The post is budgeted from 1 January 2027, and the successful candidate is expected to start employment as soon as possible thereafter.

  1. OVERVIEW OF DIANA

NATO DIANA is the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, a NATO body dedicated to finding and accelerating innovation to provide decisive defence and security effects for the Alliance, while fostering deep-tech innovation.

NATO DIANA is comprised of a Board of Directors, representing all 32 nations, and an operational team referred to as the DIANA Executive (“DX”). Operating from three offices in Europe and North America, the DX leverages a network of military end users, world-leading accelerator sites, test centres, professional mentors and experts, and Allied expertise to accelerate the most innovative technologies from across the NATO Alliance. DIANA is a dynamic, agile workplace, which strives for innovative thinking, diversity, and performance excellence across all teams. To achieve our mission, DIANA is committed to providing our people with an environment that is positive, inclusive and collaborative. 

  1. OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE

The Project Officer, Emerging Initiatives manages and supports the development and delivery of new initiatives that advance DIANA's strategic objectives. The post will be responsible for translating Board and senior-level guidance into actionable projects, coordinating cross-functional teams, developing business cases and implementation plans, and supporting the design of new programmes, services, partnerships and activities that enhance DIANA's impact across the Alliance. Working across the organisation and externally, the Project Officer conducts analysis, advises stakeholders, and ensures the effective implementation of initiatives that strengthen DIANA’s impact across the Alliance.

Reserve candidates may be considered for similar posts in Estonia or Canada, if appropriate.

Reporting to the Head of Strategic Planning and Operations.

Duties of this role include:

  • Manage the identification, planning, coordination and delivery of strategic initiatives and emerging priorities that advance DIANA's organisational objectives and strategic direction.

  • Administer project plans, implementation schedules, risk registers, stakeholder engagement plans, and performance reporting for assigned initiatives.

  • Coordinate and execute cross-functional activities involving multiple business areas to ensure timely delivery of agreed outcomes and alignment with organisational priorities.

  • Prepare and administer high-quality briefing materials, reports, presentations, decision papers, and governance documentation for senior leadership, committees, and the Board of Directors.

  • Conduct research, analysis, and environmental scanning to support the development of new initiatives, organisational improvements, and strategic recommendations.

  • Facilitate and execute workshops, working groups, and stakeholder engagements to gather requirements, build consensus, and support implementation activities.
  • Support and execute organisational transformation, process improvement, and change management activities, including tracking implementation actions and measuring outcomes.
  • Contribute to and ensure the continuous development and improvement of corporate planning, performance management, and governance processes.
  • Promote and share best practices and lessons learned across the organisation to strengthen project delivery capabilities and organisational effectiveness.
  • Perform any other related duties as may be required.
  1. ROLE REQUIREMENTS, QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL

The incumbent must have:

  • A Bachelor’s degree at a nationally recognized / certified University in a related discipline and 2 years post-related experience, or exceptionally, the lack of a university degree may be compensated by the demonstration of work experience that is, at least 6 years extensive and progressive in duties related to the function of the post.

  • Proven experience managing the delivery of projects, programmes, strategic initiatives, and organisational change activities in a complex environment.

  • Demonstrated ability to coordinate and execute activities involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities ensuring timely and high-quality outcomes.

  • Proven experience coordinating and executing reports, presentations, briefing materials, and recommendations for senior leaders and decision-makers.

  • Demonstrated strong analytical skills, conducting analysis of information from diverse sources and advise stakeholders through clear, actionable recommendations.

  • Proven excellent organisational and planning skills while maintaining a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.

  • Proven ability to manage and execute activities and tasks independently, applying sound judgement and adaptability in complex environments while fostering effective collaboration across multidisciplinary and geographically dispersed teams.

  • Ability to communicate effectively and build productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including senior leaders and external partners.

  • Possess the following minimum levels of NATO’s official languages (English/French): V (“Advanced”) in one; and I (“Beginner”) in the other.

NOTE: Most of DIANA’s internal work is conducted in the English language.

DESIRABLE

The following would be considered an advantage:

  • Demonstrated experience supporting executive-level governance processes, including Board meetings, committees, or senior leadership forums.

  • Proven experience in strategic planning, corporate performance management, business transformation, and organisational design.

  • Demonstrated experience developing and reporting organizational performance metrics, KPIs, dashboards and management information to support decision-making

  • Knowledge of NATO institutional framework, policies and procedures.

COMPETENCIES 

The incumbent must demonstrate: 

  • Organizational and Environmental Awareness: Understands the wider mission and considers the impact of their actions on others.

  • Initiative & Responsibility: Takes ownership and accountability.

  • Adaptability & Flexibility: Embraces change, adjusts priorities as needed, and continues to deliver results in evolving environments.

  • Customer Service Orientation: Provides timely, professional, and solution-focused support to all stakeholders.

  • Planning & Prioritizing: Allocates time and resources effectively, balances competing priorities, and delivers work to agreed timelines.

  • Teamwork: Collaborates openly and supports colleagues to achieve shared goals.

  • Self-awareness and a Learning Mindset: Seeks opportunities to learn, reflects on experience, and applies learning to improve outcomes.

  1. WHAT WE OFFER 
  • Genuinely meaningful work as part of the newest unit within the most successful alliance in history. 
  • Tax-free salary. 
  • Household and children’s allowances and privileges for expatriate staff including expatriation and educational allowances (where applicable) and additional home leave. 
  • Excellent private health insurance scheme. 
  • NATO pension scheme. 
  • Generous annual leave of 30 days plus official holidays. 
  • Flexible working conditions and a smoke-free office in Tallinn. 
  • Opportunities for learning and development. 
  1. CONTRACT 

In accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations, the successful candidate will receive a definite duration contract of three years, which may be followed by an extension. 

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, which may be renewed for a further period of up to 3 years subject to the agreement of the national authority concerned. The maximum period of service in the post as a seconded staff member is six years. 

  1. 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 the e-recruitment system, and any documents sent through other formats will not be reviewed (including email, social network, etc). 

Before you apply to any position, we encourage you to click here and review how to apply. 

Due to the broad interest in NATO DIANA and the large number of potential candidates, telephone or email enquiries cannot be dealt with.  

After review of your online application, successful candidates will be invited to a pre-recorded video interview. Shortlisted candidates from that will then be invited to the final assessments, which include: a language proficiency test, a job-related written test, and a panel interview.

Appointment will be subject to receipt of a security clearance (provided by the national Authorities of the selected candidate) and approval of the candidate’s medical file by the NATO Medical Adviser. 

NOTE: DIANA 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, Copilot, Claude, etc.), or other language generating tools. DIANA 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 will be rejected without further consideration at DIANA’s sole discretion, and DIANA reserves the right to take further steps in such cases as appropriate. 

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 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 along with documented medical evidence to support your request. 

All NATO DIANA personnel are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the current NATO Code of Conduct as agreed by the North Atlantic Council (NAC), and thus display the core values of integrity, impartiality, loyalty, accountability, and professionalism.  

The incumbent is required to be a resident in the host nation for the duration of their contract. DIANA has a flexible teleworking policy to permit working in office, at home, and across NATO Allied Nations subject to managerial approval.  

For more information on DIANA, please visit our website.  

At Impactpool we do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.