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 Military Staff (IMS) – NATO HQ – NATO Standardization Office (NSO) - (Brussels, Belgium)
Year 2 - NATO International Military Staff (IMS) – NATO HQ – NATO Digital Staff (NDS) - (Brussels, Belgium)
Year 3 - Allied Command Operations (ACO) – NATO Communications & Information Systems Group (NCISG) (Mons, Belgium)
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 Operations Research and Analysis. As you gain experience, you will be given increasing responsibilities, such as:
- Developing, implementing and promoting the use of data science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in support of NATO policy development and NATO’s digital transformation;
- Working on data-science projects that contribute to better decision-making and multi-domain military operations;
- Working on data fusion and analysis for the extrapolation of data sets to contribute to the decision-making process with respect to complex and interrelated programmes;
- Researching and employing research and analysis techniques (e.g. modelling, simulation, war gaming, Analyses of Alternatives);
- Supporting the development of joint analysis of operations, training, exercises and experiments, based on technical requirements defined within the NATO enterprise;
- Constantly scouting for new ideas, adoption of innovation and technological developments of relevance to the Alliance;
- Coordinating and collaborating with stakeholders across NATO, Allies, partners and industry in support of achieving Allied objectives;
- Informing the Strategic Level about the military implications of technological innovation;
- Conducting information flow analysis within NATO Command and Force Structure elements to determine information exchange and subsequent interoperability requirements;
- Contributing to the C3 Domain within NATO’s Defence Planning Process;
- Developing and implementing data-mining and data-warehousing programs;
- Programming custom data-analysis and mining programs for using NATO data;
- Automating the measurement of cybersecurity KPIs;
- Automating the calculation of cybersecurity risk metrics for the NATO IT ecosystem; and,
- Researching new trends within the areas of responsibilities of data science and Operations and Research.
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 Operations Research and Analysis path, we are generally interested in the following educational backgrounds:
- A Master’s degree in the field of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics);
- Any other degree that you believe can be useful to the area of Operations Research and Analysis – let us know how your knowledge and skills can be applied!
Any of the following experience or skills would be considered as an asset:
- Academic knowledge or professional experience in the fields of data science, Artificial Intelligence (AI), or Operations Research and Analysis;
- Understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data science, including but not limited to technology and policy matters, particularly as applicable to security and defence;
- Experience in writing policy reports on technology topics, preferably in the areas of AI and data;
- Genuine interest in Technology Innovation topics in international and multi-disciplinary contexts;
- Experience with at least one data analysis tool (such as Power BI, MATLAB, KNIME, Python), preferably in the context of a project;
- Experience with Natural Language Processing, machine learning engineering, or computer vision;
- Experience with DBMS (e.g. MSSQL) and knowledge of SQL;
- Experience in using application programming interfaces (APIs);
- Knowledge of and experience in applying data-mining techniques,
- Experience with project management and project-management tools;
- Previous experience of working or conducting studies within military organizations;
- Knowledge of NATO, its agenda, policies, military posture, and/or partnerships;
- Prior professional experience or internship with other international organizations, national administrations, or the research or tech industries;
- Any additional training/certification(s) related to Operations Research and Analysis, cyber defence and emerging technologies and project or program-management certification;
- A curious and innovative mindset;
- Strong analytical and drafting skills;
- Proactivity, a can-do attitude and a 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 expand 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
