Staff Assistant (Civilian Personnel)

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization; Geilenkirchen; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

NATO is seeking a Staff Assistant (Civilian Personnel) to handle personnel administration for international civilian staff. You will support onboarding improvements, lifecycle automation, and HR programs including staffing, training, and performance management.

Role requires strong English, experience in HR administration, and ability to work in a multinational environment. NATO offers a structured civilian personnel framework and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Higher secondary education or equivalent with 2 years’ experience or secondary with 4 years’ related experience.
• Experience in staff acquisition, performance management, training management, maintaining employee files, conflict resolution, employment law, project management, reporting, verbal communication, administrative writing and employee relations management.
• Experience in personnel administration and personnel management.
• Professional experience in office/general administration practices.
• Experience in application of Personnel Regulations.
• Experience in Employee Performance Management.
• English proficiency essential as the work is conducted in English.

Responsibilities

• Modernizing onboarding processes with automated systems and improved procedures.
• Digitizing employee lifecycle processes to reduce manual effort and improve data management.
• Implementing HR programmes including staffing, training, and employee relations.
• Supporting management with coaching and issue resolution to improve performance.
• Reviewing staff concerns and initiating corrective actions.
• Assisting in special projects and data‑driven reporting.

Skills

Time management

Initiative

Discretion

Teamwork

Innovation

Verbal communication

Administrative writing

Employee relations management

Project management

Conflict resolution

Staff acquisition

Performance management

Training management

Maintaining employee files

Employment law

Reporting skills

German language proficiency

Education

Higher secondary education with vocational training in HR/Business/Law or related field

Secondary education with advanced vocational training in HR/related discipline

Tools

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

SharePoint

Outlook

Job description

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

Job Description - Staff Assistant (Civilian Personnel) (261634)

Schedule

Full-time

Application Deadline

18-Nov-2026, 10:59:00 PM

Salary (Pay Basis)

Grade NATO Grade G10

Description

ABOUT YOU

We are looking for a motivated professional to join our Human Resources Management Division as Staff Assistant (Civilian Personnel). For this role, you will contribute to the efficient execution of all aspects of personnel administration for NATO international civilian (NIC) personnel and advise staff and management. Your key focus will be:

• Contracts of Employment for NATO international civilian personnel
• Employee Performance Management

THE ROLE

In particular, you will be responsible for:

• Modernizing onboarding processes by implementing automated processes and optimizing procedures to streamline new-hire integration and enhance engagement;
• Participating in the digitization and automation of employee lifecycle processes to reduce manual effort, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure accurate data management across Human Resources (HR) systems;
• Implementing Human Resources programmes, including staffing, employment processing, health and welfare benefits, training, records and performance management, safety, succession planning, employee relations, retention, deployments, and personnel transactions;
• Assisting in developing HR solutions and improving manager and employee performance by identifying and resolving issues, providing coaching and counselling, and ensuring compliance with the performance management system;
• Reviewing staff complaints or grievances related to performance and initiating actions to resolve them;
• Assisting in the completion of special projects;
• Assisting in preparing reports, papers, and briefings by collecting, analysing, and summarising data and trends, and supporting special projects;
• Ensuring compliance with international and national legal requirements by studying, anticipating, and enforcing legislation, and advising management on necessary actions;
• Assisting in planning, drafting, and implementing operational plans, policies, and procedures for NATO civilian deployments, providing expert advice on deployment issues and coordinating pre-deployment preparation, training, and out-processing of NATO civilian staff.

YOUR PROFESSIONAL/EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Essential Qualifications

• Higher Secondary education and intermediate vocational training in human resources management, business administration, law, social sciences, or related field, public administration or related discipline which might lead to a formal qualification with 2 years’ experience,
  OR 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 in Staff Acquisition, Performance Management, Training Management, Maintaining Employees Files, People skills, Resolving Conflict, Employment Law, Project Management, Reporting Skills, Verbal Communication, Administrative Writing Skills and Employee Relations Management.
• Experience in personnel administration and personnel management.
• Professional experience in office/general administration practices.
• Experience in application of Personnel Regulations.
• Experience in Employee Performance Management.
• In-depth working knowledge of MS Office Word, and practical knowledge for Excel, Power Point, SharePoint and Outlook programs.
• The work both oral and written, in this post and in this Headquarters as a whole, is conducted mainly in English therefore sufficient English proficiency is essential.

Desirable qualifications

• Experience in an international organization or military environment.
• German language proficiency.

YOUR SKILLS

Time Management: Judgment in prioritizing responsibilities and planning and organizing own tasks to keep suspenses.

Initiative: Own initiative, recommending improvements in office administration policies and procedures.

Discretion: Integrity, discretion and interpersonal sensitivity are called for, as private and personal information is handled.

Teamwork: Strong teamwork skills, working well with others and helping a group reach a common goal.

Innovation: The creation, implementation, or introduction of new ideas or methods that add value and bring about effective change.

WHY TO WORK FOR US?

By joining our organization, you will be part of a multi-national team while working towards NATO`s common goal of safeguarding peace and promoting democratic values for over a billion people. We are committed to fostering a collaborative work environment built on mutual respect and professionalism, where every individual’s work makes a difference and has a meaningful impact on the mission and operation of the Alliance. If this resonates with you, we encourage you to apply.

YOUR TEAM

The Human Resources Management Division is responsible for the provision of consistent, effective, and efficient workforce planning, civilian and military personnel management, talent management, including the management of staff training. The Division manages the Central Processing Centre of the Force.

The Civilian Personnel Branch (CPB) is responsible for full spectrum of civilian HR management activities as required and manages the deployment of civilian staff.

The Civilian Personnel Administration Section is responsible for the complete personnel administration, including payroll and budget administration, for all NATO international civilian personnel.

CONTRACT

Serving civilian members of NATO will be offered a contract in accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations. Newly recruited staff will be initially offered a definite duration contract of three years. Thereafter, an indefinite duration contract might be offered.

SALARY/BENEFITS

Salary values indicated in this vacancy notice are based on NATO`S Single Salary Spine scale;

The salary is tax free including (where eligible) expatriation, family and children's allowances and additional privileges for expatriate staff;

Education allowance for children (where appropriate) and an excellent private health insurance scheme;

Generous annual leave and home leave (if eligible);

Retirement Pension Plan.

TEST/INTERVIEW

The selection process will consist of multiple stages. Candidates shortlisted for further consideration will be contacted by the Recruitment Team and receive detailed information on subsequent steps. The process will conclude with an interview.

NOTE:

NATO will not accept any phase of the recruitment and selection process, 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.