Management & Leadership Jobs in Mons, Belgium (Now Hiring) — 19 open

Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) provides an integrated Strategic Effects framework, employing a multi-domain and multi-region focus to create a 360-degree approach, with the flexibility to enable, upon direction, a seamless transition from Baseline Activities and Current Operations (BACO) up to the Maximum Level of Effort (MLE). SHAPE supports SACEUR in fulfilling his terms of reference, as directed by the North Atlantic Council.

The Finance and Acquisition Directorate Is responsible for all international and multinational appropriated and non-appropriated funds in ACO. The responsibility encompasses supervision and oversight of subordinate ACO commands and development of financial and acquisition policies. The Directorate represents SHAPE/ACO in the Budget Committee, participates in the development of international agreements and the annual Consolidated Resource Plan (CRP), and advises/assists the SHAPE Command Group with respect to Military Budget-funded requirements. The Directorate plans and executes the annual ACO military budget with the contracting, finance and accounting, and cash management it entails whilst ensuring coordination with external entities is observed.

The ACO Acquisition Management Branch performs delegated financial controller functions for the SHAPE HQ installation, ACO centralised budgets, ACO-wide programmes.

The ACO Strategic Acquisition Management Section is responsible for Strategic level acquisition advice, planning, planning, oversight, support and procurement from Nations/NATO Agencies focused primarily on Allied Operations and Missions.

The incumbent acts as a senior contracting officer responsible for the procurement of goods and services in support of 2030 initiatives and other associated DDA related procurement.

Principal Duties

The incumbent's duties are:

On behalf of the Head of ACO Strategic Acquisition Management: provides procurement of goods and services support related to Defense and Deterrence (DDA) related projects / activities funded by 2030 or other budgets as applicable.

·                Acts as a senior contracting officer responsible for the procurement of goods and services as assigned by:

·                Exercises the full spectrum of purchasing and contracting in accordance prescribe rules, regulations, procedures and directives in accordance with the limits authorized by their warrant. Specifically performs the function of Contracting Officer in exercising the legal commitment for the goods and services through the NATO Financial System and manage the purchase process until the purchase is finally closed for contracts where SHAPE or subordinate HQ entity is the procurement authority;

·                Develops necessary acquisition strategies, and ensures expertise and continuity for all complex, urgent and sensitive 2030 and DDA related contracting activities and other projects as assigned. Evaluates contractor responsibility, analyzes contractor past performance and cost or price information. Drafts and approves bidding instructions and contract clauses to be applied to solicitations;

·                When support is procured from NATO Agencies, participates in the negotiation, drafting and staffing of agreements (LSAs, SLAs and SAs) including participation in the development of deliverables by the agency and associated key performance indicators in close coordination with the applicable Senior Contracting Officer (Agencies) in the Section;

·                Supports the requirement holder by providing advice and support on procurement matters;

·                Supports the process of obtaining Committee approvals when necessary;

·                Provides contracting support to NSIP projects when SHAPE is selected to be Host Nation for 2030 or DDA related investment contracts;

·                As required, co-ordinates related matters with the SHAPE Legal Office and Performs all other duties as assigned or directed.

In accordance with NATO Financial Rules and Procedures Article III 1) f, Purchasing and Contracting Officers have exclusive legal authority for the procurement of goods and services on behalf of the NATO body. On the basis of the warrant covering their responsibilities and any limitation on the scope of authority to be exercised, this post requires the incumbent to be suitably qualified to be appointed with an unlimited warrant in order to exercise the legal authority authorized by the Command.

In the exercise of a warrant, a duly appointed Purchasing and Contracting Officer, subject to any limitations imposed, in accordance with NATO Financial Rules and Procedures Article XXXII will exercise decision authority and award all purchases under the simplified procurement procedures within the financial limits established by the Budget Committee.

Committee Participation:

• Military Budget Committee - Contributor

• Resource Policy and Plans Board - Contributor

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.

This a mandatory deployment post. The incumbent may be required to undertake deployments in support of military operations and exercises, and/or TDY assignments, both within and outside NATO’s boundaries.  Such operational deployment may exceed 30 days duration up to 183 days in any period of 547 days, and may be on short notice. For NATO International Civilian Staff, acceptance of an employment contract linked to this post constitutes agreement to deploy in excess of 30 days if required.

The work is normally performed in a Normal NATO office working environment.

Essential Qualifications

Professional/Experience

1)       Minimum 4 years professional acquisition experience, with at least 3 years in a position leading and improving the procurement activity, negotiating complex contracts associated with extensive knowledge of international contract and business law. 

2)       Prior contracting experience at the management level, and an understanding of management oversight of contracts.

3)       Experience in the sourcing and management of external suppliers to ensure successful delivery of products and services.

4)       Minimum 4 years of prior contracting experience at the management level, and a comprehensive understanding of operational logistics from a supply chain perspective.

