North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Staff Officer (ACO Industry Engagement)
- Duty station
- 🇧🇪 Shape, Mons, Belgium
- Country / area
- Belgium
- Region
- Europe
- UN system
- Regional Organization
- Level
- G17:A3
- Category
- Operations
- Grade
- G17:A3
- Organization
- SHAPE
- Category
- Operations
- Posted
- 7/20/2026, 4:31:14 PM
- Closes
- 8/19/2026, 12:00:00 AM
About this role
The Staff Officer (ACO Industry Engagement) supports the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in coordinating and facilitating innovation-related activities and industry engagement across the Allied Command Operations (ACO). The role involves signposting, monitoring, and advising on emerging technologies, digital transformation, and wargaming. Key responsibilities include coordinating engagements between ACO entities and the defense industry, developing policies and strategies for industry interaction, and acting as the focal point for NATO enterprise stakeholders such as the Defence Investment Division and the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA). The incumbent leads innovation talk campaigns, facilitates industry engagement events, and supports high-profile delegation visits. The position requires strong analytical and strategic thinking to assess policy implications and provide courses of action. It serves as a key enabler for ACO’s warfighting functions by progressing innovation needs. The role is based in a normal NATO office environment but may involve deployment. The successful candidate will work within the ACO Innovation Management Branch, supporting the SHAPE Command Group on innovation issues and fostering a culture of innovation within the command.
Key requirements
- Minimum 4 years relevant professional experience
- University Degree in business/public admin OR Higher Secondary + vocational training
- Fluency in English (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing)
Nice to have
- Understanding of NATO Common-Funded Capability Development process
- Previous staff experience in joint/combined staff or NATO HQ
- NATO recognized project and risk management certifications (e.g. PRINCE2)
Requirements at a glance
- Min. experience
- Minimum of 4 years’ experience in a role relevant for the responsibilities of the post. Alternatively, Higher Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training leading to a professional qualification with 7 years post related experience.
- Required degree
- University Degree in business administration, public administration or related discipline and 4 years post related experience, or Higher Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training in that discipline leading to a professional qualification or professional accreditation with 7 years post related experience.
- Languages
- English
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SUPREME HEADQUARTERS ALLIED POWERS EUROPE
TALEO Job Number: 261132
Vacancy Number: G90/26
Post Number: OSC RFFX 1030
Job Title: Staff Officer (ACO Industry Engagement)
NATO Grade: 17
Basic Monthly Salary (12 x per year): 8 273.12 €, tax free
Closing Date: Wednesday, 19 August at 23:59h (Brussels, Belgium time)
Post context:
The post is located within the ACO Innovation Management (AIM) Branch of the Resource Management Division in the SHAPE Support Directorate.
The AIM Branch is responsible for signposting, coordinating, facilitating, and monitoring all innovation related activities across ACO. Its remit covers Emerging and Disruptive Technologies, Digital Transformation, Concept Development, Operational Experimentation, Wargaming, Modelling and Simulation, NATO accredited Centres of Excellence, and Allied Command Transformation (ACT) Open Innovation.
The Branch maintains links to the ACO Strategic Management system, the Lessons Learned process, and other related processes. It serves as ACO’s focal point for all wargaming matters, including the development of tailored wargames for ACO users, and acts as the requirement owner for capability development programmes related to wargaming. It also serves as ACO’s interlocutor with ACT and other stakeholders on all aspects of the innovation environment.
The Branch acts as the initial ACO Point of Contact for innovation matters and, subject to SHAPE Command Group (CG) direction and guidance, represents ACO in relevant bodies. It coordinates and facilitates the development of ACO contributions to high level policies, direction and guidance, and doctrine within the innovation domain. It also prepares SHAPE CG participation in senior decision making and coordination bodies on innovation issues, and advises SHAPE CG on the development of ACO’s overall approach to innovation.
Furthermore, the Branch supports ACO HQs in understanding and benefiting from the innovation environment, helping them identify and exploit innovation opportunities. It supports ACO’s engagement with innovation stakeholders and maintains awareness of developments in academia, as well as in military and commercial innovation. It acts as the proponent for the application of ACO Directives in the innovation space, promotes
2 NATO UNCLASSIFIED NATO UNCLASSIFIED innovation literacy, and assists ACO Commanders in fostering and sustaining a culture of innovation.
Principal Duties The incumbent's duties are:
• Coordinates engagements between ACO entities and industry within the scope of established mechanisms and in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.
• Supports the development and employment of policies, strategies, doctrine and supplemental documents for the interaction with industry.
• Provides situational awareness of developments in policy and high-level direction and guidance, assess implications for ACO and provides relevant courses of action.
• Acts as the ACO interlocutor for NATO enterprise stakeholders, in particular the NATO HQ International Staff (IS) Defence Investment (DI) Division, the NATO Industrial Advisory Group, HQ SACT, the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) and the NATO Investment Fund (NIF), for industry engagement matters.
• Represents ACO at working-level and, by delegation from the AIM Branch Head, governance meetings/events regarding industry engagements.
