OPEN TO NATIONALS OF NATO MEMBER STATES ONLY

STAFF VACANCY 230354                   

DIVISION:                         NATO STANDARDIZATION OFFICE

Policy and Coordination Branch

NATO Terminology Office

TITLE:                               Head (NATO Terminology Office)

GRADE:                            A-4/G-20

Please note that the final competition for this post will take place on-line and is provisionally scheduled for July 2023.

1.       Post Context.  The NATO Standardization Office (NSO) initiates, coordinates, supports or administers all those standardization activities that are conducted under the authority of the Committee for Standardization and provides standardization management support and standardization advice for the standardization community and supports the Military Committee Standardization Boards (MCSBs).

The Head, NATO Terminology Office (NTO) is responsible for the NATO Terminology Programme (NTP), advising all NSO Branches on terminology aspects, supporting the development of NATO agreed terminology across all domains, chairing and providing secretarial support to the MC Terminology Board (MCTB) and maintaining the NATO Terminology Database (NATOTerm).  The Head (NTO) is responsible to the Head, Policy and Coordination Branch.

2.       Principal Duties.

• Contributing to NATO policy in the area of terminology with a view to maintaining and further developing the NTP in order to  meet the needs of the Alliance and to anticipate those needs;

• Designing and establishing the necessary procedures, methods of work, solutions, tools, etc. for the implementation of the NTP with a view to streamlining the terminology work it imposes throughout the Alliance;

• Planning, organising and giving guidance to NTO’s operations to coordinate, support, and administer terminology standardization activities throughout the Alliance;

• Carrying out the related personnel management duties, including the supervision of the terminologist;

• Supporting and facilitating the implementation of the NTP throughout NATO, identifying and addressing possible development opportunities, duplication or waste of effort, deficiencies and inconsistencies and proposing solutions;

• Developing advice for the Director, NSO through the Head, Policy and Coordination Branch, in terminology-related matters and to other NATO bodies in the event of issues involving terminology;

• Chairing the meetings of the MTCB and of other groups dealing with terminology proposals;

• Representing the NSO at meetings dealing with terminology and standardization within NATO and outside (standards-developing organisations, NATO Partners, international organisations, e.g. United Nations, European Union) to keep abreast of developments in terminology management and to publicise the NTP as a model for terminology standardization;

• Organising and/or supporting special projects involving NATO terminology;

• Executing the NTO responsibilities in the NTP, in particular;

• • Analysing terminology proposals submitted to the NTO to ascertain that they meet the standards for the development of terminology prescribed by the NTP (need, admissibility, quality, etc.);

• • Carrying out the necessary research in the various expert domains to be able to provide comments on the proposals and to propose alternatives to the terminology proposed as necessary;

• • Updating and maintaining the NATO terminology database;

• • Providing guidance, instruction and training on the use of the NATO terminology database as required;

• • Contributing to the continuous development of tools for the NTP;

• • Participating in discussions with and meetings of specialist groups to discuss terminology proposals, taking the lead where necessary, and providing the related administrative support;

• • Issuing regular updates on NATO agreed terminology for better visibility and greater consistency in the Alliance;

• • Liaising with the linguistic services of NATO, NATO member nations and other international organisations;

• • Carrying out special terminology projects (e.g. glossary creation and extraction, exchange of terminology with external bodies and organisations);

3.       Special Requirements and Additional Duties.  The incumbent may be required to;

• Undertake assignments both within and outside of NATO’s boundaries;
• Work irregular hours;
• Perform other related duties;
• Perform duties in the NATO HQ Crisis Management Organization.

4.       Essential Qualifications.

Professional/Experience.

• At least eight years of work experience in a position with similar responsibilities;

• At least two years of work experience with database or database management systems;

• Sound knowledge of terminology theory and practice;

• Highly developed sense of style and nuance in English or French;

• Excellent written/oral expression and communication skills;

• Ability to work well with both military and civil staffs in an international environment;

• Thorough knowledge of the Alliance’s activities, the structure of NATO and its headquarters as well as its document style and vocabulary;

Education/Training. The incumbent must have a university degree or equivalent qualification (at least to ISCED level 6) from an institute of recognized standing complemented by a ten-year equivalent degree post-related function (e.g. terminology).

