Chief of Staff

The Chief of Staff supports the Managing Director in the effective leadership and coordination of DIANA by providing strategic advice, executive-level decision support, and oversight of key organisational priorities. The role acts as a central point of coordination across the senior leadership team and the secretariat of the Board of Directors, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality outputs, communications, and special initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Determine and prioritise matters requiring Managing Director engagement, overseeing the coordination, tracking, execution, and follow-up of executive correspondence, decisions, priorities, and taskings.
• Provide strategic advice and decision support to the Managing Director by synthesising information from across DIANA, assessing key issues, risks, dependencies, opportunities, and priorities requiring executive attention and action.
• Direct the activities of the Senior Leadership Team and key governance processes, ensuring effective stakeholder engagement, information flow, decision-making, and timely follow-up of meetings, actions, and leadership priorities.
• Monitor and assess the implementation of Managing Director decisions and organisational priorities, identifying delivery risks, determining corrective actions, and escalating matters requiring executive intervention.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with the Board of Directors, NATO governance and assurance bodies, Regional Hubs, and other key stakeholders, ensuring timely coordination, strategic alignment, and the effective representation of DIANA's priorities and interests.
• Establish and oversee standards for executive briefings, correspondence, reports, presentations, Board papers, and other strategic submissions, ensuring quality, consistency, and alignment with organisational priorities and governance requirements.
• Lead strategic, cross-functional, and special initiatives on behalf of the Managing Director, driving organisational alignment and outcomes across multiple functional areas and stakeholder groups.
• Perform any other related duties as may be required.

Requirements

• Master’s degree at a nationally recognised University in business administration, public administration, international relations, political science, law, management, or a related discipline and 5 years post-related experience OR a Bachelor’s degree with 8 years post related experience.
• Minimum of 5 years work experience in providing strategic advice, executive support, or decision support to senior leaders on strategic planning, executive support, governance, organisational management, or other complex issues.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple competing priorities, urgent taskings, and sensitive issues while maintaining high standards of accuracy and responsiveness.
• Experience leading or coordinating complex projects, programmes, or cross-functional initiatives involving multiple stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing, reviewing, and editing briefings, reports, correspondence, and presentations for Board, executive, ministerial, or other senior audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to apply organisational policies and procedures with sound judgement, discretion, tact, and professionalism, including in challenging or high-pressure situations.
• Possess the following minimum levels of NATO’s official languages (English/French): V (“Advanced”) in one; and I (“Beginner”) in the other.
• Work experience in politically and institutionally complex environments, such as international organisations, national governments or agencies (desirable).
• Work experience in innovative, rapidly-evolving or start-up environments (desirable).
• Knowledge of NATO institutional framework, policies and procedures (desirable).

Skills

• Strategic Advice
• Executive Support
• Decision Support
• Strategic Planning
• Governance
• Organizational Management
• Project Coordination
• Programme Management
• Cross-functional Leadership
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Briefing Material Preparation
• Report Writing
• Correspondence Editing
• Presentation Development
• Policy Application
• Discretion and Tact
• NATO Organizational Knowledge
• Bilingual Communication
• Complex Environment Experience

Languages

English, French