Project Coordinator (Communication Services - Core Communications Network Services)

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 Capability Development Directorate (CAPDEV) comprises two Divisions—Requirements and Capabilities. The Directorate supports SACT in his Capabilities Requirement Authority (CRA) role. It is responsible for a holistic through lifecycle Capability Development approach that infuses innovation and transformative efforts that are an integral part of the Warfare Development. This includes responsibilities for elicitation, development, capture and collection, quality review, traceability and visibility of capability requirements.

The Capabilities Division coordinates the development of capabilities from capability planning through acceptance and then disposal with the management entities, NATO Headquarters staff and the NATO Governance Structure. This entails synchronizing horizontally across capabilities to achieve coherent efforts and outcomes.

The Communications Information Services (CIS) Branch leads the Core Services and Communication Services areas including IT Service Management and Deployable Communications Information System. Furthermore, the Branch leads the development of the NATO Enterprise Architecture for future C3 Information systems in accordance with approved NATO policy and links these architectures to the NDPP, the NSIP, and interoperability standards.

This post will act as a Project Coordinator on NATO Core Communication Network Services.

Principal Duties:

• Contribute to the development of Communications and Information Services (CIS):
  • Supports the elicitation of requirements as needed by the Requirements Division.
  • Enables development of capability programme plans and ensures the delivery of programme outcomes by assessing throughout the life cycle the cost, scope, schedule, risk and performance.
  • Ensures coordination and synchronization with all SMEs supporting warfare development at the management level, especially with the users and the host nations.
  • Plans and leads acceptance with the support of relevant branches and in coordination with user and host nations.
  • Provide programme and project expertise for ACT Programme of Work (POW) activities in CIS, Cyber, COI Enabling, Information Management and infrastructure and COI Services.
  • In conjunction with the CIS Operating, Service Provisioning and Implementation Authorities, serve as a member of selected Integrated Coordination groups like the Capability Management Function and NATO HQ coordination groups (e.g. Integrated Project Steering Groups).
  • Provides for Enterprise Architecture and capability architecture development.
• On transformational aspect:
  • Support to the NATO Defence Planning Process (NDPP) Steps 2-5.
  • Provide CIS service definition within the NATO structure; development of Mid-Term Plans (MTP); execution of NATO Defence Planning Processes (NDPP).
  • Support Capability Development Plans.
  • Implement visions and concepts developed and approved by the NATO Military Committee.
  • Coordinate the integration of national solutions with those produced in NATO.
    Engage with NATO, the Nations, Partners, Industry, Academia, IOs and NGOs through the Framework for Cooperative Interaction (FFCI) mechanism.
  • Sponsor R&D, Experimentation and POW to facilitate CIS capability architecture development.
  • Support technical requirements identification and validation, and solution concept development.
  • Coordination of C3 policies and directives for implementation in ACT and Division.

Essential Qualifications / Experience:

• University Degree in management information systems, accounting, economics, finance, business administration, public administration, operations research, project management or related discipline and 2 years function related experience, or Higher Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training  in that discipline leading to a professional qualification or professional accreditation with 4 years post related experience.
• At least 4 years practical experience (participation and/or advice) in projects on design and/or implementation of Communications and Information Services.
• At least 3 years of managing CIS (specialists) staff.
• At least 2 years project management experience (Prince II preferred).

Language:

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

Desirable Qualifications / Experience:

• Experience working in a NATO military commands, A/G/M/J6 or equivalent area.
• Recent operational experience in (JOINT) CIS planning of ex / missions.
• A broad knowledge of NATO CIS capabilities.
• PRINCE2 Foundation and/or Practitioner or equivalent.

Attributes/Competencies:

Personal Attributes:

• Personal integrity & sense of responsibility.
• Professionalism and ability to structure, organize and prioritize work.
• Ability to take initiative and to work independently.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills. Must be able to capture complex problems, breakdown thoughts and ideas to their individual elements, recognize connections between these elements, and provide verifiable descriptions of implications.
• Ability to work under time pressure and deal with multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Ability to work harmoniously and communicate strongly and coordinate in the diverse international environment – horizontally and vertically.
• Must be able to mediate amongst stakeholders and resolve conflicting points of view to achieve solutions.

Managerial Responsibilities:

Responsible for daily work priority setting and results of work may affect higher level work prioritization. Work involves synchronization with other work strands and cross-functional planning.

Professional Contacts:

The incumbent must develop and maintain professional contacts across the Command and externally on functional matters.  Must be able to liaise effectively both within and outside the HQ with military and civilian personnel. Must be adept at relationship building, negotiation and conflict resolution to achieve results.

Contribution To Objectives:

The incumbent is the Program Manager for CIS/NATO Core Communication Network Services and identifies solutions to meet capability requirements to enable the execution of the capability delivery process in NATO. The incumbent has experience/knowledge of NATO Core Communication Network Services requirements and the application of techniques to meet those requirements. The delivery of the incumbent’s outputs directly impacts SACT’s ability to meet strategic intent.

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 G17 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 6 April 2026 @ 17:59hrs (EDT)/11:59hrs (CEST).