Analysis Officer, Situational Awareness job in #Brussels, #Belgium/ #NATO

1.SUMMARY

The mission of the Operations Division of the International Staff (IS) is to prepare NATO for the defence of Alliance territory, to respond to crises at home and abroad, and to strengthen the capabilities of partners. The Operations Division advances the core tasks of the Alliance (Collective Defence, Crisis Management, Cooperative Security) by providing situational awareness, advance planning, well-exercised and executed crisis-response, and outcome-oriented defence and related security cooperation programmes.

Within the Division, the NATO Situation Centre (SITCEN) provides situational awareness and alerting to the North Atlantic Council and the Military Committee in fulfilling their respective functions during peace, in periods of tension and crisis and for high level exercises. This is achieved through the receipt, exchange and dissemination of information from all available internal and external sources. The Situation Awareness Integration Team (SAIT) provides support to multiple NATO HQ stakeholders and is situated within the SITCEN. The team supports the provision of Situational Awareness to NATO HQ leadership and also supports crisis and alerting requirements. The SAIT keeps close links with all other NATO divisions to support timely SA requirements for both the IS and International Military Staff (IMS) pillars. The SAIT provides collaboration, collation and limited research of information across the spectrum of NATO interests (for example but not limited to: political, security, intelligence, cyber, counter terrorism, etc.).

The SAIT is responsible for overseeing and contributing to the collection and dissemination of reports and will coordinate the analysis of a comprehensive common picture in support of decision making by both civilian and military leadership in HQ NATO, drawing on information sources available. This is accomplished using all available specialised tools and services for the delivery of tailored products for customers. Some reports include fusing information from classified reports.

The Team is responsible, with guidance from senior leadership, for the development of the Senior Staff Brief. This brief is provided on a regular and frequent basis to NATO’s top civilian and military leaders and is intended to ensure a common understanding of threats to the Alliance and Allied Force posture.

The SAIT Analysis Officer will work as part of a team of three and will be required to contribute to the delivery of high-quality situational awareness and strategic anticipation products to support NATO management and leadership, especially during a crisis situation.

S/he will also have knowledge of data collection and analytics from both classified and unclassified sources, its availability and its application to situational awareness. S/he will be a storyteller (i.e. a person who can make the stories hidden in the data come alive for others), with the ability to effectively present evidence that may confirm, challenge or contradict assumptions held within the Organization, and contribute to effective recommendations. S/he will also be involved in the development and application of new policies regarding the use of data within the OPS Division, the SITCEN and across NATO Headquarters.

2.QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL

The incumbent must:

• possess a university degree, or equivalent level of qualification from a university or establishment of similar standing in  social science, political science, international relations, humanities, or related fields, preferable with knowledge of quantitative methods;
• have at least  2 years’ professional experience in one of the following fields: data analytics, science, research and analysis, Geo-Spatial Analysis or Information Knowledge Management
• demonstrate a strong ability to grasp complex issues in a time sensitive environment;
• be able to work with data tools, data services and data sets, comprising quantitative, qualitative and geo data;
• possess excellent IT skills, including Microsoft Office Suite, and have an awareness of database and information sharing applications;
• possess advanced understanding of geo-spatial data collection and criteria;
• possess proven experience in developing reports with data visualisation and the ability to convert data into a convincing business story;
• have knowledge of open source information and processes;
• possess excellent written and verbal communication skills including ability to explain complex situations in a straightforward manner;
• demonstrate geo-political/geo-strategic understanding of the global security environment and of the political and security issues in particular regions;
• have experience with open source information on global hostile and friendly/neutral forces’ activities and actions;
• be able to take initiative and work independently and collaboratively on a project or work strands towards a tight deadline;
• be able to develop outputs from initial research and analysis, coordination of content in order to deliver briefings to senior leaders;
• have the ability to effectively work in a multi-cultural and multi-national organisation;
• possess the following minimum levels of NATO’s official languages (English/French): V (“Advanced”) in one; I (“Beginner”) in the other.