Languages. A proficient level of spoken and written English or French as well as an advanced level of spoken and written in the other language are required for this post.  Candidates will be required to pass a one-hour multiple-choice computer-based test in both languages at the required level.

NOTE: The work, both oral and written, in this post and in the IMS/NSO as a whole is conducted mainly in English.

Computer Literacy.   Use of MS-Office applications in crucial to the effective and successful execution of daily duties. Advanced user experience with Word, Outlook and Excel and basic user experience with PowerPoint is required.

5.       Desirable Qualifications.

Professional/Experience.

• Knowledge of the NTP and/or involvement in major terminology database projects;

• Previous experience working in an international organisation, national ministry and/or military service;

• Familiarity with technical fields of interest to NATO.

Education/Training.         The incumbent should have a Master’s degree (to ISCED level 7) in the areas of terminology, communication, management or public administration.

6.       Personal Attributes.

• Good analytical skills and judgement;

• Tact and discretion;

• Ability to command the authority in critical situations which may sometimes be politically sensitive;

• Highly supportive, proactive and dedicated;

• Be able to persuade others to do what is required of them;

• The incumbent must demonstrate the following competencies:

• • Analytical Thinking: Sees multiple relationships;
  • Flexibility: Adapts to unforeseen situations;
  • Impact and Influence: Takes multiple actions to persuade;
  • Initiative: Is decisive in time-sensitive situations;
  • Organizational Awareness: Understands organizational climate and culture;
  • Teamwork: Co-operates.

7.       Managerial Responsibilities.  Bears responsibility for managing the NTP, which applies throughout NATO, and for the NTO Terminologist (A-3/G-17).

8.       Professional Contacts.    Within the NSO, dealing mainly with Branch Heads (OF-5/A-5/G-22), Senior Staff Officers (OF3-4/A3-4/G17-20) and occasionally with the Director (OF-7).

9.       Contribution to the Objectives. Contributes both directly and indirectly to the objective of standardising NATO terminology. Contributes indirectly to how this is achieved (formulating policy, procedures, etc.). Supports the writers of documents, groups of experts, etc. who process the necessary terminology proposals and thus also contributes to the objective of standardised terminology in a direct manner. Contributes from the strategic policy development to the expert level.

10.      Remarks.

• • Security Clearance – NATO SECRET (if not currently held, the incumbent must be eligible for this level of clearance).
  • Work Environment – Normal office environment.

11.      Contract.      In accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations (NCPRs), the successful candidate will receive a definite duration contract of three years, which may be renewed.

If the successful applicant is seconded from the national administration of one of NATO’s member States, a three-year definite duration contract will be offered, which may be renewed for a further period of up to three years subject 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 NATO international civilian staff will be offered a contract in accordance with the NCPRs.

12.      Recruitment Process.

Please note that we can only accept applications from nationals of NATO member countries.

Applications must be submitted by 31 May 2023 (23.59 Brussels time) using the e-recruitment system, as applicable:

• For NATO civilian staff members only: please apply via the internal recruitment portal (for more information, please contact your local Civilian HR Manager);

• For all other applications: www.nato.int/recruitment

Please note that at the time of the interviews, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of their education and professional experience as relevant for this vacancy.

Appointment will be subject to receipt of a security clearance (provided by the national Authorities of the selected candidate) and approval of the candidate’s medical file by the NATO Medical Adviser.

An on-line pre-selective assessment may be held as part of the selection procedure.

13.      Additional Information.

NATO as an employer values diverse backgrounds and perspectives and is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and talented workforce. NATO welcomes applications of nationals from all Member States 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.

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.

Please note that the NSO at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium is a non-smoking environment.