• Oversees and monitors ACO-wide industry engagement activities and provides respective reports to the SHAPE leadership.
• Leads the development of execution of annual ‘ACO innovation talks campaigns’.
• Facilitates the design and conduct of local ACO HQs’ industry engagement events.
• Staffs the preparation, conduct and after-action review of high-profile ACO delegation visits to industry-engagement events.
• Coordinates ACO’s relationship with DIANA as set forth in the DIANA-HQ SACT- SHAPE letter of agreement and the DIANA charter.
Special Requirements and Additional Duties The employee may be required to perform a similar range of duties elsewhere within the organisation at the same grade without there being any change to the contract.
The work is normally performed in a Normal NATO office working environment.
The risk of injury is categorised as No risk / risk might increase when deployed.
Essential Qualifications
Professional/Experience • Minimum of 4 years’ experience in a role relevant for the responsibilities of the post.
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• Thorough understanding of defence industrial matters, including applicable principles of technology adoption and procurement/acquisition processes.
• Good understanding of Innovation and Emerging and Disruptive Technologies.
• Capable of analytical, strategic thought and lateral thinking.
• Capable of working with little or no established guidance in the context of general policies and goals.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and allocate resources in a dynamic context and capacity of delivering under pressure and short timelines.
Education/Training University Degree in business administration, public administration or related discipline and 4 years post related experience, or Higher Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training in that discipline leading to a professional qualification or professional accreditation with 7 years post related experience.
In case of ambiguity the required job specific experience have priority over the standard education and training levels and experience described here.
Language English - SLP 3333 - (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)
Desirable Qualifications
Professional Experience • Understanding of the NATO Common-Funded Capability Development process.
• A broad background that can include previous staff experience in a joint or combined staff in a large HQ, Joint Command, NATO HQ or MOD.
• High level of organisational, coordination and communication skills.
Education • NATO recognized project and risk management certifications (e.g. PRINCE2, MoR, ISO31000).
• Holding ISO 56002:2019 Innovation Management certification course.
c. Language English (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing): 4444
Attributes/Competencies
Personal Attributes: Personal qualities of tact, judgment, adaptability, coupled with motivational and listening skills. A sense of diplomacy and propriety in order to work harmoniously with colleagues and other staff, both civilian and military. Able to work
4 NATO UNCLASSIFIED NATO UNCLASSIFIED effectively to support the team activities. Possess the ability to assess the impact of a wide variety of NATO and national capability developments towards meeting NATO’s overall required capability. Ability to use initiative and good judgment to propose optimum options in materializing effectively the delivery capability.
Professional Contacts: This post requires establishing and maintaining professional contacts with relevant innovation stakeholders across the NATO enterprise, within SHAPE, subordinates ACO Headquarters, ACT and NATO Headquarters, and within Allied Nations.
Contribution To Objectives: The incumbent supports the delivery of ACO’s warfighting functions by progressing ACO’s innovation needs as a key enabler of the multi -domain operation fight.
Duration of contract: The successful candidate will fill this post as a Project Linked NATO International Civilian (PLN) with a three- year definite duration contract within the NATO 2030 Agenda. On expiry of this term the PLN will be deleted or absorbed into the ceiling pending approval or will exceptionally be considered for extension.
The salary will be the basic entry -level monthly salary defined by the NATO Grade of the post, which may be augmented by allowances based on the selected staff member’s eligibility, and which is subject to the withholding of approximately 20% for pension and medical insurance contributions.
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.
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 s ecurity sector. Selected candidates are expected to be role models of integrity, and to promote good governance through ongoing efforts in their work.
Applicants who prove to be competent for the post but who are not successful in this competition may be offered an appointment in another post of a similar nature, which might become vacant in the near future, albeit at the same or lower grade, provided they meet the necessary requirements.
HOW TO APPLY FOR A NATO CIVILIAN POST AT SHAPE: Applications are to be submitted using NATO Talent Acquisition Platform (NTAP) (https://nato.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobsearch.ftl?lang-en). Applications submitted by other means (e.g. mail, e-mail, fax, etc) are not accepted.
More information to be found on these links: 6 Tips for Applying to NATO Application Process
Shortlisted candidates will be requested to provide original documentary evidence and a set of copies supporting statements in their applications. Appointment is subject to obtaining a NS security clearance and a medical certificate.
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Remarks: a) Only nationals from the 32 NATO member states can apply for vacancies at SHAPE.
b) Applications are automatically acknowledged within one working day after submission. In the absence of an acknowledgement please make sure the submission process is completed, or, re-submit the application.
c) Qualified redundant staff of the same grade interested in this post should inform this office, via their HR/Personnel Office by not later than vacancy’s closing date. d) Candidates’ individual telephone, e -mail or telefax enquiries cannot be dealt with. All candidates will receive an answer indicating the outcome of their application. e) 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 furt her consideration at NATO’s sole discretion, and NATO reserves the right to take further steps in such cases as appropriate. f) As part of the recruitment process, the organization may review publicly available information to assess potential conflicts of interest, reputational risks, or behaviors inconsistent with the organization’s values.
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