DESIRABLE

The following would be considered an advantage:

• a Master’s Degree in a field of study relevant for the position;
• professional experience in more than one of the essential fields listed above;
• professional experience with stakeholder engagement across a large enterprise;
• experience of managing the ‘information’ cycle, including the development of information requirements, and appropriate tasking and production of reports against these requirements;
• advanced experience with data visualization tools such as Tableau, Brandwatch, Storymaps, and other “Software as a Service”- Applications;
• experience with representing the function in data tool and service trials as the point of contact between NATO and the provider;

3. MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES

Expertise Development

Coordinate and prepare the Situational Awareness briefing for senior staff meetings. Draft, update and communicate information requirements for the briefing products to all stakeholders. Contribute to awareness of key functions at NATO HQ regarding threats, risks and trends based on established analytical requirements. Support the development and monitoring of key crisis escalation indicators and contribute to identifying early warning signs or change of trends. Over time, raise awareness and understanding of data analytics across the staffs to enable a sophisticated analysis of available data sets. Ensure the correct application of expertise in the team through benchmarking of other Situational Awareness organisations.

Information Management

Act as main aggregator for a number of sources of information, effectively managing, coordinating, aligning and streamlining inputs from all sources of information. Develop and update the formats for the briefing products. Compile, draft or review reports as appropriate. Drafting of bespoke products in support of briefing requirements from all NATO HQ stakeholders. Liaise with all input providers in NATO HQ and coordinate the analysis of the implications arising from the red, white and blue pictures. Ensure that SITCEN processes and procedures for information management are aligned with overall NATO Information Management policies and with NATO HQ objectives. Distribute tasks in coordination with International Staff and International Military Staff counterparts relating to requests for information originating in NATO HQ.

Knowledge Management

Support the development of Information Knowledge Management Tools (IKM), consolidated information platforms and distribution lists for the distribution of briefs and information to senior management, and, to staffs. Explore the use of new technologies in gathering information and is trained on tools utilised for in-depth monitoring. Ensure that the design and implementation of knowledge management systems includes mechanisms to ensure collection and distribution of high-quality content.

Policy Development

Support the governance model for the enhanced situational awareness process. Contribute to enhanced situational awareness and assessment for all NATO HQ stakeholders. Oversee and distribute tasks in coordination with International Staff and International Military Staff counterparts relating to requests for information originating in NATO HQ. Manage the production of high quality country/regional or thematic assessments as appropriate. Manage the process of scheduling and developing the briefings together with input providers. Identify innovations to improve performance of the SAIT. Identify ways to improve the NATO HQ Situational Awareness process.

Project Management

Develop training/introductory materials for staff officers preparing to work with the Situational Awareness Process. Identify, analyse, design and contribute expertise to small and medium sized projects/programmes within the unit.

Representation of the Organization

Attend and participate in high level meetings that have an situational awareness component such as Strategic Boards, Crisis Management Task Forces, (and other Task Forces) and the International Military Staff Crisis Management Organization, as appropriate.

Stakeholder Management

Support the Section Head for Situational Awareness Working Groups. Maintain a continuous line of communication with stakeholders in support of the Situational Awareness process. Determine how best to enhance and develop a network of key stakeholders. Assess, manage and consolidate the network of key stakeholders. Assess manage and consolidate the network within the broader interests of the Unit or Office. Provide options for effective issue management through the monitoring and analysis of current affairs.

Perform any other related duty as assigned.

4. INTERRELATIONSHIPS

The incumbent reports to the Situational Awareness Team Lead. S/he will interact with International Staff and International Military Staff counterparts.

Direct reports: N/a

Indirect reports: N/a.

5. COMPETENCIES

The incumbent must demonstrate:

• Analytical thinking: Sees multiple relationships;
• Clarity and Accuracy: Checks own work;
• Conceptual Thinking: Applies learned concepts;
• Customer Service Orientation: Takes personal responsibility for correcting problems;
• Impact and Influence: Takes multiple actions to persuade;
• Initiative: Is decisive in a time-sensitive situation;
• Organizational Awareness: understands organizational climate and culture;
• Teamwork: Expresses positive attitudes and expectations of team or team members.