Staff Officer (Wargame Designer/Support Officer) - Project Linked NIC

The Staff Officer (Wargame Designer/Support Officer) provides professional military wargaming expertise to support NATO 2030, NATO Wargaming Capability, and future training and exercise development. The role involves designing, developing, facilitating, analyzing, and reporting professional wargames to support joint, combined, and multinational headquarters in operational decision-making and warfare development.

Responsibilities

• Designs professional military wargames supporting operational and tactical-level training, planning, experimentation and decision-making.
• Translates operational and tactical problems into wargame objectives, scenarios, player roles, decision points, adjudication methods, data-capture plans and analytical outputs.
• Develops wargame concepts, mechanics, scenario material, force laydowns, injects, adjudication rules, assessment criteria and supporting documentation.
• Integrates relevant operational context, regional plans, real-world considerations and multi-domain factors including land, air, maritime, space, cyber, sustainment, information and special operations into wargame design and execution.
• Leads or supports multidisciplinary teams, applies qualitative and quantitative analysis methods, and produces reports, briefings, decision-support products, recommendations and lessons.
• Controls daily work priorities for assigned wargaming activities and may functionally lead multidisciplinary teams for specific projects or events.
• Supports NATO Wargaming Capability, NATO 2030, warfare development, future training and exercise development, and operational decision support by improving NATO’s ability to analyze operational problems, test plans, explore options, identify risks and derive lessons.
• May undertake Temporary Duty (TDY) and/or travel within and outside NATO’s boundaries for up to 65 days per year.

Requirements

• Minimum 3 years’ experience designing, developing, facilitating, evaluating or supporting professional military wargames, preferably for joint, combined or multinational headquarters.
• Experience translating operational or tactical problems into wargame objectives, scenarios, player guidance, decision points, adjudication methods, data-capture plans and analytical outputs.
• Experience supporting or conducting joint operational planning at tactical, operational or strategic level, preferably in a NATO, national military, multinational or defence-related environment.
• Experience conducting or supporting seminars, tabletop exercises, command post exercises, analytical wargames or similar military decision-support activities, including alternative analysis, operational analysis, operations assessment, lessons learned or other structured decision-support methodologies.
• Strong facilitation, briefing, stakeholder engagement and report-writing skills, including experience working in a multinational environment and presenting complex information to senior military or civilian decision-makers.
• University Degree in military science, defence studies, strategic planning, systems analysis, operations research, statistics, computer-assisted modelling or a related discipline or Higher Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training.
• NATO SECRET Security Clearance required prior to contract confirmation.
• Desirable: Significant military or defence experience including operational-level joint, combined or multinational planning appointments.
• Desirable: Experience with NATO or equivalent exercise planning processes, operational art, campaign design, force employment and military decision-making processes.
• Desirable: Experience with modelling and simulation tools, constructive simulation databases, computer-assisted exercises, professional wargaming software, AI-assisted wargaming, data analytics or decision-support systems.
• Desirable: Knowledge of operational analysis, alternative analysis, operations assessment or structured analytical methodologies.
• Desirable: NATO, national, commercial or equivalent training in wargaming, strategic/operational planning, alternative analysis, operations assessment, operational analysis, data analytics, decision-support methods, modelling and simulation, AI-enabled analytical tools or project/programme management.
• Desirable: Senior-level Joint Command and Staff College, NATO Defence College, national equivalent or comparable senior professional military education.
• Desirable: Master’s degree in military science, defence studies, strategic planning, systems analysis, operations research, statistics, computer-assisted modelling or a related discipline.
• Desirable: Completion of NATO Wargaming Practitioner Course (ETE-WG-36888).

Skills

• Military Wargame Design
• Wargame Facilitation
• Wargame Evaluation
• Operational Planning
• Tactical Planning Support
• Joint Operational Planning
• Multinational Military Exercises
• Scenario Development
• Player Guidance Development
• Decision Point Design
• Adjudication Methods
• Data Capture Planning
• Analytical Reporting
• Military Decision Support
• Seminar Facilitation
• Tabletop Exercise Support
• Command Post Exercise Support
• Operational Analysis
• Alternative Analysis
• Operations Assessment
• Lessons Learned Analysis
• Report Writing
• Stakeholder Engagement
• NATO Exercise Planning
• Campaign Design
• Force Employment Planning
• Military Decision-Making Processes
• Modelling and Simulation Tools
• Constructive Simulation Databases
• Computer Assisted Exercises
• Professional Wargaming Software
• AI-Assisted Wargaming
• Data Analytics
• Decision-Support Systems

Languages

English