1. SUMMARY

The NATO Chief Information Officer (CIO) function brings Information and Communications Technology (ICT) coherence across NATO Enterprise’s civil and military bodies. The NATO CIO is empowered to realize the Allies’ vision for the NATO Enterprise is accountable to the Secretary General and is responsible for the development of Enterprise directives and advice on the acquisition and use of information technologies and services. The NATO CIO provides Enterprise oversight on cybersecurity issues, and, in close coordination with all relevant NATO civil and military bodies, works towards the continual improvement of the cyber hygiene and cybersecurity posture in the NATO Enterprise.

The Office of the NATO CIO (OCIO) has an integrated staff organization comprised of International Staff (IS) and International Military Staff (IMS) members.

The Enterprise Strategy Branch (EStrat) identifies, elicits and harmonizes NATO bodies’ ICT needs into a coherent set of Enterprise’s requirements. It supports the definition, evolution and implementation of a long-term Enterprise strategy for ICT management following NATO nation’s guidance. The branch develops and maintains the implementation strategies to meet business requirements while respecting the diverse funding processes and sources supporting the NATO Enterprise. The branch prepares the CIO’s engagement with senior NATO boards and committees, oversees Enterprise architectural developments, monitors ICT services provision performance and maintains oversight of large ongoing projects and programs.

The mission of the Enterprise Services Section (ESS) is to ensuring coherence, security, interoperability and cost effectiveness of the current and future Enterprise Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services while planning its long-term evolution to best support NATO Enterprise business requirements and customers. This function requires the definition, monitoring and evolution of specific performance measurement. The Section works in close coordination with several NATO bodies, such as the Consultation, Command and Control Board (C3B), as the owner and maintainer of NATO Enterprise Architecture frameworks and methodologies exercising a governance role, the Allied Command Transformation, the NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA) and other relevant stakeholders. It also needs to be aligned with key NATO processes such as NATO Defence Planning Process (NDPP), NATO Security Investment Programme (NSIP) and others as required, in order to support OCIO’s strategic management function.

The incumbent will work within the Enterprise Services Section and focus on the Enterprise-wide investments and Service Level Agreements (SLAs), facilitating change at the enterprise level while considering the unique needs and dynamics of each entity. The role will develop change management strategies, plans, and frameworks to effectively guide and manage change initiatives, continuously assessing the potential impact of proposed changes on the NATO Enterprise ICT Services, while also proposing controls to mitigate any negative effects. They will support assessing the NATO Enterprise’s readiness for change, understanding its culture, and identifying potential barriers to successful change implementation for current and future Technological Transformation programs, while promoting a positive and receptive stance towards change. This role will also include supporting the identification, proposal and consolidation of policy changes, in close coordination with other NATO policy-making bodies for CIS.

2. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL

The incumbent must:

• hold a university degree or an equivalent level of qualification, from an institute of a recognized standing,  in an ICT related field of study;
• have at least 3 years’ of experience in ICT in multiple areas of system’s lifecycle, from requirements capture and design, to implementation and operation;
• have experience in ICT projects and programmes management, involving large-scale organisational change efforts;
• have experience in business process management and analysis in a complex international environment;
• have a broad knowledge of ICT service delivery in a complex  international environment, including commercial standards, and best practices;
• ability to understand organisational issues/challenges preventing positive change, and to work collaboratively with and through others to address them;
• have experience in ICT governance, policy making, and standardisation;
• have excellent drafting skills, in particular the ability to present complex ICT issues in simple terms to different levels of stakeholders;
• be able to prepare and deliver substantial presentations, and to portray complex information technology issues to non-technical audiences, in order to facilitate consensus building and decision-making;
• have strong passion for information technology with a commitment to maintain and improve oversight on technological evolutions; and,
• have the following minimum levels of NATO’s official languages (English/French): V (“Advanced”) in one; I (“Beginner”) in the other.

