Job of the Week: Head, Innovation Unit, NATO

Want to lead NATO policy on emerging and disruptive technologies? Guide the development of the alliance's innovation fund and support its Emerging Security Challenges division? In an exciting new vacancy, NATO is looking for someone to lead its Innovation Unit based in Brussels. The Stack is making it our Job of the Week.

Featuring a tax-free salary of €9.5k (£8.1k) per month, 30 days of leave "plus official holidays" and a three-year contract, the role's perks are clear. The successful candidate will also hold the strategically critical and exciting responsibility for "contributing to greater coherence and effectiveness of NATO’s innovation ecosystem" including its Emerging Security Challenges (ESC) division as the alliance increases its focuses on technology.

Responsibilities will include guiding development of NATO's recently launched defence innovation accelerator "DIANA" and new multinational NATO innovation fund -- both announced in April -- seeded with an initial €1 billion to invest in "early-stage start-ups and other deep tech funds aligned with its strategic objectives" (AI, Big Data processing, quantum-enabled technologies, autonomy, biotechnology, novel materials and space).

See also: Exclusive: We reveal NATO’s first ever CIO hire

"The [innovation] Unit helps identifying innovation priorities to pursue, including by cross-matching developing technologies with the most pressing decision-making" the NATO job advert details, adding: "The Head of the Unit has a key role to play in overseeing all the various cross-cutting issues, as well as managing the team. S/he also leads the effort in coordinating with other key NATO entities playing leading roles in innovation – in particular Allied Command Transformation and the NATO Science and Technology Organisation. S/he also interacts with national innovation bodies in Allied countries and seeks to ensure maximum synergy of effort."

Applications close June 12. Polish off those CVs...

Among the skills required, you'll need:

• Familiarity with "the strategic issues and security challenges facing the Alliance and be conversant with the Alliance’s political and military consultative processes;
• "Experience working in a multilateral environment or an environment with a variety of stakeholders from multi-cultural backgrounds;
• "In-depth knowledge of NATO’s security environment [and] understanding of critical developments relating to innovation and new technologies;
• "Familiarity with industry and the role of the private sector and public-private partnerships in dealing with innovation at both strategic and technical levels"

The deadline for applications is June 12. Further details and applications here.

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