Post Context

ACT contributes to preserving the peace, security and territorial integrity of Alliance member states by leading, at Strategic Command level, Warfare Development required to enhance NATO’s posture, military structures, forces, capabilities and doctrines.

The Resources and Management (RM) Directorate acts on behalf of SACT on all internal management and resource-related issues. It monitors the coherency of ACT plans to ensure that ACT remains an effective and efficient organization and improves continuously.

The Strategy Management Branch is responsible for the cross-functional coherence and management of ACT’s Programme of Work (PoW). In the wider NATO context, the Branch is the POC for the integrated objective-based planning and reporting on all cross-directorate outputs. It is also the POC for management, integration, fusion and governance within the ACT. These responsibilities translate into Internal Management coherence, performance analysis, and management in support of the ACT executive boards, organisational development, and portfolio, programme and project (P3) management activities.

The incumbent supports Command Strategic Management and Communications in ensuring that ACT’s activity in Policy, Planning, Programming, Prioritization and Internal Management is fully integrated and executed in accordance with the Commander’s Intent and strategy.

Disclaimer: During the ACT Trial Structure under Project Cardinal, this position will act as Branch Head – Management Integration and Fusion within the Strategic Planning and Management Hub (StratHub) of the Strategic Management and Communications (SMC) Directorate. The selected candidate will lead the team responsible for ensuring alignment of lines of effort with Command-wide priorities; coordinating coherent cross-directorate outputs; and advising on the use of performance indicators to monitor, correct, and align delivery.

Principal Duties:

• Deal with all Strategic Management, Integration and Fusion issues.
• Obtain Direction and Guidance (D&G) from the chain of command on ACT’s aims for the following planning period in order to supervise the coordination of Directorate inputs to and the subsequent development of SACT’s reports, liaising with the CAG to ensure the draft plan reflects the Commander’s direction.
• Oversee ACT strategic management policy development and changes to ACT’s management processes.
• Supervise the coordination of the Commander’s FOGO Offsite arrangements and meeting content relating to WDA or other cross-Command topics.
• Lead in all aspects of Strategic Planning input to the ACT Programme to ensure clarity of input and adherence to SACT’s intent and with the Warfare Development Plan D&G and timelines.
• Monitor NATO policy documentation and associated changes to ensure ACT planning compliance.
  Supervise the overall construction of the ACT input to the MC Advices taking inputs from the co-ordinators and ensuring commonality with other NMAs and coherence with the MC and RPPB guidance.
• Represents ACT at MCWG (DP&C) and MCWG (L&R), as required, to facilitate the approval, endorsement or notification as appropriate of the ACT’s input to the MC Advice.
• Facilitates the ACT elements of the BHs’ NCSEP prioritization process.
• Provides and supervise the mechanism for a programme planning feedback loop to the COS and DCOS’.
• Co-ordinates the ACT input to revisions of NATO’s Military Strategy and represent ACT at the MCWG(SPC).
• Supports the development of the ACT Annual Report to ensure consistency with the MTMP and MTRP and that it reflects the outcomes and risk/issues encountered in the delivery of the ACT programme of work and higher tasking.
• Assists with all other aspects of strategic management, fusion and integration as required

Essential Qualifications / Experience:

• University Degree in management information systems, accounting, economics, finance, business administration, public administration, operations research, project management or related discipline and 6 years post related experience, or Higher Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training in that discipline leading to a professional qualification or professional accreditation with 6 years post related and 2 years function related experience.
• A minimum of 3 years’ experience in the development of strategic-level Business based Plans and Programmes.
• Knowledge of current technology and business management systems theory.
• Very good English oral and written communications skills.

Language:

• English – SLP 3333 – (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)

Desirable Qualifications / Experience:

• Experience of developing plans and prioritization in a large, preferably multi-national, organization.
• Understanding of the principles of knowledge management as a management technique to enable organisation development in the knowledge economy.
• Experience managing small teams and budgets.
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of NATO processes at the Strategic and Political/Military level.
• Previous staff experience in joint and/or multi-national HQ.
• Master Degree in Business Administration (MBA) or equivalent with specialized training in organizational performance measurement systems.

Attributes/Competencies:

Personal Attributes:

• Individual must be able to think broadly in a strategic manner and have mature judgment. The individual must have the ability to be able to adapt quickly to change, often working under pressure. The individual must possess the tact in order to be able to coordinate effectively with officers and members of differing NATO countries. The individual must be flexible enough to be able to work outside normal working hours, when the job requires. Lastly, the individual must be able to travel to various NATO countries for meetings and other gatherings, as the mission necessitates.
• Post-holder must be methodical and organized, with an eye for detail. The post-holder must possess the tact in order to be able to coordinate and communicate effectively with officers and members of different NATO countries. The individual must be flexible enough to be able to work outside normal working hours, when the job requires.
• This post will be responsible for the preparation and implementation of ACT’s annual programme, as well as the production and execution of the ACT Management Plan. This position will directly implement ACT’s objectives by structuring each annual programme so that ACT’s objectives are the driving force. Post-holder significantly contributes and has direct impact of the command through development of Command objectives, Directorate objectives and sub command objectives with linkage to project work (Plans and Programmes). Also receives guidance directly from up to 17 Flag and General officers in the development of these objectives.

Professional Contacts:

• Post-holder must be methodical and organized, with an eye for detail. The post-holder must possess the tact in order to be able to coordinate and communicate effectively with officers and members of different NATO countries. The individual must be flexible enough to be able to work outside normal working hours, when the job requires.

Contribution To Objectives:

• This post will be responsible for the preparation and implementation of ACT’s annual programme, as well as the production and execution of the ACT Management Plan. This position will directly implement ACT’s objectives by structuring each annual programme so that ACT’s objectives are the driving force. Post-holder significantly contributes and has direct impact of the command through development of Command objectives, Directorate objectives and sub command objectives with linkage to project work (Plans and Programmes). Also receives guidance directly from up to 17 Flag and General officers in the development of these objectives.

Security Clearance

The successful applicant will be required to apply for and receive a NATO SECRET Security Clearance prior to final confirmation of contract and commencement of employment.

Contract

Serving NATO International Civilian staff will be offered a contract in accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations. Newly recruited staff will be offered a three year definite duration contract.

Notes for Candidates

The HQ SACT web site gives full details on the eligibility criteria and application processes to be adopted by all candidates. However, candidates should particularly note:

Please answer each of the pre-screening questions completely in English. Expressions such as: “please see attached CV, please see annex, please see enclosed document, etc” are not acceptable; this is a cause of immediate rejection of the application.

Particular attention should be given to Education and Experience section of your application form, which should be populated with details of your career to date and educational achievements and certifications as they relate to your application.

The candidature of NATO redundant staff at grade G20 will be considered with priority.

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.

This vacancy will close on 26 February 2026 @ 17:59hrs (EST)/11:59hrs (CET).