Staff Officer (Audience Research)

Post Context

Headquarters Allied Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFCNF) provides a resilient, static Joint headquarters to plan, prepare and conduct operations across all domains in peacetime, crisis and conflict, in order to support NATO’s three core tasks, at the Joint Operational level, as directed by SACEUR.

The Communication Directorate advises the Commander, and exercises the Commander’s authority to achieve the desired effects of communication and information activities. It is responsible for directing, monitoring, assessing and coordinating communications staff functions.

The StratCom Analysis and Assessment Branch represents the Understand/Assess function of StratCom and covers all analysis capacities from Info Ops, PsyOps and Mil PA.

The incumbent manages audience research to inform the information environment assessment (IEA) and support StratCom decision-making.

Principal Duties:

• Support JFCNF, ACO and NATO HQ Public Diplomacy Division surveys.
• Manages targeted audience research aimed to inform communication planning, execution and evaluation.
• Drafts country books, country briefs and behavior baselines as required.
• Support the Research of cultural norms and variations to understand the information environment.
• Assists in the smooth operation and continued development of the projects, reports and systems within the IEA.
• Assists with qualitative and quantitative research, digital analytics analyses and projects.
• Under guidance, to develop questionnaires and relevant analyses of key audience trends as required.
• Provides project management support across research and analytics projects.
• Develops relationships across the Audiences team, with key IEA and COMMDIR staff and J2 staff.
• Provides Desk research and data gathering as required.
• Supports the development of military information activities to create desired effects on the will, understanding and capability of adversaries, potential adversaries and other parties in support of mission objectives.
• Liaisons with J2 to examine adversary, potential adversary, non-aligned, and friendly nations, and identify behaviours and structures, and to assess strengths, vulnerabilities and inter-relations.
• Adhere to all relevant procedures and guidelines.
• Assist with administrative duties where relevant.

Essential Qualifications / Experience:

• University Degree  in business administration, public administration or related discipline  and 2 years function related experience, or Higher Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training  in that discipline leading to a professional qualification or professional accreditation with 4 years post related experience.
• Experience conducting brand and policy research.
• Experience scripting surveys using routing and filtering.
• Knowledge of procurement processes.
• Knowledge of end-to-end research commissioning process.
• Extensive experience in questionnaire development with knowledge of scales, routing and weightening.
• Extensive knowledge of the present range of quantitative and qualitative methodologies for Audience research.
• Knowledge of MS access, IBM SPSS (statistical Package for Social Sience), MS Power BI, SQL quering for data manipulation and import/export.

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

Desirable Qualifications / Experience:

• Experience in briefing and communicating analytical products with senior military and civilian staff.
• Participation in previous NATO training and exercises.
• Prior experience of working in NATO or in an international environment comprising military and civilian elements is desirable.

Personal Attributes: The incumbent will need to display a high degree of professionalism, technical expertise, organisational, coordination and communication skills in the performance of their duties. The post requires a self-starter, analytical and technical skills, data visualization management, and conceptual thinker. Good team work skills.

Professional Contacts: Post requires regular professional contacts within and outside the HQ and the organization. The incumbent solicits and provides information as well as advice. The job involves working with contacts within NCS and NFS Commands, as well as civilian organization/stakeholders, and requires high level of maturity, understanding of sensitivities within an international environment and diplomatic tact when dealing with others.

Contribution To Objectives: The post provides information assurance and analysis and contributes directly to the planning, initiations and development of wide range of products submitted by HQ. Provide direct feed into both the delivery and assessment of all StratCom messaging Objectives.

Security Clearance - The successful applicant will be required to apply for and receive a NATO SECRET Security Clearance prior to final confirmation of contract and commencement of employment.

Contract - Serving NATO International Civilian staff will be offered a contract in accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations.  Newly recruited staff will be offered a three-year definite duration contract.

Notes for Candidates - The JFC Norfolk Career Site gives full details on the eligibility criteria and application processes to be adopted by all candidates.  However, candidates should particularly note: Please answer each of the pre-screening questions completely in English. Expressions such as: “please see attached CV, please see annex, please see enclosed document, etc” are not acceptable; this is a cause of immediate rejection of the application. Particular attention should be given to Education and Experience section of your application form, which should be populated with details of your career to date and educational achievements and certifications as they relate to your application.

The candidature of NATO redundant staff at grade G15 will be considered with priority.

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.

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 and strongly encourages women to apply.

This vacancy will close on XX XXXX 2025@ 17:59hrs (EDT)/11:59hrs (CEST).