Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Advisor

Primary Location

Belgium-Brussels

NATO Body

NATO International Staff (NATO IS)

Schedule

Full-time

Application Deadline

03-May-2026, 5:59:00 PM

Salary (Pay Basis)

8,273.12

Grade

NATO Grade G17-G20

• SUMMARY
  
  
  

The mission of the Operations (OPS) Division of the International Staff is to prepare NATO for the defence of Alliance territory, to respond to crises at home and abroad, and to strengthen the capabilities of partners. Science for Peace and Security (SPS) is the OPS partnership programme developing and implementing joint cooperative projects with concrete deliverables between NATO and all partners.

Within the SPS and Partnership Section, the incumbent is responsible for leading, developing and managing a portfolio of multi-stakeholder practical cooperation projects in line with SPS Key Priorities and divisional policies.

• QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
  
  
  

The incumbent must:

• possess a university degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant field;
• have a minimum of 5 years' experience in the management of research and development projects and/or programmes in areas related to SPS Key Priorities;
• have excellent drafting and presentation skills;
• be conversant with the Alliance’s political and military consultative processes, and the key security policy issues on its agenda;
• possess the following minimum level of NATO’s official languages (English/French): V (“Advanced”) in one; II (“Elementary”) in the other.
  
  
  

The following would be considered an advantage:

• a graduate degree (Masters or PhD) in science or engineering related to innovation/technology management, and/or emerging and disruptive technologies;
• professional experience in translating policy priorities into research programmes, and feeding research results back into policy-making in an international environment;
• experience working with academic communities and government institutions in NATO member and/or partner countries, and knowledge of the science and technology community in a related field.
• MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES
  
  
  

Project Management. Solicit and evaluate applications submitted to the SPS Programme, facilitate their peer-review by the Independent Scientific Evaluation Group (ISEG) and their subsequent presentation to Allies for approval. Develop and implement joint cooperative projects, in particular high visibility flagship SPS projects in coordination with the SPS Programme Manager. Manage a portfolio of SPS activities, monitoring their technical and financial progress.

Policy Development. Support the development of policy documents and conceptual papers relevant for the efficient implementation of the SPS programme in line with NATO`s Strategic Objectives and political frameworks.

Stakeholder Management. Maintain a network of contacts within NATO and with other International Organisations, academia and research institutes in the field of security-related civil science and technology to better develop and implement projects of common interest including top-down flagship activities. Represent the Alliance at conferences, workshops and seminars.

Knowledge Management. Support the development of articles, briefings and web stories on SPS activities. Support SPS public diplomacy efforts. Organise SPS Information Days in NATO and partner countries. Contribute to the further development of grant management tools and processes for the SPS Programme.

Perform any other related duty as assigned.

• INTERRELATIONSHIPS
  
  
  

Reporting Line: The incumbent reports to the SPS Programme Manager.

Interactions: The incumbent assists in the coordination of the SPS Programme’s work within the Division and with other Divisions of the International Staff, with NATO Military Authorities and with national delegations. The incumbent also liaises with partners, academia and other International Organisations as required.

Direct reports: N/a

Indirect reports: N/a.

• COMPETENCIES
  
  
  

The incumbent must demonstrate:

• Achievement: Creates own measures of excellence and improves performance;
• Analytical Thinking: Sees multiple relationships;
• Change Leadership: Expresses vision for change;
• Impact and Influence: Uses indirect influence;
• Initiative: Is decisive in a time-sensitive situation;
• Organisational Awareness: Understands organisational politics;
• Teamwork: Solicits inputs and encourages others.
• CONTRACT
  
  
  

Contract to be offered to the successful applicant (if non-seconded): Definite duration contract of three years; possibility of renewal for up to three years, during which the incumbent may apply for conversion to an indefinite duration contract.

Contract clause applicable:

In accordance with the contract policy, this is a post in which turnover is desirable for political reasons in order to be able to accommodate the Organisation's need to carry out its tasks as mandated by the Nations in a changing environment, for example by maintaining the flexibility necessary to shape the Organisation's skills profile, and to ensure appropriate international diversity.

The maximum period of service foreseen in this post is 6 years. The successful applicant will be offered a 3-year definite duration contract, which may be renewed for a further period of up to 3 years. However, according to the procedure described in the contract policy the incumbent may apply for conversion to an indefinite contract during the period of renewal and no later than one year before the end of 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 also 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 Régulations.

NOTE: Irrespective of previous qualifications and experience, candidates for twin-graded posts will be appointed at the lower grade. Advancement to the higher grade is not automatic, and will not normally take place during the first three years of service in the post.

Under specific circumstances, serving staff members may be appointed directly to the higher grade, and a period of three years might be reduced by up to twenty four months for external candidates. These circumstances are described in the IS directive on twin-graded posts.

• 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
  
  
  

Before you apply to any position, we encourage you to click here and watch our video providing 6 tips to prepare you for your application and recruitment process.

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When submitting your application, please ensure that your Taleo Candidate Profile is updated and that your CV is correctly uploaded in the Taleo attachments section.

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 reference documents without proper quotes (plagiarism), or any tools available on internet, including but not limited to translation facilities, or generative artificial-intelligence (AI) 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 tools will be rejected without further consideration, 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 .