DESIRABLE

The following are considered an advantage:

• market leading certification in services management, such as ITIL;
• project management certification such as PMP or Prince II;
• experience with procuring and managing ICT and cybersecurity services, either in house or outsourcing;
• deep understanding of current and emerging ICT technologies and how enterprises are using them to drive digital business;
• experience with cloud computing architectures, and in particular with re-designing traditional ICT services for the cloud, in security-focused organizations;
• familiarity with or knowledge of the NATO civilian and military structure;
• experience with international organisations and a good knowledge of their methods of work and practices;
• experience in the implementation of standards in information services and systems to achieve interoperability.

3. MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES

Policy Development

Contribute to the development of policy, directive and guidance documents in the OCIO areas of responsibility as per their area of expertise. Provide advice to the Section Head on the coherence, security, interoperability and cost effectiveness of the current and future Enterprise ICT services, while planning its long-term evolution to best support NATO Enterprise business requirements and customers. Develop high-level strategic documents and advice to improve the lifecycle of the enterprise services. Contribute to policy related to key areas of the NATO Enterprise ICT, such as Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, edge computing, Enterprise services integration and cybersecurity.

Expertise Development

Conduct analysis and provide advice in the fields of C3 capabilities and ICT services, with focus on the Enterprise-wide investments and SLAs. Support the NATO CIO coherence role, through an oversight of all capabilities delivered and services provided within the NATO Enterprise, through various programs and projects (common funded, multi-nationally or nationally funded). Support OCIO activities related to Enterprise services in the areas of investment, operations and maintenance, baseline configuration control, change management processes and Enterprise-wide SLAs. Contribute to a change management framework, in order to achieve full control of existing and future ICT services across the NATO Enterprise. Keep abreast with the latest technology developments in their  area of responsibilities and provide appropriate advice.

Project Management

Contribute to the definition and enforcing of the section projects plan according to the OCIO role(s) in project management processes used in the NATO Enterprise. Cooperate with main decision-makers and other stakeholders relevant for the project success, participate and contribute to project management boards as required. Maintain full understanding of project and program plans, identify and monitor project implementation risks, provide expertise and leadership in the resolution of exceptions and issues. Establish and maintain a network of relations with key project leaders in the NATO Enterprise, with a specific focus on ICT and Cybersecurity projects.

Stakeholder Management

Engage and coordinate with all relevant NATO Enterprise stakeholders, ensuring a broad collaboration during the development of policies, directives, guidance, implementation plans, standards and best practices. Closely coordinate with NATO staff working on the lifecycle of Enterprise capabilities and services (requirements, investments, operations, maintenance and disposal). Engage with industry and academia in the post’s domain of expertise, as required. Develop close cooperation and working relationships with stakeholders, including the C3B, the Agencies Supervisory Boards, the Military Committee, the Resource Planning and Policy Board, and other relevant senior policy committees and boards, in accordance with the evolution of the OCIO responsibilities and available resources.

Knowledge Management

Contribute to the assessment of the service-oriented approaches in place in NATO nations, NATO civil and military bodies, and non-NATO nations / international organizations, in order to provide support and recommendations, becoming a point of reference for the NATO service-oriented approach. Draft background briefs, advices, and progress reports, prepare presentations, and other items for high-level meetings.

Planning and Execution

Provide input to the Enterprise Services Section work plans and manage the implementation of the assigned tasks to achieve section objectives.

Financial Management

Provide inputs to the OCIO budget / Programme of Work and maintain an overview of assigned budgets, and their execution and reporting.

Perform any other related duty as assigned.

4. INTERRELATIONSHIPS

The incumbent reports to the Head, Enterprise Services Section. They will work in close cooperation with the OCIO staff as well with experts of the various NATO Entities. 

Direct reports: N/A

Indirect reports: N/A

5.    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.
• Organizational Awareness: Understands organisational climate and culture.
• Teamwork: Cooperates.