive in a time-sensitive situation;
• Organizational Awareness: Understands the Organization’s structure;
• Teamwork: Expresses positive attitudes and expectations of team or team members.