Liaison Officer of Affected Nation’s to Training Audience HQ

Spektrum supports apex purchasers (NATO, UN, EU, and National Government and Defence) and their Tier 1 supplier ecosystem with a wide range of specialist services. We provide our clients with professional services, specialised aerospace and defence sales, delivery, and operational subject matter expertise. We are looking for personnel to join our team and support key client projects.

Who we are supporting 

The NATO Joint Warfare Centre (JWC) is a NATO establishment focused on improving the Alliance's operational capabilities through training and exercises. Located in Stavanger, Norway, the JWC plays a critical role in preparing NATO forces for future challenges by:

• Training and Exercises
  • Conducting large-scale, joint operational-level training events, simulations, and exercises to enhance interoperability among NATO member nations.
• Doctrine Development
  • Contributing to the development and refinement of NATO doctrines and concepts by providing feedback and insights from exercises and training activities.
• Operational Support
  • Offering expert support to NATO operations, missions, and exercises, ensuring that lessons learned are integrated into future training and planning.

 The JWC supports NATO's overall strategic objectives by ensuring that its forces are well-prepared and capable of responding to various global threats and challenges.

The program 

To deliver each full exercise cycle the JWC relies heavily on an Exercise Control (EXCON) structure. EXCON staff members are drawn from several backgrounds and units including JWC staff, NATO component commands, Training Audience (TA) Headquarters, Partner Nations and other augmenters’ positions. EXCON has both direction and control functions which allow it to establish the conditions needed by the TA to achieve the exercise aim and objectives. EXCON size and structure is flexible and is shaped to the requirement of each phase of exercise delivery. When it is not possible to fill a position from military sources, the JWC has the option to source a contractor to fill a position. Not all contracted positions are required for each phase of each exercise.

Role Background

The fundamental intent of creating a 360 setting/scenario is to mimic all levels of interaction on a global scale. In order to simulate outside actors’ influence on EU/NATO actions, fictitious countries are established, with fictitious forces, that would in the real world have some interest in what the NATO campaign is doing. For example, what happens in SACAURs AOR or in an out of area AOR where NATO forces are involved, can cause ripples effects in other parts of the globe, hereby reflected via the 360 setting. In order to simulate these important interactions and relationships, fictitious forces and actors require separate role players. Those can typically involve a Chief of Defence, local commander or similar command structure representative or equivalent civilian leadership. Since interactions are merely answers or inputs to decision and RFIs, a role player can assume multiple roles to meet the effect of the interactions/exercise play

Role Duties and Responsibilities

• Whilst embedded in Training Audience HQ, provide subject matter expertise in military liaison, and scenario specific understanding, to realistically represent the exercise scenario to the training audience as liaison officer between TA and AN military.
• Act as the focal point for the training audience HQ for interaction with the AN military for all relevant matters during exercise preparation and execution.
• Coordinate responses to TA requests and queries with the rest of the AN military and political representatives to ensure coherent representation of the AN military to the TA HQ.
• Quickly read, digest, analyse and understand the AN military aspects of the situation as depicted in the scenario documentation provided by JWC.
• Understand and provide recommendations for improvement in the representation of AN military matters to refine or improve the scenario.
• Understand exercise and training objectives and ensure their representation of the scenario supports the training audience’s achievement of those objectives.
• Alongside other AN military and political representatives, develop a basic Concept of Operations for the AN military in the conflict. If required, develop and present plans.
• Be prepared to assist JWC in the development of strategic and operational level scenario documents tailored to the training audience and exercise.
• Conduct TA HQ J5 planning tasks alongside the HQ. Assist training audiences with initial planning stages by providing subject matter expertise and scenario representation of all areas of AN military.
• Understand and analyse developing training audience plans and documentation and their impacts on interaction with the AN military.
• In accordance with JWC guidance and management, and with all necessary co- ordination, generate appropriate exercise material to provide a challenging and realistic problem set to the training audience.
• Embed with the training audience during exercise execution to act as AN military liaison officer to the TA HQ. Be prepared to undertake meetings with the training audience during the exercise, whether face to face, by VTC, phone, email or letter.
• Produce agendas, written speaking notes and minutes of meetings in
• support of scenario building, communication/coordination and knowledge management.
• Be prepared to update and amend exercise and scenario documentation during the course of the exercise in order to ensure training objectives continue to be met.
• Monitor training audience activity and output so as to provide timely feedback to JWC Exercise Control staff to amend and adapt the exercise as required.
• Attend daily coordination meetings as dictated by the EXCON battle rhythm and Chief Grey Cell, providing SME advice as required.
• Undertake any other duties as directed by the Grey Cell JWC permanent staff as reasonably expected within the exercise.
• Make solicited recommendations to the JWC Exercise Control team.
• Under JWC guidance and management, be prepared to supply updates to JWC documentation to ensure representation of latest doctrine/TTPs in area of subject matter expertise.
• Provide feedback to JWC permanent staff on request for the improvement of NATO exercise processes.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Demonstrate 3 years’ experience in the last 10 experience in briefing senior leaders/decision makers in a National or Multinational military environment.
• Demonstrate 3 years’ experience in the last 10 of conducting military planning tasks within a nation or international operational level military HQ.
• Demonstrate 3 years’ experience in the last 10 with working in a National or NATO Strategic or Operational Command.
• Must have attained the rank of OF-4 in a national military.
• Demonstrated 3 years’ experience in the last 10 years of experience within an operational military headquarter.

Education

• Evidence of training in military planning throughout military career.

Language

• Business English

Working Location

• Stavanger, Norway
• Remote work may be requested on an ADHOC per requirement basis

Working Policy

• Each exercise support requirement is anticipated to be 5 to 15 working days per event
• On-Site, unless otherwise specified with up to 12-hour days
• If out of normal hours work is required, this will be requested on a per requirement basis

Travel

• Any associated travel costs to and from your home location to participate in the activity will be covered by Spektrum

Security Clearance

• Valid National or NATO Secret personal security clearance