Political Advisor at NATO

Northwood, England, United Kingdom -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

05 Jun, 26

Salary

10306.98

Posted On

07 Mar, 26

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Politico-Military Advice, Policy Development, Diplomacy, Strategic Planning, Risk Mitigation, Briefing, Coordination, Liaison, Negotiation, Analytical Thought, Independent Judgement, Communication, Persuasiveness, Critical Thinking, Stakeholder Management, Maritime Operations

Industry

IT Services and IT Consulting

Description

OPEN TO NATIONALS OF NATO MEMBER STATES ONLY Job Title: Political Advisor (POLAD) NATO Body: Headquarters Allied Maritime Command (HQ MARCOM) Location: Northwood, Middlesex, UK Security Clearance: COSMIC TOP SECRET (CTS) Post Number: OMC GXAX 0010 NATO Grade: G22 Basic monthly salary: £10,306.98 GBP (tax free) Closing date for applications: 01 April 2026 POST CONTEXT Allied Maritime Command is the central command of all NATO maritime forces and serves as the Maritime Theatre Component Commander, delivering 360-degree maritime-focused awareness and connectivity while planning and commanding the full range of maritime operations. The Command Group directs, co-ordinates and prioritises the planning and execution effort, and provides direction and guidance as required. The Office of the Political Advisor provides the Commander and wider Command Group with relevant politico-military advice on all matters that could impact the maritime domain. The Political Advisor is the Commander’s principal senior advisor on politico-military and diplomatic issues that affect the planning and conduct of operations and the day-to-day management of both operational and framework roles of the HQ. He/she is supported by two Deputies in the provision of relevant political advice to the Command Group and staff on the planning and conduct of operations, exercises, and framework tasks. DUTIES The incumbent's duties are: · Advise the Commander and the Command Group on NATO policy and political issues and processes related to all operations. · Evaluate military operations planned or contemplated by the HQ MARCOM and advise the Commander on the political ramifications of those operations. · Support the Staff in understanding NATO policy and political issues and processes related to the operation. · Prepare written and verbal advice and proposals on subject related to the operation as required. · Attend and, as required, provide political advice at the Commander’s Decision Briefs. · Attend and provide political advice to the Maritime Coordination Board and other Command-level Boards. · Provide advice to the Commander when interacting with the outside world (e.g.: media releases, visits, conferences preparation, drafting of operational documents). · In the absence of the two Deputies, attend and provide political advice to Working Groups supporting Command-Level Boards. · As a key non-executive member of the Command Group, participate in all major policy and planning initiatives, providing information and advice on a wide range of politico-military issues in direct support of Command policy formulation and decision-making. · Advise the Commander on political perspectives and foreign policy positions which have an impact on the mission of the Maritime Command. · Collect and analyse information on politico-military issues in the HQ MARCOM Area of Functional Responsibility. · Provide information, briefings and think pieces on trouble spots, including political developments, matters affecting security and stability, local governments, and international organisation activities as required by the Commander. · Coordinate policy matters concerning the Maritime Command that require political and/or military decisions with Maritime Command senior staff and liaison officers, as well as staff from Allied Command Operations (ACO) Headquarters, International Organisations (IOs), and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), as well as governmental and embassy officials as required. · Establish and maintain relationships with the key political actors within NATO (SHAPE, NATO HQ) and outside NATO (countries, IOs and NGOs). · In cooperation with internal Divisions, devise politico-military strategies for dealing with newly acceding or Partners’ countries and advise the Command Group on their implementation; manage relations with nations within the framework of the Partnership for Peace (PfP), Mediterranean Dialogue (MD), Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), and Contact Countries. · Play a key role in preparing the Commander for personal meetings with Heads of State, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, Parliamentarians and other senior government and defence officials representing Member, Partner, MD, ICI, and Contact Countries. Ensure timely and effective visit preparations by providing the Commander with politico-military updates. · Review and comment on drafts of the Commander’s speeches, media briefs, and position papers for public dissemination. · Represent HQ MARCOM at NATO meetings, committees, boards and working groups as required, and at international meetings and conferences, as necessary. · Submits observations in his/her area of expertise and contributes to the Lessons Learned process. · Provides specific country-specific advice to the MARCOM Command Group leveraging POLAD networks within NATO and in the wider international ecosystem such as the UN, the EU, the OSCE, the North Atlantic Council (NAC), International Military Staff (IMS), and SHAPE representatives, if necessary. 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 incumbent may be required to undertake operational deployments and/or Temporary Duty (TDY) assignments both within and without NATO's boundaries for up to 183 days in any period of 547 days. