Branch Head (Budgets)

Post Context

Headquarters Allied Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFCNF) provides a resilient, static Joint headquarters to plan, prepare and conduct operations across all domains in peacetime, crisis and conflict, in order to support NATO’s three core tasks, at the Joint Operational level, as directed by SACEUR.

The Finance Directorate (J8) is responsible for all financial management operations and the correct application of all appropriated and non-appropriated funds approved for use by JFCNF.

The Budget Branch is responsible for all budgeting activities to support the JFCNF, Exercises and assigned Operations and Missions. It collects and analyses operational and organisational requirements and prepares respective funding. It prepares the annual budget estimates and monitors and analyses the budget execution.

The incumbent is responsible for executing strategic operational and tactical budgetary and financial planning policy, procedures and direction in support of approved requirements.

Principal Duties:

• Directs and guides the preparation of annual and mission specific financial plans and budget estimates.
• Supports the Deputy Chief of Staff (J8) /Financial Controller in the requirement screening/validation process necessary for the allocation of military budget resources.
• Supports SHAPE in development of the relevant common funded resource plans.
• Supports the Director of Finance/Financial Controller during the screening/approval process of the budget estimates at local/higher headquarters and in front of the nations at the Budget Committee.
• Coordinates and directs budget planning and execution policies and procedures across/between strategic commands and agencies related to operational missions assigned to the Allied Joint Force Headquarters.
• Supports the Director of Finance/Financial Controller, subordinate financial controllers, and Headquarters Chief of Staff, in the regional advisory and control functions during the management of the regional allocations of the military budget.
• Supports the Headquarters in the screening and validation of requirements submitted in preparation of the medium term common funded resource plans.
• Translates requirements into financial resource demands and directs their inclusion into the annual budget estimates and financial plans.
• Allocates approved funds in accordance with generic guidance from the Headquarters Deputy Chief of Staff (J8) and ACO Strategic Level.
• Directs the management, control and monitoring of the execution of all annual budget estimates, including determination and initiation of corrective action as required, and financial resources allocated to the Allied Joint Force Headquarters in support of assigned operations.
• Ensures the proper use of allocated international funds in accordance with the guidance and rules and regulations from NATO financial bodies.
• Identifies and provides solutions to budget execution and financial resource management issues that may jeopardize the successful achievement of Joint Force Headquarters assigned tasks, objectives, and responsibilities.
• Directs, manages and controls the maintenance of accounts and statistics as required by the Financial Controller, Chief of Staff, Commander, Strategic Headquarters and ultimately the nations in the Budget Committee in accordance with regulations and expectations.
• Proactively participates in defining, mitigating and managing the risks within the functional area of responsibility in the Finance.
• Holds legal accountability for financial arrangements.
• Budgetary control authority, on behalf of the Commander and FD/J8, for all assigned HQ and deployed operations and programmes budgets. The incumbent’s decisions will commit NATO and the Command Structure in respect to the allocation and consumption of NATO financial resources and the achievement of NATO objectives.
• Functional area decision authority to include decision making across strategic commands and agencies.
• Holds delegated budgetary control authority for Branch tasks and agencies funded through budget allocations.
• Authority to task and intervene to adjust the day-to-day work priorities of the assigned functional area staff.

Essential Qualifications / Experience:

• University Degree  in finance, accounting, business administration, economics, public administration or related discipline  and 6 years post related experience, or Higher Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training  in that discipline leading to a professional qualification or professional accreditation with 6 years post related and 2 years function related experience.
• Minimum of 8 years experience at a senior financial level in Budgeting, Accounting or Financial Management.
• Minimum of 5 years' successful performance in a related field in a management position which must include at least 3 years of supervisory duties.
• Demonstrated ability in financial analysis and problem solving.
• Familiarity with international public sector accounting and auditing standards..
• Knowledge of governmental budgeting and accounting procedures and practice.
• Minimum of 6 years' experience at a large business or military Head Office/HQ, is required.

Language:

English - SLP 3322 - (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)

Desirable Qualifications / Experience:

• Experience with the NATO Automated Financial System (FinS) and/or Oracle Financials.
• Experience in interpreting, planning and forecasting financial requirements for military missions.
• Master’s degree or equivalent in Business Administration with concentration in Budgeting, Accounting or Finance.
• Chartered status in an Accounting discipline.

