Project Manager Accelerator Programme

1. OVERVIEW OF DIANA

The Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) is NATOs newest body. From across the Alliance DIANA will bring together innovators and operational end users to foster a transatlantic ecosystem supporting dualuse groundbreaking innovation in deep technologies.

DIANA is an independent NATO body comprised of an Allied Board of Directors and an executive management team the DIANA Executive (DX). Operating out of regional offices in Europe and in North America the DX will conduct DIANAs mission: accelerating deep tech dualuse solutions to critical transatlantic challenges in defense and security. The DX will use Challenge Programmes in line with a published Strategic Direction as the primary vehicle to accomplish this mission. DIANA is a dynamic agile and hybrid workplace which strives for innovation diversity and excellence. In order to achieve these aims DIANA is committed to providing our people with an environment that is positive inclusive and collaborative.

2. OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE

The DIANA Accelerator Programme is designed to equip businesses with the skills and knowledge to navigate the world of deep tech and dualuse innovation. It provides an immersive curriculum and bootcamp involving the NATO innovation network and strategic business partners from the commercial and defense markets.

The Programme includes two phases which the Acccelerator Team builds and oversees delivery to ensure participants gain a comprehensive understanding of the dualuse landscape and learn how to successfully navigate both commercial and defense markets.

The Accelerator Team Project Manager is an experienced professional with a proven track record in acceleration or incubation programs who is ready to immediately leverage their knowledge and professional networks. The primary objective of the Project Manager is to prepare the delivery of DIANA Accelerator Programmes and ensure their delivery within mandated scope time and budget while working closely with the affiliated Accelerator sites to ensure their smooth delivery.

Report to the Regional Director Estonia Hub the Project Manager is expected to work closely with a variety of stakeholders within the innovation ecosystem and ensure that DIANA is continually evolving the curriculum and fostering relationships with companies to help them meet future operational challenges.

Duties of this role include:

• Create uplift and implement the DIANA Acceleration Programme in close collaboration with the affiliated accelerator sites.
• Create and maintain standard project management deliverables such as project plans risk registers highlight reports etc.
• Create overviews and presentations on the Acceleration Programme delivery.
• Create and maintain innovation communities byensuring effective collaboration across a wide array of stakeholders including innovators accelerators test centers and other individuals and organizations.
• Aggregate and analyse Programme performance data and lessons learned. Interpreting and reporting all relevant data risks milestones to the DX through appropriate reporting structures. Recommending and influencing strategic mitigations.
• Establish the required tools processes and best practices to ensure that DIANA can run projects while meeting the key performance indicators of being on time on budget within the desired scope and at a high level of quality.
• Prepare contingency plans for the effective management of issues that may arise both internally at DIANA and across DIANAs ecosystem of stakeholders.
• Advise and influence DIANA Senior Management Team on critical go/nogo decisions throughout a project lifetime.
• Develop refine and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for DIANA.
• Share project management expertise and best practices across the DIANA team including the use of tools processes training and project management techniques. The aim of this being to improve the ability of all staff members to achieve DIANA objectives in a timely and predictable manner using a programmatic approach.
• Perform any other related duties as may be required.

3. ROLE REQUIREMENTS QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL

The incumbent must have:

• Bachelors degree in relevant discipline with at least 3 years of postrelated experience.
• Experience in incubation acceleration or startupfocused innovation programmes.
• Experience in dualuse deeptech or defense ecosystems.
• Cooperative mindset and experience in internal stakeholder management.
• Experience in project/programme management including project planning cost estimation and quality management and drafting associated documentation.
• Experience with digital project management platforms.
• Exceptional written communication skills
• Ability to analyse complex datasets interpret results and disseminate significant amounts of information with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to convey complex concepts in a clear and concise manner to senior stakeholders through creative media.
• Possess the following minimum levels of NATOs official languages (English/French): V (Advanced) in one; and I (Beginner) in the other.

NOTE: Most of DIANAs work is conducted in the English language.

DESIRABLE

The following would be considered an advantage:

• Advanced university degree in a relevant discipline.
• Knowledge of NATO institutional framework policies and procedures.
• Project management qualification e.g. PMP APMQ PRINCE II or similar certification/equivalent experience as a project manager.
• Experience in risk management and analysis and costing risk.
• Experience with data analytics and data visualisation.
• Experience in providing guidance and mentorship to junior staff interns and students.

4. WHAT WE OFER

• Genuinely meaningful work as a part of the newest unit within the most successful alliance in history.
• Taxfree salary.
• Household and childrens allowances and privileges for expatriate staff including expatriation and educational allowances (where applicable) and additional home leave.
• Excellent private health insurance scheme.
• NATO pension scheme.
• Generous annual leave of 30 days plus official holidays.
• Flexible working conditions and a smokefree office in Halifax.
• Opportunities for learning and development.

The incumbent is required to be a resident in the host nation for the duration of their contract. DIANA has a flexible teleworking policy to permit working in office at home and across NATO Allied Nations subject to managerial approval. In accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations the successful candidate will receive a definite duration contract of three years which may be followed by an extension.

If the successful applicant is seconded from the national administration of one of NATOs member States a 3year definite duration contract will be offered which may be renewed for a further period of up to 3 years subject to the agreement of the national authority concerned. The maximum period of service in the post as a seconded staff member is six years.

NOTE: Irrespective of previous qualifications and experience candidates for twingraded posts will be appointed at the lower grade. Advancement to the higher grade is not automatic and will not normally take place during the first three years of service in the post.

Appointment will be subject to receipt of a security clearance (provided by the national Authorities of the selected candidate) and approval of the candidates medical file by the NATO Medical Adviser.

Applicants who are not successful in this competition may be offered an appointment to another post of a similar nature albeit at the same or a lower grade provided they meet the necessary requirements.

NOTE: DIANA will not accept any phase of the recruitment and selection prepared in whole or in part by means of generative artificialintelligence (AI) tools including and without limitation to chatbots such as Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer (Chat GPT) or other language generating tools. DIANA 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 DIANAs sole discretion and DIANA reserves the right to take further steps in such cases as appropriate.

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