Contractor Support for Military Partnerships- Partner Capability Development, Innovation, and Interoperability

DEFTEC Corporation; Norfolk (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401K with match

Paid time off

Job summary

DEFTEC Corporation seeks a Contractor Support for Military Partnerships to advance Partner capability development, interoperability, and modernization across NATO collaboration. The role coordinates with HQ SACT and partner nations, supports readiness assessments, and helps craft briefing materials for senior leaders.

The position requires a postgraduate degree, NATO-related experience, and a track record of briefing decision-makers, with travel up to 30 days per year.

Qualifications

• Active NATO Secret Security Clearance is required.
• Experience in foreign/international security, international cooperation, defense or military affairs.
• Experience briefing senior leaders/decision makers (FOGOs or civilian equivalent).
• Demonstrate knowledge of NATO Partnerships, security sector reform, defense planning, and military capability development.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to Partnerships Branch activities in support of NATO partnerships objectives.
• Coordinate with HQ SACT Directorates, ACO/SHAPE, NATO HQ, Partner Nations, and International Organizations.
• Develop and deliver briefings, point papers, speaking notes, reports, and decision-support products for senior officers and external engagements.
• Support policy development, directives, concepts, and procedures related to NATO military partnerships and ACT-level tasks.
• Identify, coordinate, and track ACT activities, programs, exercises, training, and engagement opportunities for Partners.

Skills

Security clearance

Education

Master's degree or higher in international relations or related discipline

Job description

Contractor Support for Military Partnerships- Partner Capability Development, Innovation, and Interoperability

DEFTEC delivers mission-critical solutions through skillfully delivered services and innovative products. We are inspired by our clients' critical missions and driven to provide the most effective solutions to execute their missions, operational challenges, and requirements. Our dedicated, experienced, and talented employees work closely with our clients to ensure the delivery of exceptional services and products.

Position Overview:

The Contractor Support for Military Partnerships- Partner Capability Development, Innovation, and Interoperability serves as a key contributor to the Partnerships Branch's activities in support of NATO's partnerships objectives, acting as a central point of contact for coordination across HQ SACT Directorates, ACO/SHAPE, NATO HQ, Partner Nations, and relevant International Organizations. This role supports Partner capability development by fostering NATO-Partner cooperation, integrating NATO capability development approaches, including alignment with the NATO Defense Planning Process, standardization, and interoperability requirements, into Partner capability plans, Individually Tailored Partnership Programs, and Defense Capacity Building packages, with particular focus on resilience, modernization, and interoperability. The incumbent identifies and analyzes Partner capability requirements and gaps using DOTMLPFI-based analysis, experimentation, wargaming, and lessons learned, while promoting interoperability through engagement with mechanisms such as CWIX-type activities and Federated Mission Networking, and supporting Partner inclusion in ACT innovation, experimentation, and Multi-Domain Operations activities. Additionally, this individual contributes to the development of briefings, policies, and decision-support products for senior leaders, supports Key Leader Engagement preparation, provides analysis on emerging capability areas such as space, cyberspace, and digital transformation, and travels up to 30 days per year to meetings, exercises, and engagements; qualifying candidates hold a postgraduate degree in international relations, security studies, or a related field (or equivalent senior military staff college experience), bring demonstrated experience in international security or defense affairs within NATO or a related international or national defense organization, and have a track record of briefing senior decision-makers.