Attributes/Competencies:

Personal Attributes:

Analytical skills and a broad experience in NATO budget, finance and funding in order to recommend optimum solutions to a variety of budget-related issues. Independent judgement is required in the analysis of non-recurring and changing issues. The formulation of recommended solutions includes the application and modification of existing procedures, as well as the development of new procedures and directives/supplements. An effective supervision of the budget preparation cycle for the HQ, collocated commands, multinational, operational and JFC HQ budgets, requires the incumbent to have leadership qualities and the ability to foster teamwork. The incumbent should have the ability to analyse all resources necessary to achieve organisational tasks and objectives and assess the impact of the resource requirements on the financial and budgeting processes. The incumbent should show an ability to forecast resource requirements when presented with an operational requirement and should show the ability to determine, analyse and present, the financial resource consequences of achievement of these operational requirements. In this regard the incumbent must possess the ability to integrate resources towards achievement of objectives and tasks and initiate effective plans. The incumbent must be aware of and capable of employing lateral thinking, an excellent communicator and must show an ability to seek out theoretical foundations and apply these towards improving both efficiency and effectiveness of the Branch. Once plans are developed the incumbent must be able to influence senior managers, to OF9 level, to facilitate achievement of tasks and objectives in an efficient and effective manner in accordance with rules and regulations. He/she must be aware of management concerns (management identification) and be able to appreciate and exercise the appropriate controls to ensure that assigned goals are reached within the parameters established by applicable regulations and policy (management control). Possess the ability to motivate, guide, and direct all staff members.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Directs and supervises the work priorities of the branch, providing professional guidance and instruction to assigned staff. Duties include leading and coaching; explaining or demonstrating work functions; counselling and motivating, assigning and reviewing work; ensuring health and environmental safety; maintaining and adjusting work schedules; assessing performance and initiating disciplinary action, and/or implementing new or changed work procedures.

Professional Contacts:

Internal contacts at all managerial levels of the command ranging inclusive of Division Head and up to Chief of Staff level. External contacts include higher headquarters, Budget Committee (BC), BC working groups, other headquarters, including Host Nation Ministerial Representatives. As part of meeting the operational tasks and responsibilities of the Allied Joint Force Headquarters the incumbent will be responsible to develop and maintain contacts, with regard to financial obligations, with partnership Nations through the Force Generation Process. This could include representation on stakeholders’ forums or meetings representing both the HQ and NATO interests. Internal and external contacts are for information, negotiations and discussions.

Contribution To Objectives:

The successful planning and execution of the international budgets are an important contribution to the Command’s objectives. The incumbent plays a major role in this process and the performance impacts on the division, command and region achievements and helps the ACOS (J8) in establishing financial objectives for the Command.

Security Clearance

The successful applicant will be required to apply for and receive a NATO SECRET Security Clearance prior to final confirmation of contract and commencement of employment.

The incumbent may be required to undertake deployments in support of military operations and exercises, and/or TDY assignments, both within and without NATO boundaries. Such operational deployment may exceed 30 days duration up to 183 days in any period of 547 days and may be on short notice. For NATO International Civilian staff, acceptance of an employment contract linked to this post constitutes agreement to deploy in excess of 30 days if required.

Contract

• Serving NATO International Civilian staff will be offered a contract in accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations.
• Newly recruited staff will be offered a three year definite duration contract.

Notes for Candidates

The JFC Norfolk Website gives full details on the eligibility criteria and application processes to be adopted by all candidates.  However, candidates should particularly note:

Please answer each of the pre-screening questions completely in English. Expressions such as: “please see attached CV, please see annex, please see enclosed document, etc” are not acceptable; this is a cause of immediate rejection of the application.

Particular attention should be given to Education and Experience section of your application form, which should be populated with details of your career to date and educational achievements and certifications as they relate to your application.

The candidature of NATO redundant staff at grade G20 will be considered with priority.

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

NATO is committed to diversity and inclusion, and strives to provide equal access to employment, advancement and retention, independent of gender, age, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, cultural background, sexual orientation, and disability. NATO welcomes applications of nationals from all member Nations, and strongly encourages women to apply.

This vacancy will close on 24 July 2025 @ 17:59hrs (EDT)/11:59hrs (CEST).