Education/Training

University Degree in supply chain management, commercial and mercantile law, logistics, inventory management, procurement or related discipline and 4 years post related experience, or Higher Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training in that discipline leading to a professional qualification or professional accreditation with 5 years post related and 2 years function related experience.

The additional job specific qualifications and experience is described under Professional/Experience paragraph (4/a). In case of ambiguity the required job specific experience have priority over the standard education and training levels and experience described here.

Language

English - SLP 4343 (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)

Desirable Qualifications

Professional Experience

1)       Minimum five years’ experience in the procurement/contracting field, with demonstrated ability to negotiate, execute competitive bidding procedures, award and administer contracts, and effectively prosecute contractor claims and related disputes.

2)       Experience in evaluating very complex, urgent and sensitive requisitions (requirements and costs) for a wide variety of goods, services and engineering works.

3)       Experience in translating very complex, urgent and sensitive technical or operational requirements into commercially adequate invitations for bids.

4)       Experience in executing the full cycle of procurement activities, i.e., from conducting market surveys, devising acquisition strategies, issuing solicitations, and evaluating proposals to awarding, administering and closing out contracts.

5)       Proven experience in the use of modern office automation applications (MS OFFICE), including the use of Internet, e-commerce and an Automated Accounting/Purchasing Application System.

6)       Experience in contracting for military or international organisations, preferably as a warranted contracting officer.

7)       Knowledge of NATO procurement directives.

8)       Knowledge of Host Nation contract law.

Attributes/Competencies

Personal Attributes:

The incumbent will need to display a high degree of professionalism and technical expertise in performance of acquisition duties. As the incumbent’s decisions and actions are financially and legally binding to SHAPE, he/she must exercise excellent judgment, while acting with persuasion and diplomacy, in order to achieve results which safeguard NATO’s financial interests and image.

He/she will need to be aware of the legal and economic aspects of every potential transaction. In his/her work, the incumbent must demonstrate a high energy level, personal integrity, and a sense of loyalty to the organisation. He/she must have strong ethics and sound business judgment for working in a P&C Office.

Must meet all standards (in accordance with SHAPE Directive 15-22) for appointment as a P&C Officer with an unlimited warrant.

Professional Contacts:

With procurement, finance, and legal staff throughout NATO at all professional levels to provide advice, guidance and information/decision briefings. Also with:

- senior staff in other divisions within SHAPE, from working level up to the ACOS and Command Group;

- senior national representatives from Ministries of Defence, Foreign Affairs, or Finance;

- national representatives in the Military Budget Committee and - senior members of commercial firms conducting business with NATO.

Contribution To Objectives:

It is the incumbent’s responsibility to ensure that in peacetime and crisis situations, appropriate goods and services required for SACEUR’s missions are obtained in the most economical and timely manner. Failure to achieve this not only impacts on the capability of others to perform their tasks but also results in the lapse of critically needed funds. The incumbent ensures Allied Command Operations' credibility before the nations by ensuring that SACEUR and his subordinate commanders meet their operational mission in a most cost-effective manner. This includes contribution to mission objectives by proactive identification and correction of potential problems, and continuous improvement of working methods and results. The procurement organisation also provides direct support of operational mission objectives through support of deployed Headquarters, and operation of multinational logistics arrangements.

REMARKS:

Duration of contract: The successful candidate will fill this post as a Project Linked NATO International Civilian (PLN) with a three-year definite duration contract within the NATO 2030 Agenda. On expiry of this term the PLN will be deleted or absorbed into the ceiling pending approval or will exceptionally be considered for extension.

The salary will be the basic entry-level monthly salary defined by the NATO Grade of the post, which may be augmented by allowances based on the selected staff member’s eligibility, and which is subject to the withholding of approximately 20%25 for pension and medical insurance contributions.

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.

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.

Applicants who prove to be competent for the post but who are not successful in this competition may be offered an appointment in another post of a similar nature, which might become vacant in the near future, albeit at the same or lower grade, provided they meet the necessary requirements.

We believe that all people are capable of great things.  Because of this, we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet all of the criteria listed within this job description.

HOW TO APPLY FOR A NATO CIVILIAN POST AT SHAPE:

Applications are to be submitted using NATO Talent Acquisition Platform (NTAP) (https://nato.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobsearch.ftl?lang-en).  Applications submitted by other means (e.g. mail, e-mail, fax, etc) are not accepted.

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Application Process 

Shortlisted candidates will be requested to provide original documentary evidence and a set of copies supporting statements in their applications. Appointment is subject to obtaining a NS security clearance and a medical certificate.

Remarks:

a)    Only nationals from the 32 NATO member states can apply for vacancies at SHAPE. 

b)    Applications are automatically acknowledged within one working day after submission. In the absence of an acknowledgement please make sure the submission process is completed, or, re-submit the application.  

c)    Qualified redundant staff of the same grade interested in this post should inform this office, via their HR/Personnel Office by not later than vacancy’s closing date.

d)    Candidates’ individual telephone, e-mail or telefax enquiries cannot be dealt with. All candidates will receive an answer indicating the outcome of their application.

e)    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.