Principal Assistant

Jobinhalt

Primary Location

Belgium-Brussels

NATO Body

NATO International Staff (NATO IS)

Schedule

Full-time

Application Deadline

24-Jun-2025, 12:59:00 AM

Salary (Pay Basis)

5,195.80

Grade

NATO Grade G12

• SUMMARY
  

The Joint Intelligence and Security Division (JISD), under the leadership of the Assistant Secretary General (ASG) for Intelligence and Security, comprises two principal pillars: Intelligence, headed by the Deputy ASG for Intelligence (DASG-I); and the NATO Office of Security (NOS) headed by the Deputy ASG for Security (DASG-S) / Director NOS.

The Front Office of the ASG is responsible to the ASG for the efficient and effective workflow in the Division, supports and coordinates the ASG’s activities in the performance of their duties, orchestrates coordinating efforts between JISD and other NATO bodies.

In the Front Office, under the supervision of the JISD Executive Officer, the incumbent carries out the duties of Principal Assistant to the ASG and provides support in order to ensure the smooth and efficient running of the ASG’s outer office. They are accountable for efficiently handling a wide range of administrative and organisational support duties for the ASG, such as planning and coordination of meetings, travel arrangements, internal and external events, drafting and formatting of routine letters and correspondence, as well as managing workflows and liaising with divisional and external stakeholders, among other relevant tasks, to ensure the ASG’s timely adherence to schedule, while effectively prioritizing and adapting in response to unforeseen changes.

• QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
  

Essential

The incumbent must:

• have a good general education at least to higher secondary level;
• have at least 6 years’ previous experience of administrative and organisational work;
• have excellent drafting and editing skills in at last one of the official NATO languages;
• possess excellent customer service skills and the ability to communicate at all levels efficiently and with tact;
• experience with SharePoint for managing workflows, automating tasks and improving information sharing and collaboration;
• possess knowledge of and experience in budget management;
• possess the following minimum levels of NATO’s official languages (English/French): V (Advanced) in one; III (Intermediate) in the other;
• be prepared to work outside normal office hours at short notice.
  

DESIRABLE

The following would be considered an advantage:

• a higher-level education degree;
• experience within a multidisciplinary and multi-cultural working environment;
• experience in security or intelligence organisations;
• ability in taking minutes in a precise and efficient manner;
• experience in using IT tools and databases (e.g., Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) or similar);
• fluency in both NATO’s official languages;
• knowledge of the process and procedures at NATO Headquarters, or a national civil / military or joint organisation.
• MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES
  

Planning and Execution

Under the supervision of the Executive Officer, administer the ASG’s schedule. Liaise with divisional and external stakeholders, as necessary, to arrange meetings, provide planning and execution support to internal and external events for the ASG, and handle related details, such as travel arrangements, mission coordination and liquidations, and perform other related administrative tasks. Provide administrative support to the ASG and, as required, to officers who report to the ASG. Organise own workload to ensure the accurate and timely execution of duties. As directed by the Executive Officer, process documents submitted to the Office of the ASG. Ensure the ASG’s timely adherence to schedule, while prioritizing and adapting in response to unforeseen changes. Act as Senior Assistant of the Division and organize, coordinate and supervise the work of the other divisional assistants. Remain aware of the ASG’s priorities.

Information Management

Answer enquiries and incoming calls from all levels of visitors, staff, national representatives and subject-matter experts. Assist the Executive Officer and other assigned staff in the screening and distribution of incoming correspondence/documents to the appropriate directorate/branch/section/Action Officer. Maintain an effective follow-up and/or reminder system for activities and action required by the ASG. In close coordination with the Executive Officer, draft routine letters, memoranda and cover letters for the Front Office. Format all kinds of documents, including tables of figures requiring careful presentation using the standard software packages used by NATO (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). In close coordination with the Front Office’s Knowledge Management Assistant, ensure format and accuracy of the documents based on the Information Knowledge Management (IKM) principles.

