Deputy Director, NATO Liaison Office to Ukraine
JOB DETAIL
*Pending budget approval*
1. SUMMARY
The Political Affairs and Security Policy (PASP) Division leads on the political aspects of NATO’s core tasks and is the International Staff’s (IS) political hub for partnerships.
Within PASP, the Policy East Section is responsible for the development and implementation of political guidance related to NATO relations with Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Republic of Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The Section also guides the work of the NATO Representation in Kyiv, Ukraine and the NATO Liaison Office in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova.
The NATO Representation to Ukraine (NRU) consists of the NATO Liaison Office (NLO) and the NATO Information and Documentation Centre (NIDC). The NRU currently has 41 staff that is comprised of both international and locally employed personnel. The Head of the NRU also serves as the Director of the NATO Liaison Office (NLO) to Ukraine.
Under the overall direction the Head of Policy East and the direct oversight of the Head of NRU/Director NLO, the Deputy Director helps implement and direct cooperation between NATO and Ukraine. S/he supports the management of the Office, including on human resources and financial issues, and deputises in the absence of the Head/Director. The incumbent also liaises with the Ukrainian authorities dealing with political, defence, and public diplomacy issues and provides advice on implementing coherent and coordinated cooperation programmes and activities in the framework of the NATO-Ukraine Council, the Annual National Programme (ANP), and the Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP) for Ukraine. S/he advises and works closely with NRU staff, as well as relevant stakeholders in NATO.
This post is based in Kyiv. However, the security situation in Ukraine affects the NRU’s working methods and the NRU staff’s physical presence in country. Physical in-country presence will be adapted in line with the security environment. The successful candidate will be required to undergo additional training, such as (but not limited to) Hostile Environment and First Aid Training.
2. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
ESSENTIAL
The incumbent must:
- possess a university degree from an institute of recognised standing, preferably in the field of political science, international relations, or another relevant discipline;
- have at least five years’ related professional experience in defence and/or security matters;
- have a well-developed understanding of the overall political context of NATO’s relations with Ukraine, including the NATO-Ukraine Council (which replaced the NATO-Ukraine Commission), the Annual National Programme, the CAP, and the associated tools and mechanisms;
- demonstrate sound political judgement and strong analytical skills (including proven experience in making reasoned and logical workplace decisions);
- have professional experience in programme and change management roles and demonstrated people management experience;
- possess the following minimum levels of NATO’s official languages (English/French): V (“Advanced”) in one; I (“Beginner”) in the other;
DESIRABLE
The following would be considered an advantage:
- a Master’s degree from an institute of recognised standing, preferably in the field of political science, international relations or another relevant discipline;
- previous experience of working in a multi-national organisation or a diplomatic mission;
- a good working knowledge of Ukrainian and/or Russian;
- previous experience in the region.
Expertise Development
Support the Head/Director in contributing to the provision of advice, guidance, and assistance to NATO HQ personnel as required. Oversee the drafting of regular reports on political-military developments to HQ. Deputise for Head/Director, provide periodic briefings on political developments in Ukraine and on NLO operations to relevant committees at NATO HQ. Work with the NRU Security Officer to provide advice, oversee facilities, monitor evolving and existing situations in order to provide timely advice that can be actioned across NRU and NATO HQ.
Policy Development
Provide advice and assistance in developing and implementing the full range of activities in the framework of the NATO-Ukraine relationship. Advise Ukrainian institutions, NATO structures and bodies, and other stakeholders in Ukraine. In coordination with NIDC, support public diplomacy and civil society engagement activities on defence and security issues and the NATO-Ukraine relationship, and participate in relevant events in the region on behalf of NATO.
Project Management
Monitor the implementation of programmes and contribute to assessments of their progress.
Planning and Execution
Act as the primary point of contact for coordination and coherence across Ukraine donor stakeholders in order to provide a sound basis for planning and executing NATO’s support to Ukraine. Administer the NRU Business Continuity plan.
Stakeholder Management
Develop and oversee a Key Leader Engagement strategy for NLO including, but not limited to, stakeholders such as the NATO Contact Point Embassy, Allied Embassies, Government officials, and local NGOs and civil society organisations. Build a personal and institutional network of political, NGO, civil society, diplomatic, and other contacts in order to provide advice and assistance on developing and implementing the full range of activities in the framework of the NATO-Ukraine Council, including the implementation of Ukraine’s ANP and activities within the CAP.
Financial Management
Support the Head/Director and work in close and regular coordination with the PASP Administrative Officer in the development and maintenance of the budget for the NLO in line with NATO financial procedures and standards.
People Management
Act as a first point of contact for NLO staff (VNCs and LES) on human resource management issues and lead on recruiting, retention initiatives, and off boarding for NLO, keeping the Administrative and Logistics Manager informed as appropriate.
Organisational Efficiencies
Work with the Administrative and Logistics Officer to ensure the smooth operation of the NRU. Plan and manage the operation of the office, including office space utilisation, infrastructure, and facilities improvements. Oversee physical security requirements of the NLO in coordination with the designated Security Officer and the NATO Office of Security (NOS), and maintain awareness of potential threats to NLO personnel.
Knowledge Management
Monitor and analyse political, security, and other relevant developments in Ukraine. Facilitate information-sharing, with discretion, with a view to transferring knowledge across PASP and with key external interlocutors. Ensure that knowledge is maintained and available.
Perform any other related duty as assigned.
4. INTERRELATIONSHIPS
The incumbent reports to the Head of Policy East through the Head NRU/Director NLO.
Direct reports: N/A
Indirect reports: N/A
5. COMPETENCIES
The incumbent will demonstrate:
- Achievement: Creates own measures of excellence and improves performance;
- Analytical Thinking: Sees multiple relationships;
- Clarity and Accuracy: Monitors others’ work for clarity;
- Conceptual Thinking: Applies learned concepts;
- Customer Service Orientation: Makes things better for the customer, addressing underlying customer needs;
- Impact and Influence: Uses indirect influence;
- Initiative: Is decisive in a time-sensitive situation;
- Teamwork: Solicits input and encourages others.
7. 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: www.nato.int/recruitment
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More information about the recruitment process and conditions of employment, can be found at our website (http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/recruit-hq-e.htm)
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
For information about the NATO Single Salary Scale (Grading, Allowances, etc.) please visit our website. Detailed data is available under the Salary and Benefits tab.
