Staff Assistant - United States of America-Norfolk

Post Context · ACT contributes to preserving the peace, security and territorial integrity of Alliance member states by leading, at Strategic Command level, Warfare Development required to enhance NATO's posture, military structures, forces, capabilities and doctrines. · The Reso ...

Job description

Post Context

ACT contributes to preserving the peace, security and territorial integrity of Alliance member states by leading, at Strategic Command level, Warfare Development required to enhance NATO's posture, military structures, forces, capabilities and doctrines.

The Resources and Management (RM) Directorate acts on behalf of SACT on all internal management and resource-related issues. It monitors the coherency of ACT plans to ensure that ACT remains an effective and efficient organization and improves continuously.

The ACT Office of Security has staff responsibility to execute, provide and coordinate security services to the headquarters, its subordinate commands, and to the NATO community at large, operating at all levels of command to ensure the security of its personnel, assets, and resources.

The incumbent serves as Staff Assistant (Security Accreditation) with the ACT Office of Security, supporting the coordinating authority within HQ SACT and all ACT subordinate Commands for all matters relating to CIS Security and Security Accreditation.  The post-holder contributes to the development of NATO and ACT policy, directives and guidance with respect to all aspects of CIS Security.

Principal Duties:

• Advising and supporting the organization during the implementation of all CIS Security programs within ACT and all subordinate commands.
• Support ACT Security Accreditation Authority representative at the NATO Security Accreditation Board (NSAB) in both Plenary and Working Level Sessions. Reviewing and commenting Security Accreditation Packages during the review periods.
• Supporting AC/35 related workshops, working groups in relation to the Security Committee in CIS Format.
• Advising, Supporting the work of CIS Security monitoring and CIS Security Accreditation Staff for HQ SACT.
• Advising the HQ SACT Security Officer, and CIS Operating Authority on all CIS Security matters relating to HQ SACT.
• Advising and Supporting the ACT Security Accreditation Authority at appropriate NATO CIS Security and Security accreditation fora. This includes for example the NATO CIS Security Accreditation Board (NSAB) and its different workshops.
• Supporting the representative of the ACT Security Accreditation Authority to the Board of CISOAs, the Cyber Risk Management Group (CRMG), inform and advice those communities on all ACT CIS risks that may impact ACT CIS risk Posture.
• Advising and Supporting the ACT Security Accreditation Authority during all the enterprise ad-hoc and cyber incident response activities to include but not limited to Cyber Incident Task Forces (CITF), Incident Coordination and Decision-Making Groups (ICDMG), Working groups, workshops etc.
• Supporting ACT Security Policy Staff Officer in the development of ACT CIS Security Directives and guidelines.
• Supporting the Security awareness programme for HQ SACT and ACT subordinate commands for all cybersecurity matters.
• Managing CIS Security support for Joint Exercises and Experimentation and Research and Development activities.
• Advising during the development and update of the ACT CIS security accreditation plans and strategies.
• Supporting and participating in investigations of CIS security breaches within ACT area of Responsibility.
• Participating in investigations of other CIS security breaches as required.
• Undertaking any other tasking as directed by line management.

Essential Qualifications / Experience:

• Higher Secondary education and completed higher vocational training  in information security, computer science, information technology, information systems engineering, business administration, quality engineering or related discipline  leading to a formal technical or professional certification with 3 years function related experience, or Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training  in that discipline leading to a professional qualification or professional accreditation with 5 years post related experience.
• 4 years' accrued experience in the design, development and implementation of complex CIS and Networks.
• 4 years' experience as an Information Security officer in relation to the exploitation of sensitive or classified CIS.
• Experience providing security accreditation and/or regulatory compliance within a large organization.
• Demonstrated experience in the application of structured methodologies and security principles associated with CIS Security Risk Management.
• Experience in writing and developing policy-level documents.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.

Language:

• English - SLP Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)

Desirable Qualifications / Experience:

• Knowledge of policies, procedures and organizations related to NATO CIS.
• Knowledge of CIS project management or software engineering methods within NATO.
• Knowledge in the design, implementation, management and audit of large enterprise CIS.
• Knowledge the Security Risk Management principles and processing to support CIS risk assessment.
• At least one active following certification:
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).
  • Certified Information System Auditor (CISA).
  • Certified Information Security Manager (CISM).
  • GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC).
  • CompTIA Security +.
• ITIL Practitioner provided by Industry.
• Methodology for Information Systems Risk Analysis and Management (MARGERIT) – provided by CNI.ES.
• PILAR Risk Analysis and Management Tool - provided by ES-
• Project Management Professional (PMP) – PMI.
• French - SLP Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)

Attributes/Competencies:

Personal Attributes:

• Capable of working harmoniously in a multi-national environment, as an ACT representative and presenting ACT positions in a firm but tactful manner.
• Adept at analytical thinking and negotiation methods necessary to develop, articulate and coordinate technical positions and gain multinational agreement at NATO boards level.
• Ability to use initiative and critical thinking in taking CIS security related decisions on behalf of ACT Office of Security Branch Head and the ACT Security Accreditation Authority.
• Capable of working with military and civilian personnel at different levels of responsibility, in structured and unstructured settings and within and outside of the command.
• Must be prepared to travel extensively in support of assigned duties.

Professional Contacts:

• Routinely liaises both internally and externally with military and civilian personnel up to the rank/position equivalent to a military OF-6 and representative of the different National Security Authorities.
• Maintains close contact with NATO Security Authorities, mainly the NATO Office of Security, SHAPE J2, NCIA and NSPA.

Contribution To Objectives:

The focus of the technical and management responsibilities is to directly influence the delivery of high assurance and interoperable security related capabilities as identified in the ACT Security Strategy objectives as well as the objectives of major NATO organizations responsible for improving the security and quality of critical NATO CIS through standardization, architectures, configuration management, testing and cooperative or common-funded development programs.

Security Clearance

The successful applicant will be required to apply for and receive a NATO SECRET Security Clearance prior to final confirmation of contract and commencement of employment.

Contract

Serving NATO International Civilian staff will be offered a contract in accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations.  Newly recruited staff will be offered a three year definite duration contract.

Notes for Candidates

The HQ SACT web site gives full details on the eligibility criteria and application processes to be adopted by all candidates.  However, candidates should particularly note:

Please answer each of the pre-screening questions completely in English. Expressions such as\: "please see attached CV, please see annex, please see enclosed document, etc" are not acceptable; this is a cause of immediate rejection of the application.

Particular attention should be given to Education and Experience section of your application form, which should be populated with details of your career to date and educational achievements and certifications as they relate to your application.

The candidature of NATO redundant staff at grade G12 will be considered with priority.

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.

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.

This vacancy will close on 09 March 2026 @ 17\:59hrs (EST)/11\:59hrs (CET).