Stakeholder Management

In close coordination with the Executive Officer, coordinate work with other Assistants in across the Division to ensure tasks and responses are completed in a timely manner. Liaise with divisional and external stakeholders to ensure timely, accurate and efficient planning and execution of meetings, events, and travel. Attend meetings, as appropriate, and report back to the Executive Officer on issues relevant for the Division. Take notes in meetings representing the Front Office. Develop and maintain awareness of divisional priorities. Maintain all lists of internal and external contacts. Be prepared to receive and assist visitors of all levels on behalf of the ASG.

Financial Management

Under the supervision of the Executive Officer and in close consultation with the Budget Officer, ensure that proper financial procedures are followed for the budget, and prepare the ASG’s specific documentation and arrangements for travel, mission liquidations, and the use of representation allowance. In coordination with the Budget Officer, perform procurement related duties, such as submission of purchase requests & expense reports through the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Maintain records of all financial transactions related to the ASG’s activities.

Expertise Development

Study issues and understand protocol that may affect the ASG’s office and, in close coordination with the Executive Officer, take decisions on such issues. Liaise with other Assistants to leverage knowledge. Proactively develop skills in areas such as planning and organising, new technology, in particular, MS Office software, collaborative work tools and effective communication.

Knowledge Management

Collect, categorise, and track relevant information required for various tasks and projects. Maintain well-structured paper and electronic filing systems. Work with SharePoint, task management system and other IKM tools to effectively manage workflows, track and prioritize tasks, share information and collaborate.

Organizational Efficiencies

Provide constructive suggestions to improve office and divisional procedures. Find ways to be faster, better and more effective in managing information and using office tools.

Perform any other related duty as assigned.

• INTERRELATIONSHIPS
  

The incumbent reports to the ASG JISD and works under close supervision of the Executive Officer. They maintain a close working relationship with the other members of the Front Office and the Assistants throughout the Division. They deal with senior members of Delegations and Partner Missions, Divisions and Directorates, the International Military Staff, Strategic Commands and International Organisation and, therefore, must demonstrate a keen sense of judgement and responsibility as well as tact and discretion at all times.

Direct Reports: N/A

Indirect Reports: N/A

• COMPETENCIES
  

The incumbent must demonstrate:

• Clarity and Accuracy: Monitors others’ work for clarity;
• Customer Service Orientation: Takes personal responsibility for correcting problems;
• Empathy: Reads non-verbal cues and understands meanings;
• Flexibility: Acts with flexibility.
• Initiative: Is decisive in a time-sensitive situation;
• Organisational Awareness: Understands organisational climate and culture;
• Teamwork: Solicits inputs and encourages others.
• CONTRACT
  

Contract to be offered to the successful applicant (if non-seconded): Definite duration contract of three years’ duration; possibility of an indefinite duration contract thereafter.

Contract clause applicable:

In accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations, the successful candidate will receive a definite duration contract of three years, which may be followed by an indefinite duration contract.

If the successful applicant is seconded from the national administration of one of NATO’s member States, a 3-year definite duration contract will be offered, which may be renewed for a further period of up to 3 years subject to the agreement of the national authority concerned. The maximum period of service in the post as a seconded staff member is six years.

Serving staff will be offered a contract in accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations.

• USEFUL INFORMATION REGARDING APPLICATION AND 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:

• For NATO civilian staff members only: please apply via the internal recruitment portal ( link );
• For all other applications: www.nato.int/recruitment
  

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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)

Appointment will be subject to receipt of a security clearance (provided by the national Authorities of the selected candidate), approval of the candidate’s medical file by the NATO Medical Adviser, verification of your study(ies) and work experience, and the successful completion of the accreditation and notification process by the relevant authorities.

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.

• 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.

NATO is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible working environment, where all candidates living with disabilities can fully participate in the recruitment and selection process. If you require reasonable accommodation, please inform us during your selection process.

Candidates will be required to provide documented medical evidence to support their request for accommodation.

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.

Applicants who are not successful in this competition may be offered an appointment to another post of a similar nature, albeit at the same or a lower grade, provided they meet the necessary requirements.

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.

The organization offers several work-life policies including Teleworking and Flexible Working arrangements (Flexitime) subject to business requirements.

Please note that the International Staff at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium is a non-smoking environment.

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.

NATO does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. For more info please click here .