1. SUMMARY
The BICES Group Executive (BGX), a NATO entity, is the executive body of the BICES Group (BG). The BG exists to enable the sharing and exchange of Intelligence and Information between and amongst the NATO nations, with NATO, and with other non‑NATO nations and Organizations.
Under the leadership of the Director, BGX is comprised of four key pillars:
Intelligence and Enterprise Services (IES) Division
Programmes, Engineering and Maintenance (PEM) Division
Operations and Security Services (OSS) Division
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Cell
The OSS Division is responsible for ensuring CIS operational functions of BICES infrastructure and maintain its security posture in accordance with the expectations and requirements of the BICES Board of Directors. OSS works closely with the other BGX divisions especially, PEM, for incidents, maintenance and project implementation of CIS related activities.
The Deputy Director OSS serves as BGX’s principal provider of Operations and Cyber Security services and as the primary interface to the BICES operational and cyber security communities. The incumbent is responsible for overseeing and directing the day‑to‑day operations of the BICES network, ensuring its health and security, and providing front‑line support to BICES nations on operational and security matters. They are also responsible for allocating OSS personnel and financial resources, prioritising OSS‑led projects and activities, and requesting support from other divisions as appropriate. The incumbent serves as a member of BGX Senior Management, provides functional advice to the BGX Director, and may serve as Acting Director when necessary. They may be required to undertake operational deployments and/or travel assignments both within and beyond NATO boundaries.
Candidates are expected to attach to their application a document of no more than two A4 pages summarising their views on the key challenges facing BICES/ NATO in the coming years and the role of the Operations and Security Services (OSS) Division in addressing them along with an endorsement letter from their nation’s Board of Directors (BOD) Representative. Both the essay and the endorsement letter will be considered as a part of the shortlisting assessment (see full instructions on how to apply at the end of the vacancy notice).
2. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Essential:
The incumbent must possess:
A master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Management, or a related discipline;
At least 10 years of experience in senior IT or intelligence roles within complex, information‑centric, service‑oriented environments;
Demonstrated leadership of multi‑disciplinary teams and strategic oversight of enterprise IT systems, including cyber security and service delivery;
Familiarity with business continuity, disaster recovery, and operational resilience planning;
Proven ability to assess and communicate complex technical issues, contribute to policy development, and support senior decision‑making;
Experience collaborating across national and multinational organizations, including chairing or contributing to NATO working groups;
Strong organisational, problem‑solving, and communication skills, with advanced briefing capabilities;
Working knowledge of NATO structures, procedures, and security frameworks;
Level V (Advanced) proficiency in English.
Desirable:
The following would be considered an advantage:
Post‑graduate education in business management, IT security, information systems, or a related technical or strategic discipline;
Completion of senior‑level defence or intelligence education (e.g., NATO Defence College, Command & Staff College, or equivalent);
Experience supporting or deploying IT systems in military or operational environments;
Prior involvement with BICES architecture, technology, or security protocols;
Familiarity with NATO and multinational intelligence systems, including interoperability and exploitation frameworks;
Understanding of intelligence collection, analysis, and dissemination processes;
Experience fostering collaboration within international, military‑civilian teams.
3.MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES
Operational Oversight and Cyber Security Leadership
Direct the day‑to‑day operations of the BICES network, ensuring continuous availability, resilience, and cyber security integrity. Serve as the principal interface to BICES operational and cyber security communities, providing expert guidance and front‑line support. Lead incident response coordination and ensure alignment with security policies and operational standards.
Strategic Resource & Personnel Management
Allocate OSS personnel and financial resources in line with organisational priorities and operational readiness. Oversee staffing plans, shift schedules, and workload distribution across the division. Promote staff development through mentoring, performance feedback, and targeted training initiatives.
Service Delivery & Organizational Efficiency
Ensure user support requests are prioritised and resolved effectively by BNOSC and cyber cell teams. Monitor service performance through KPIs and user satisfaction metrics, driving continuous improvement. Coordinate with PEM Division to manage transitions during installations, upgrades, and maintenance activities.
