Who we are:
For more than 70 years, NATO’s mission has been to preserve peace and security in the Alliance for nearly one billion citizens. The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) and its predecessors have worked tirelessly in providing the means that enable the connectedness and togetherness that keep our Alliance strong. We are the NCIA, a team of 3000 civilian and military staff in 29 locations throughout Europe, North America and Asia.
Our technology and cyber experts allow NATO to conduct critical operations, protect NATO’s airspace, make data-driven decisions, defend against cyber-attacks, secure NATO networks and maintain superiority in space. This is all possible because of our greatest force, our people. In order to keep this edge we aim to hire, train and retain the very best staff.
Our staff members represent both the diversity and unity of our Alliance. When you join the NCIA, you will be part of an organization where you can contribute authentically to the mission and purpose of NATO and help us keep our technological edge.
About the job:
Based in Brussels you will join the NCIA as we embark on a journey to transform our IT services to support NATO’s Digital Endeavour. You will join the Acquisition Office which provides the full range of acquisition expertise and activities which support the planning, implementation and maintenance of the required capability to support the NCIA’s strategic goals and missions.
The Acquisition Policy Office assists the Deputy Chief of Acquisition for Procurement & Policy in developing, reviewing and implementing ACQ procurement processes and procedures aiming to support ACQ operational activities. The office also provides guidance and participates in NCIA and NATO-wide procurement policy initiatives.
To support NCIA's Strategic Goal of pursuing excellence in delivery, the incumbent will be responsible for developing and maintaining acquisition and procurement policies across the Agency, ensuring coherent and consistent implementation of the NATO Procurement Policy (NPP) and the NATO Competitive Procurement (NCP) procedures (publicly available here: NPP and NCP), as well as applicable NATO policies, directives, and regulations governing acquisition and procurement activities.
We are looking for a driven and enthusiastic Senior Procurement Policy Officer who will take on the following roles and responsibilities:
Provide expertise in recommending, initiating, developing and implementing procurement policies, procedures, guidance and control concerning all contracting functions;
Review procurement policy for the various phases of the acquisition process to ensure compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and policies;
Responsible for and serves as a custodian and content manager (e.g. creating how to guides, quick reference guides, training materials, etc.) of the NCIA Procurement Regulation;
Development and standardization of acquisition templates, establishment of the central repository across the NCIA, and conducting checks on their consistent use;
Promulgation of best procurement practices to contracting officers and project managers and the provision of regular trainings;
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Evaluate procurement actions, analyze the implementation and effectiveness of NCIA-wide procurement policies, standards and procedures;
Provide advice and guidance on the appropriate solutions to complex procurement problems;
Quality management and procurement process improvement, monitor the effectiveness of procurement policies and strategies in high cost purchases;
Manage customer and stakeholder relationships, collecting feedback to measure effectiveness, dealing with issues and taking corrective actions.
For a full list of duties, please review the job description on the NCIA career site.
About you:
The valuable knowledge and experience that you bring to this role are:
A minimum requirement of a Bachelor’s degree at a nationally recognized/certified University in a related discipline and 3 years post-related experience;
Or exceptionally, the lack of a university degree may be compensated by the demonstration of a candidate’s particular abilities or experience that is/are of interest to NCI Agency, that is, at least 10 years extensive and progressive expertise in duties related to the function of the post;
Proven experience and responsibility (at least 3 years) in contracting, to include a thorough understanding of competitive and sole source procurement principles and practices, negotiation skills, cost and price analysis techniques, contract law, contract administration and industry practices;
Possess strong research and analytical skills;
Proven experience of leading teams/organizations in complex environments;
Proven ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with good briefing skills;
Fluency in English, both written and spoken.
What we offer:
Genuinely meaningful work as part of the most successful alliance in history;
5 year contract with competitive tax-free salary and household and children’s allowances;
Privileges for expatriate staff including expatriation and education allowances (where appropriate) and additional home leave;
Excellent private health insurance scheme;
Generous annual leave of 30 days plus official holidays;
NATO Pension Scheme;
Development programs such as professional training, wellbeing, and more.
To learn more about NCIA and our work, please visit our website.
The NCI Agency prides itself on being an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment of mutual respect and value uniqueness and differences in gender, gender identity, race, ethnic or cultural origin, age, religion, sexual orientation and physical or neurocognitive ability.
Additional details on the conditions of application can be found via the NCIA career site.