Assistant Secretary General Defence Policy and Planning

Position description

The Defence Policy and Planning (DPP) Division leads work in the NATO International Staff on the defence-related aspects of the Alliance’s fundamental security tasks at the political-military level.
The Assistant Secretary General for Defence Policy and Planning (ASG/DPP) leads the Division and is responsible for the development and delivery of NATO’s defence policy and defence capability development, the related defence planning process and for overseeing the production of net assessments, as well as a broad range of political-military policy issues, including nuclear policy, resilience, enablement, and the space domain. They are the principal adviser to the Secretary General on deterrence and defence policy.

The ASG/DPP is responsible for formulating and taking forward all aspects of NATO’s defence policy and planning agenda including:

• Coherent implementation of the Alliance’s deterrence and defence posture;
• NATO Defence Planning and capability development;
• Defence policy aspects of capabilities;
• Resilience and Enablement;
• Coordination and cooperation on defence policy and capability planning matters with the European Union;
• Net assessments.

The ASG/DPP manages the Defence Policy and Planning Division (approximately 90 staff members), and is supported in this task by the Deputy ASG, one Director who is in charge of the Defence Policy and Capabilities Directorate, one Director who is in charge of the Defence Planning Directorate and one Director who is in charge of the Nuclear Policy Directorate.
There are 8 Assistant Secretaries General, all of whom report to the NATO Secretary General and are also accountable to the North Atlantic Council. As a member of the Secretary General’s senior leadership, each Assistant Secretary General is also expected to contribute to overall policy development and delivery, including in areas beyond their direct set of responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL:

The candidate must:

• have a solid background in defence matters and change management developed through at least 15 years of professional experience;
• hold a university degree (Master’s level preferred) or equivalent level of qualification in a relevant field for this position;
• have experience working in a multilateral environment or an environment with a variety of senior stakeholders from different sectors and backgrounds including for example from the armed forces, defence industry, government, and the science and technology communities;
• have a proven track record of experience in progressively senior posts, recent experience in senior-level leadership positions and significant professional experience in managerial positions;
• have extensive people management experience and the capacity to lead, motivate and engage diverse and multidisciplinary teams;
• have extensive experience in leading change and a proven track record in successfully implementing complex programmes;
• have experience facilitating high-level dialogue and consensus;
• have a proven track record of creating a high-level vision and directing organisations to develop and implement the necessary policies;
• possess the following minimum levels of NATO’s official languages (English/French): VI (“Proficiency”) in one; I (“Beginner”) in the other.

DESIRABLE:

The following would be considered an advantage:

• a higher level of proficiency in NATO’s second official language (English/French);
• prior experience in working in security and defence issues at a high level.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

The ASG/DPP deals directly with NATO members and partners on issues relating to defence policy, capability development and future force structures, and chairs high-level committees of nations. In particular, the ASG/DPP chairs the Defence Policy and Planning Committee. The ASG/DPP speaks in public fora and to the Press on behalf of the Secretary General. There is a substantial representation function associated with this appointment. As a Senior Leader, the incumbent will aim to achieve the following objectives:

Vision and Direction: Develop, communicate and implement a vision to face the future challenges of the Alliance. Support the team around common objectives, ensuring that vision guides its mid and long-term programme of work. Act as a role model of inclusive leadership and promote resilience, flexibility and innovation. Ensure the proper management and coherent tasking of human resources in the DPP Division.
People Management: In their role as manager of the Division, the incumbent will lead and oversee a large team of international staff working under the direct supervision of the Heads of Section, promoting integrity, professionalism and accountability through a sound and inclusive leadership culture. Specifically, the ASG will aim to achieve the following objectives:

• Talent attraction: Ensure recruitment panels for posts in their Division are fair, objective and inclusive of candidates with diverse backgrounds and that selection recommendations are within the best interests of the Organization;
• Talent development: Adhere to sound management principles with staff, and provide in depth mentoring, coaching and training opportunities; be available for guidance at critical moments; ensure that all Divisional staff are clear on Organizational and Divisional objectives; provide regular and fair feedback on performance, informally as appropriate and via the performance management system;
• Performance Management: Participate in a collegial review of performance at Divisional level to discuss possible development and mobility opportunities for individuals, identify high potentials and help ensure common standards are applied in the process across the Organization; make contract renewal or conversion recommendations with the best interests of the Organization in mind.

Continual improvement culture: Act as a member of the International Staff senior leadership; actively contribute to the improvement of the Organizational policies and processes; participate in leadership learning and development Programmes related to the successful execution of their duties.

COMPETENCIES

Candidates must demonstrate the following:

• Achievement: Demonstrates decisiveness based on solid considerations and trade-offs;
• Change Leadership: Champions change;
• Conceptual Thinking: Creates new concepts;
• Developing Others: Provides in-depth mentoring, coaching and training;
• Impact and Influence: Uses complex influence strategies;
• Initiative: Plans and acts for the long term;
• Leadership: Communicates a compelling vision;
• Organizational Awareness: Understands underlying issues;
• Self-Control: Stays composed and positive even under extreme pressure.

KEY CHALLENGES

Key challenges facing the successful candidate for ASG/DPP during the next 3 years will likely include:

• Ensuring that NATO’s Defence Planning Process adapts to the changing security environment and provides the capabilities necessary for effective deterrence and defence of all Allies;
• Continuing to adapt NATO’s deterrence and defence posture, including modernising the NATO Force Structure to meet current and future deterrence and defence needs;
• Establish, assess, review and monitor resilience objectives to guide nationally-developed resilience goals and implementation plans;
• Ensuring that NATO nuclear deterrent capabilities remain safe, secure, and effective;
• Strengthening Cooperation between NATO and the EU in the field of capability development and other relevant fields, including resilience, to ensure complementarity and coherence of respective priorities.

Application instructions

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