Planning, Continuity and Technical Execution
Plan and oversee activities that maintain the operational posture of BICES services, including cryptographic and networking functions. Ensure readiness of the Alternate BICES Operations Centre and lead testing of Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Plans. Maintain and update technical documentation related to BGX infrastructure and services.
Policy, Strategy and Project Development
Contribute to the development and execution of Technical Agreements with NATO, nations, and partner organisations. Support the preparation of strategic documents such as the BICES Combined Plan and IT service strategies. Act as operational escalation point and support PEM Division in transitioning new services and functionalities.
Stakeholder Engagement and Representation
Represent BGX at NATO and national meetings, working groups, and stakeholder forums. Chair the BICES Security Working Group and interface with senior officials across BICES nations and NATO bodies. Foster effective liaison with other BGX divisions and external partners to ensure seamless service delivery.
Leadership, Vision & Governance
Provide functional advice to the BGX Director and contribute to senior management decision‑making. Ensure OSS Division activities align with BGX’s strategic vision and mid‑term work plans. Uphold inclusive management principles and support performance assessments and governance processes across OSS.
4.INTERRELATIONSHIPS
Reports directly to the BGX Director. Collaborates closely with senior officials across BICES nations and NATO bodies.
Direct reports: 3Indirect reports: 25
5.COMPETENCIES
The incumbent must demonstrate:Achievement: Creates own measures of excellence and improves performance.Change Leadership: Personally leads change.Conceptual Thinking: Creates new concepts.Developing Others: Provides in‑depth mentoring, coaching and training.Impact and Influence: Uses indirect influence.Initiative: Is decisive in a time‑sensitive situation.Leadership: Positions self as the leader.Organisational Awareness: Understands organisational politics.Self‑Control: Stays composed and positive even under extreme pressure.
6. CONTRACT
Contract to be offered to the successful applicant (if non‑seconded): Definite duration contract of three years; possibility of renewal.Contract clause applicable: This is a senior post of specialised political nature in which turnover is required for political reasons per the direction of the BICES Board of Directors. The successful applicant will be offered a 3‑year definite duration contract, with the option of a further 3‑year extension, however all contract renewals are at the discretion of the BICES Board of Directors. If the successful applicant is seconded from the national administration of one of NATO’s member States, a 3‑year definite duration contract will be offered, with the option of a further 3‑year extension, subject also to the agreement of the national authority concerned and with the approval of the BICES BOD. Serving staff will be offered a contract in accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations.
7. USEFUL INFORMATION REGARDING APPLICATION AND 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.
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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).
Appointment will be subject to receipt of a security clearance (provided by the national Authorities of the selected candidate), approval of the candidate’s medical file by the NATO Medical Adviser, verification of your studies and work experience, and the successful completion of the accreditation and notification process by the relevant authorities.
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.
8. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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.
NATO is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible working environment, where all candidates living with disabilities can fully participate in the recruitment and selection process. If you require reasonable accommodation, please inform us during your selection process.
Candidates will be required to provide documented medical evidence to support their request for accommodation.
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 security sector. Selected candidates are expected to be role models of integrity, and to promote good governance through ongoing efforts in their work.
Due to the broad interest in NATO and the large number of potential candidates, telephone or e‑mail enquiries cannot be dealt with.
Applicants who are not successful in this competition may be offered an appointment to another post of a similar nature, albeit at the same or a lower grade, provided they meet the necessary requirements.
The nature of this position may require the staff member at times to be called upon to travel for work and/or to work outside normal office hours.
The organisation offers several work‑life policies including Teleworking and Flexible Working arrangements (Flexitime) subject to business requirements.
Please note that the International Staff at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium is a non‑smoking environment.
For information about the NATO Single Salary Scale (Grading, Allowances, etc.) please visit our website. Detailed data is available under the Salary and Benefits tab.
NATO does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. For more info please click here.
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