The Young Professionals Programme

Through times of crisis and peace, NATO has safeguarded our freedom and security for 75 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 the challenges of tomorrow.

We are launching an accelerator for your international career – the third 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:

Address existing and emerging global challenges with security implications;
Facilitate political consultation and dialogue between nations;
Leverage innovation, science and technology to support peace and security;
Stay ahead in cutting edge domains such as cyber defence and aerospace;
Support multiple operations on land, at sea and in the air around the world;
Contribute to the global effort to combat terrorism, piracy and human trafficking; and,
Run crisis management exercises that mobilize thousands of people and items of equipment.

Do you want to make a difference and help protect close to one billion people across 32 NATO member states, including your own? If you are ready to take on this challenge and are a national of a NATO member state, hold a Master’s degree and have at least one year of work experience, then apply for the YPP.

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 1 - NATO International Staff (IS) – NATO HQ (Brussels, Belgium)

Year 2 - Allied Command Operations (ACO) - JFC Naples (Naples, Italy)

Year 3 - Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) - (London, United Kingdom)

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 Human Resources (People Management & Development). As you gain experience, you will be given increasing responsibilities, such as:

Contributing to the development and improvement of HR policies and employment framework for all NATO civilian staff;
Maintaining project plans, monitor timelines, and coordinate with HR leads to ensure that the deliverables are met. Provide regular updates to HR leadership;
Assisting DASG HR with the implementation of the new HR Strategy and the Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DIA) Action Plan across NATO by coordinating various activities and ensuring alignment with project timelines;
Leading a project to design and implement staff recognition and staff development programmes. Tracking and measuring impact on staff morale and retention;
Planning, executing, developing and implementing policies and procedures pertaining to recruitment, contract and performance management, staff development and training, remuneration, deployment and separation of civilian human resources;
Supporting the exchange of information on NATO IS and NATO-wide HR policy among NATO bodies and assisting in the implementation of HR projects;
Support the HR colleagues with change management initiatives and communications plans. Organize meetings, workshops, and employee engagement initiatives;
Support the tracking of key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure effectiveness of the implementation process;
Contributing to research, compilation, and analysis of data required to manage projects and changes effectively;
Giving expert and executive advice to senior leadership and HR managers within NATO;
Support HR Directorates in the design or adaptation of HR policies contributing to NATO-wide change and modernization initiatives;
Acting as a liaison between DASG HR and stakeholders involved in the HR Strategy implementation in order to facilitate exchange of information;
Maintaining and developing contacts NATO-wide, with external HR offices and with other international organizations to promote HR coherence and a uniform approach, and
Researching new trends within the areas of responsibilities of Human Resources (People Management & Development).

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 with at least one year of professional experience.

For the YPP Human Resources (People Management & Development) path, we are generally interested in the following educational backgrounds:

Master’s degree in human resources, public administration, business administration, organisational development and/or leadership, organisational psychology, project management, communications or other management related disciplines; and,
Any other degree that you believe can be useful to the area of Human Resources (People Management & Development) – let us know how your knowledge and skills can be applied!

Any of the following experience or skills would be considered as an asset:

Proven experience in HR services functions, including, but not limited to policy and strategy coordination, talent development, talent acquisition, project management, HR data analytics, or other;
Experience in supporting HR projects, including complex projects with a variety of stakeholders;
Experience and interest in drafting and reviewing papers on HR matters (such as, but not limited to, the employment framework, talent acquisition, talent management, organizational development, etc.);
Experience and interest in improving HR processes and providing HR advices;
Experience in working with senior leadership to address the alignment with HR initiatives with organizational objectives, ensuring that HR goals are understood and supported across the organization;
Experience in using HR data analytics to support decision-making, improve processes, and measure the success of HR strategies. This could involve implementing performance metrics, evaluating employee engagement, and assessing HR’s impact on organizational objectives;
Experience in, and knowledge of, HR procedures, regulations, international labour law or similar, acquired preferably in an international environment;
Experience in drafting and editing written communication products, adapted to various audiences;
Experience in assisting with change management efforts in the context of HR including culture change initiatives and/or HR strategy implementation efforts;
Experience in a field of NATO’s core business (such as international relations, political and security affairs, deterrence and defence, innovation, hybrid, cyber, etc) and/or a functional area of other HR clients (e.g. IT, finance, facilities adaptation and general services, etc.);
Experience in a national administration, international organization, start-up and/or innovative work environment;
Experience and interest in the use of HR management tools;
Experience using project management tools and methodologies to track progress, manage timelines, resources, and deliverables;
Any additional training/certification(s) related to human resources and project or programme management;
Strong drafting skills;
Proactivity, can-do attitude & willingness to learn and share information; and,
Teamwork, excellent communication, facilitation and interpersonal skills.

What we offer

NATO will offer the Young Professionals:

An experience of a lifetime at the forefront of an international organization where you’ll have the opportunity to develop your skills and enlarge your professional network;
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,
A competitive salary and other benefits, including excellent health insurance and a generous annual leave package of 30 days.

Are you interested in being part of NATO and the YPP? Apply by 27 October 2024 [23:59 – CET Brussels]

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

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)

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YPP, Human Resources (People Management & Development)