YPP, Innovation and Emerging Technologies
The Hague, Netherlands
JOB DETAIL
The Young Professionals Programme
Through times of crisis and peace, NATO has safeguarded our freedom and security for 70 years and counting. Threats evolve every day and NATO is continuing to adapt to keep us safe. Together we will make sure our Alliance remains ready today to face tomorrow’s challenges.
We are launching an accelerator for your international career – the second cycle of our Young Professionals Programme (YPP). Through this global three-year programme, you will experience the frontline of a political and military alliance and start a journey of personal and professional development in a diverse and inclusive work environment. Together, we will enable NATO to:
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Address existing and emergent global challenges with security implications;
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Facilitate political consultation and dialogue between Nations;
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Leverage innovation, science and technology to support peace and security;
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Stay ahead in cutting edge domains such as cyber defence and aerospace;
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Support multiple operations on land, sea and air around the world;
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Fight terrorism, piracy and human trafficking at a global level; and,
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Run crisis management exercises that mobilise thousands of people and equipment.
Do you want to make a difference and help protect close to one billion people across 31 NATO member states, including your own? Apply for the YPP, if you are ready to take on this challenge and are a national of a NATO member state with a Master’s degree and at least one year of work experience.
With you, we are stronger.
#WeAreNATO
Your role
During the three years of the programme, you will be assigned to three different NATO bodies:
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Year
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Year 1
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Year 2
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Year 3
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NATO body
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NATO International Staff (IS) – NATO HQ
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Allied Command Transformation (ACT)
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NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA)
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Work area
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Innovation & Emerging Technology
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Innovation & Emerging Technology
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Innovation & Emerging Technology
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Placement
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Brussels, Belgium
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Norfolk, United States of America
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The Hague, The Netherlands
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For more information, please see the path narrative here. You can also find more information about the NATO bodies here & the NATO Young Professionals Programme here.
This is an opportunity for you to apply your knowledge and skills in the broader area of Innovation and Emerging and Disruptive Technologies (EDTs). As you gain experience, you will be given increasing responsibilities, such as:
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Research opportunities for innovation in EDTs by engaging with innovation stakeholders—within NATO, Allied governments, academia, start-ups, venture investors, and other tech actors—to better understand new trends and technologies and their impact on our political and military objectives;
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Examine the convergence between different EDTs and their potential impact;
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Research how our adversaries and competitors may be: (a) developing and leveraging new EDTs; and (b) attempting to acquire our own EDTs through licit or illicit means;
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Support teams at NATO working towards a culture of innovation at NATO by embracing agile approaches to decision-making and seeking to uncover institutional barriers to the Alliance’s tech readiness;
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Establish an understanding of the NATO Enterprise’s ways of working to be able to integrate innovative approaches for NATO stakeholders to adapt to dynamic trends;
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Support and facilitate the discussion, development and implementation of innovative initiatives in the form of policies, processes or technologies;
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Supporting NATO’s efforts in systematically introducing innovation in defence planning and capability development processes and activities;
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Contributing to public diplomacy efforts on NATO’s innovation activities, including by reaching communities traditionally thought of as beyond the Alliance’s reach.
Who we are looking for
The changing pace of the world demands that NATO and its people embrace flexibility, develop an innate curiosity, and lean into the benefits stemming from our diverse set of stakeholders. We encourage multidisciplinary approaches to innovation. For this role, we are generally interested in the following educational backgrounds:
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Masters’ degree in the field of STEM-B (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, international security, business administration);
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Masters’ or bachelors’ degree or equivalent work experience in developing a strong design thinking or systems engineering approach to problem solving; or
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Any other degree that you believe can be useful to the area of Innovation and Emerging Technologies – let us know how your knowledge and skills can be applied!
The following skills are considered an asset:
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Professional experience with innovation & EDTs (especially deep technologies) in the private sector, academia, and/or government innovation arms in NATO Member or partner countries;
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Passion for innovation projects & policy development that drives change. High motivation to exploit technology and innovative ways of working;
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Technology literacy and an ability to draw strategic implications from technical expert communities;
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Demonstrate strong interest in at least one of NATO’s identified Emerging and Disruptive Technologies (e.g., for novel materials and advanced manufacturing or next-generation communications networks);
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Interest in novel and non-traditional approaches to defence acquisition, planning and capability development, ideally with an understanding from a national perspective;
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Familiarity with the strategic issues and security challenges facing the Alliance;
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Ability to persuade key stakeholders of strategic implications of technological change, including by translating technical concepts for generalist audiences;
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Experience with one or more data analysis tool (such as Power BI, Matlab, KNIME, Python, VBA) preferably in the context of a project;
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Fluency in the two NATO Official languages (French & English);
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Curious & creative mindset, with the ability to work in a vibrant, flat-rank and collaborative team;
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Excellent communication, facilitation and interpersonal skills.
What we offer
NATO will offer the Young Professionals:
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An experience of a lifetime at the forefront of an international organisation where you’ll have the opportunity to develop your skills and enlarge your professional network;
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A diverse and stimulating work and personal experience where you will be assigned to three different NATO bodies around the globe, one each year; and,
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A competitive salary and other benefits, including excellent health insurance and a generous annual leave of 30 days.
Are you interested in being part of NATO and the YPP? Apply until 07 May 2023 [23:59 – Brussels]
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:
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For NATO civilian staff members only: please apply via the internal recruitment portal (link);
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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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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