Job Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the activities, outputs, coordination requirements, and battle rhythm of the Partnerships Branch in support of NATO's partnerships objectives.
• Support the Partnerships Branch as the HQ SACT central point of contact for partnerships-related work strands, including coordination with HQ SACT Directorates, Branches, JJJJs, ACO/SHAPE, NATO HQ, Partner Nations, and relevant International Organizations, as required.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of briefings, point papers, speaking notes, reports, decision-support products, and other staff work for senior officers, decision makers, working groups, and external engagements related to partnerships.
• Contribute to the development, review, refinement, and implementation of policies, directives, concepts, processes, and procedures related to NATO military partnerships, including support to Bi-SC and ACT-level taskings.
• Support the identification, coordination, and tracking of ACT activities, Program of Work, exercises, experiments, training, education, and engagement opportunities open to Partners, ensuring coherence of messaging and alignment with NATO and ACT priorities.
• Support the maintenance of corporate memory, information and knowledge management, lessons identified, document traceability, and quality assurance mechanisms for Partnerships Branch activities.
• Ensure that partnership activities, documentation, and information-sharing
• considerations are coordinated in accordance with applicable NATO security, releasability, and information-management requirements.
• Support Key Leader Engagement preparation and execution, including background papers, engagement strategies, read-ahead material, talking points, engagement reports, and follow-up actions.
• Be prepared to travel to meetings, conferences, workshops, exercises, and other engagements both within and outside NATO's boundaries for up to 30 days per year.
• Perform additional tasks as required by the COTR related to the labor category and within the scope of Partnerships Branch responsibilities.
• Support Partner capability development by coordinating with HQ SACT Capability Development stakeholders, Partner Nations, NATO HQ, ACO/SHAPE, and relevant subject matter experts to foster mutually beneficial NATO-Partner cooperation.
• Support the integration of NATO capability development approaches into Partner capability development activities, ensuring coherence with the NATO Defense Planning Process, NATO standardization, interoperability requirements, and applicable doctrine.
• Contribute ACT inputs to Partner capability plans, Individually Tailored Partnership Programs, Defense Capacity Building packages, and other partnership tools, with particular focus on resilience, interoperability, modernization, and alignment with NATO strategic priorities.
• Support the identification and analysis of Partner capability requirements and gaps using DOTMLPFl-based analysis, concepts, experimentation, wargaming, exercises, lessons learned, and other ACT warfare development processes.
• Promote Partner interoperability through engagement with NATO-led interoperability and capability-evaluation mechanisms, including CWIX-type activities, Federated Mission Networking, data-sharing architectures, and relevant standards development.
• Support the inclusion of Partners, where appropriate, in ACT capability development, innovation, experimentation, Multi-Domain Operations implementation, modelling and simulation, training, and technology exploitation activities.
• Provide analysis and staff support on emerging and cross-domain capability areas, including space, cyberspace, digital transformation, innovation, and other future capability areas relevant to Partner interoperability and military transformation.
• Investigate ways to enhance the Branch's capabilities through the development of new tools, information-sharing mechanisms, and processes.

Required Qualifications:

• Active NATO Secret Security Clearance
• University postgraduate degree (master's or higher) in international relations, international security, international development, military studies (including military technology or operations research), foreign policy, public affairs, political science, or related discipline; or have attended a NATO or national military staff college (OF-3 level or higher)
• Experience working in the field of foreign/international security/international cooperation/defense/military affairs
• Experience working within NATO Enterprise (preferred); or other International Organization (in a Defense or Security-related position); or within a national mission, delegation, or embassy to a 10 (in a Defense or Security-related position)
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of: NATO Partnerships; or security sector reform / defense and security capacity building; or defense planning; or military capability development/ military applications of operations Research.
• Demonstrate experience in drafting for and/or briefing senior leaders/decision makers (FOGOs or civilian equivalent

DEFTEC offers a comprehensive whole-life benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, holiday, paid time off, 401K with a match, life insurance, short/long-term disability, and educational reimbursement. The DEFTEC team comprises professionals who make a difference daily in crucial national security missions. Our leadership knows that this happens by employing a diverse team that is well cared for. Our top priority is our employees, making DEFTEC an ideal workplace.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Please get in touch with [e-mail] if you require reasonable accommodations.

DEFTEC is a Drug-Free Workplace where post-offer applicants and employees are subject to testing for marijuana, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines, PCP, and alcohol when criteria are met as outlined in our policies.

AAP/EEO Statement

DEFTEC Corp is an Equal Opportunity and Affiliate Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type based on actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeedingand medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding),gender, gender identity, and gender expression, religious creed,disability (mental and physical) including HIV and AIDS, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics ), genetic information, age, marital status, civil union status, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, denial of family and medical care leave, arrest record and/or any other characteristic(s) protected by federal, state or local law.

This policy applies to all terms of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities, and general treatment during employment.

Other Duties

Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of the activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, with or without notice.