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE Essential Professional Experience International Relations Political sciences and civics are the study of government and political principles or practice. The study of the rights and duties of the citizens are included here. Skill Level (Initiate or influence) Has defined authority and accountability for actions and decisions within a significant area of work, including technical, financial, and quality aspects. Establishes organisational objectives and assigns responsibilities. Influences policy and strategy formation. Initiates influential relationships with internal and external customers, suppliers, and partners at senior management level, including industry leaders. Makes decisions which impact the work of employing organisations, achievement of organisational objectives and financial performance. Has a broad business understanding and deep understanding of own specialism(s). Performs highly complex work activities covering technical, financial and quality aspects. Contributes to the implementation of policy and strategy. Creatively applies a wide range of technical and/or management principles. Absorbs complex information and communicates effectively at all levels to both technical and non-technical audiences. Manages and mitigates risk. Understands the implications of new technologies. Demonstrates clear leadership. Understands and communicates industry developments, and the role and impact of technology in the employing organisation. Promotes compliance with relevant legislation. Takes the initiative to keep both own and colleagues' skills up to date. Experience A minimum of 15 years’ professional experience in government, military, and/or academia in the fields of politics, international relations, international security, law, or public policy. This experience should include working in policy development with NATO or national diplomatic offices and policy offices. Essential Education/Training Master’s Degree or equivalent in political science, public administration, international relations. Essential Language English: SLP 4444 (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing) NOTE: Both oral and written work in this post and in this Headquarters is conducted mainly in English. Desirable Professional Experience Working and advising in diplomacy. Understanding and writing of diplomatic correspondence. Experience with Peace Support Operations (PSO) and related organisations. Experience with NATO or national naval and maritime affairs, with the development of maritime policy and strategy. Experience of NATO and of maritime policy issues in NATO is highly desirable. Desirable Language French: SLP 3333 (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing) Russian: SLP 2222 (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing) Arabic: SLP 2222 (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing) ATTRIBUTES/COMPETENCIES • Personal Attributes: The incumbent must display analytical thought and demonstrate independent judgement in the development of policy and strategies for the MARCOM, in fields of strategic-political-military interest and concern. He/she must be able to provide high-level advice and briefings to a senior level on key strategic-political-military issues, to serve in the formulation of Command policy. Diplomacy and tact are essential in interacting with high-level officials in a multi-national environment. The incumbent must have strong communication skills, both oral and written. Listening and persuasiveness are crucial to the incumbent's effective participation in policy and planning initiatives, in advising the Command Group, in coordinating policy matters internally and with other agencies and government staffs. Problem analysis skills and critical thinking underlie the incumbent's contribution to the development of effective strategies and formulation of policy in his/her own area of competence. • Professional Contacts: To be MARCOM's representative in certain international political organisations and in international meetings and conferences as directed by MARCOM. Maintains personal contacts, on behalf of MARCOM, with a wide range of related international bodies, including the EU, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross & Red Crescent (ICRC), the Atlantic Treaty Association (ATA), the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and leading think tanks. • Defence, military and diplomatic community: Executes duties and functions requiring frequent internal and external high-level contacts, including co-ordination and negotiation with senior civilian and military authorities. Routinely interacts with senior NATO authorities and military personnel up to the OF-9 level. Examples of such contacts include: o With a variety of staff involved in political activities throughout NATO at all professional levels to provide advice, guidance, and informational/decision briefings. These include Political Advisors at grades up to G24, at the OF-5/4 level, and POLAD Officers in grades up to G20. o With senior staffs in other Divisions within the Headquarters, from the working level (OF-4) up to and including ACOSs (OF-5/6) and the Command Group (OF-8). The incumbent shall frequently and routinely be expected to participate in flag-level meetings and contribute directly to flag-level decision making within the Headquarters. o With senior national representatives from Ministries of Defence or Foreign Affairs during discussions of political situations. o With senior personnel from NATO nations and external agencies. The incumbent will frequently be called upon to provide informational or decision briefings to senior staff of other organisations. Participation in such meetings routinely ranges in rank to OF-7 and occasionally occurs at even higher levels. • Contribution to Objectives: The incumbent ensures the Headquarters’ credibility before the nations and within the Command Structure by ensuring that the Commander understands the political situations in the theatres of operation and in areas of developing concern. This includes contribution to mission objectives by proactive identification of trends and advice on dealing with potential problems. Failure to have a fully global perspective on developing situations would have a negative effect on preparation of Headquarters to deal with emerging threats or crises. The successful accomplishment of these tasks will directly contribute to the Commander’s ability to prepare to exercise Command and Control functions in accordance with his operational priorities. • Supervisory Responsibilities: Manage the work programme and provide direction and guidance to two Deputies to include provision of policy guidance, assigning and reviewing work, maintaining and adjusting work schedules, and assessing performance. CONTRACT The successful candidate will receive a three-year definite duration contract which may be followed by an indefinite duration contract. NATO-serving staff members will be offered a contract in accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations (NCPRs). The basic entry-level monthly salary for a NATO Grade 22 in the UK is £10,306.98 GBP (tax free), which may be augmented by allowances based on the successful candidate’s eligibility.

Responsibilities

The Political Advisor serves as the Commander’s principal senior advisor on politico-military and diplomatic issues affecting operations and daily management, providing advice on NATO policy and evaluating military operations for political ramifications. Duties include preparing written and verbal advice, attending key decision briefs, coordinating policy matters with internal and external actors, and managing relations with partner countries.