The Young Professionals Programme (YPP)
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:
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 Communications and Information Agency (NCIA)
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Allied Command Operations(ACO)
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Allied Command Transformation (ACT)
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Work area
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Contracting
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Legal Affairs
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Legal Affairs
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Placement
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Brussels, Belgium
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Naples, Italy
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Norfolk, United States of America
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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 Legal Affairs & Contracting. As you gain experience, you will be given increasing responsibilities, such as:
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Support the efforts on ensuring that all legal aspects are considered and covered in the management of tasks, projects and programmes within the Organization;
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Provide thoroughly researched and practical guidance on legal aspects on a wide array of subjects, to include concept development, international agreements and legal support to an international staff and its staff members;
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Maintain and develop contacts NATO-wide, with external legal offices and with other international organisations to promote legal coherence and an uniform approach;
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Participate in activities related with compliance and coherence of all internally prepared documents with NATO’s acquisition process;
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Support the preparation of contractual, administrative, regulatory and strategic/operational level negotiations for instance by preparing background documents, assessing and mitigating contractual risk and proposing apposite contractual solutions;
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Ensure that purchasing and acquisitions are performed in an efficient and efficacious manner;
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Develop and standardize acquisition templates (solicitation and contract), across the Agency, ensuring the consistency of implementing NATO’s policies and regulations on Acquisition; and,
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Research new trends within the areas of responsibilities of Legal Affairs & Contracting.
Who we are looking for
The changing pace of the world demands that NATO and its people remain flexible, eager to learn and able to work effectively with a variety of stakeholders from diverse backgrounds. For a YPP position, we are looking for candidates having at least 1 year of professional experience.
For the YPP Legal Affairs & Contracting path, we are generally interested in the following educational backgrounds:
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Masters’ degree in International Law, Financial Law, Administrative Law, Civil Law, Criminology, Business Administration, Public Administration; and,
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Any other degree that you believe can be useful to the area of Legal Affairs & Contracting – let us know how your knowledge and skills can be applied!
Any of the following experience or skills would be considered as an asset:
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Professional experience in procurement or legal services functions;
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Experience and interest in providing legal advice particularly with respect to contracting and procurement and in the area of international law and international organisations;
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Experience preparing & drafting a variety of official written materials & giving advices to a legal and non-legal audience;
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Knowledge and ability to apply basic acquisition procedures and techniques and commonly used contracting methods and contract types to carry out recurring assignments;
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Knowledge of national and international legal frameworks;
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Experience and interest with the use of standard Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) or SAP/R3 systems;
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Any additional training/ certification(s) related to Legal Affairs or Contracting (such as qualified lawyer certification, CIPS,..);
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Strong drafting skills;
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Proactivity, can do attitude & willingness to learn and share information; and,
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Teamwork, 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 time]