NATO Internship - International Military Staff, Cooperative Security Division

INFO-SESSION ON THE VACANCY AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS
NATO is organising an info-session webinar on the recruitment process for this programme which will take place on 11/06/2025 at 4pm CET (Brussels time).

 This will be the opportunity for applicants and professionals to gain more insight into 
the steps of the recruitment process and to have the opportunity to ask questions to
Talent Acquisition Service. Some interns and/or former interns will also share their experience of the programme with the audience.

Please register using the following link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HdnqpN5hSDaM-t7JB8lAuQ

Are you eager to learn more about the NATO International Military Staff (IMS) and, in particular about its Cooperative Security (CS) Division?  Are you willing to learn more about NATO’s policies and its associated work with partner nations and international organisations? Are you willing to work in a dynamic work environment with various stakeholders including military and policy staff? Do you have strong drafting skills? Are you keen to work at the heart of the preparations of meetings and activities engaging countries all over the world, as part of the NATO partnership communities? If so, this internship position is for you.

The CS Division is responsible for military contacts and cooperation with partner nations and non-NATO nations, International Organisations (IOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). CS is also responsible for the coordination of all IMS staff work for Committees and meetings in the military domain, with a focus on military cooperation and partnerships

NATO is currently looking for interns in IMS CS Div Cooperation Policy and Programmes Branch (CPP), Policy and Programmes section (P&P) and Military Cooperation Branch (MCB), section East.

The Cooperation Policy and Plans Branch (CPPB) is responsible for Partnership policies and programmes; and partner education, training and evaluations. CPPB leads on the majority of military partnership policy matters, liaising closely with the Political Affairs and Security Policy Division (IS PASP), Operations Division (IS OPS) within NATO’s International Staff and with the Partnerships Directorate at the Strategic Military Headquarters in Mons, Belgium

1.Policy & Programmes (P&P) section is responsible for the following:

a.The Policy and Programmes Section leads on all military partnership policy and programme matters affecting all NATO partners (and potential partners) broadly.

b.The Section is responsible for staffing all Partner applications for participation in NATO education, exercise and training events, and for processing approval all the way through the Military Committee and seeking Council approval, as required.

c. The Section is also responsible for implementing the only IMS-led NATO Partnership tool, the Partnership Staff Post (PSP) Programme, leading policy and operational management of the process by which Partner Countries can nominate military officers to serve in positions throughout the NATO Command Structure.

The Military Cooperation Branch (MCB) is responsible for transforming political guidance for cooperative security into military objectives, which are later on turned into actions and activities carried out by the NATO Strategic Commands.

1.EAST  section is responsible for the following:

a. Military Cooperation programming with the NATO-Partners in the region as well as with other interlocutors and countries such as, PRC, and countries in the South Asia.

b. Coordinating Partner military engagements with/for the NATO International Military Staff, and supporting political engagements with military context.

c.Managing Partners’ expectation and participation in NMA cooperation opportunities through the electronic Partnership Real-time Information Management and Exchange System (ePRIME). 

How the daily work will look like?

Interns will gain an in-depth understanding of NATO partnership policies and detailed insight into the interactions between policy and military staff, and, between strategic political-military headquarters and the NATO Command and Force Structures as the means for delivering military operations to meet political goals. Interns will have the opportunity to participate in policy development work and the processes for delivering operational components of NATO activities.  Interns will have an opportunity to enhance their research, writing, problem solving and communication skills.

Interns may have the opportunity to participate in different NATO MC Working Groups, in which Nations will discuss partners’ related documents. Interns will receive the basic training provided by IMS on the main IM tools, such as HYDI.

The interns will participate in several projects, for example:

- Assist in monitoring progress in development of all the documents related to NATO cooperation with partners: of background briefs, speaking briefs, food-for-thoughts papers and scene setters.

-Draft meeting minutes, reports, decision sheets as well as IMS and MC/NAC memorandums.

- Assist in the coordination of WGs and facilitate the conduct of the MCWGs.

-Assist in the framing of NATO’s overall defence policies as they relate to partnerships and cooperative security.

- Assist in the preparation of papers, checklists and speeches for the use of senior NATO military officers. 

The intern selected for the P&P section will potentially:

- Assist in the coordination and development of thematic engagements and projects between NATO and partners on issues of mutual interest (Climate Change, Maritime Security, AI, countering misinformation, etc.). They will also attend debates and negotiations of current matters affecting the Alliance’s approach to Partnerships and Cooperative Security in the course of preparing for meetings of NATO Ministers (Defence and Foreign Ministers) and/or Summits.

The intern selected for the MCB-East position will support Section Head on Caucasus- (ARM, AZE, GEO), Central Asia-, and MDA-related work strands and in preparation of military advice for a range of meetings including regular meetings and mil-mil staff talks with relevant delegations. This may include:

-Assist in developing and assessing program and documentation related to MC Direction and Guidance primarily for ARM, AZE, and MDA in support of the progression to full implementation of the Individually Tailored Partnership Plan (ITPP) format.

-Support GEO action officer on related matters, as required.

-Support Central Asia action officer on related matters, as required.

What do we offer?

• A 6-month traineeship at NATO Headquarters, in Brussels, starting in March / September 2026. 
• A full-time traineeship (38 hours a week).
• A monthly grant of €1,286.09 and a travel reimbursement upon joining and leaving the organisation.
• Teleworking subject to business requirements.
• A rich programme of activities, attending regular events and participating in meetings with several stakeholders.
• NATO HQ Staff Centre which promotes employee well-being and foster a healthy work environment (click here for more info, special membership price for NATO interns)

Selection Criteria

Please note that you can apply for up to three (3) different vacancies!

Apply until 22 June 2025 at 23.59, Brussels time.

Essential:

The candidate must:

1.       be a national of a NATO member state,

2.       be at least 21 years old,

3.       have at least two years of university level studies OR equivalent education OR be currently a student OR a recent graduate (degree obtained no longer than 12 months ago),

4.       have proficiency in one of the two official NATO languages (English/French).

Desirable:

The following criteria will be considered an advantage:

1.       have a Bachelor's degree or in the final stage of a Master’s degree relevant to the requested area of expertise,

2.       elementary knowledge of the second official NATO language (English/French),

3.       be an advance user of IT tools including Microsoft Office, SharePoint;

4.       previous experience with other international organizations, national administration, research or industry.

Competencies required:

The candidate must demonstrate the following competencies:

·       Achievement: Works to meet standards.

·       Analytical thinking: Breaks down problems and see basic relationships.

·       Clarity and accuracy: Shows general concern for order and clarity, and checks own work.

·       Customer service orientation: Responds appropriately, maintains clear communication.

·       Empathy: Listens actively.

·       Flexibility: Acts with flexibility.

·       Initiative: Reacts to short-term opportunities or problems.

·       Organizational awareness: Understands the Organization’s structure.

·       Teamwork: Cooperates, shares information and knowledge freely, offering support and cooperation.

Our Values:

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 and candidates living with disability to apply.

NATO is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible working environment, where all candidates living with disabilities can fully participate in the recruitment and selection process. If you require reasonable accommodation, please inform us during your selection process. Candidates will be required to provide documented medical evidence to support their request for accommodation.  

Building Integrity is a key element of NATO’s core tasks. As an employer, NATO values commitment to the principles of integrity, transparency and accountability in accordance with international norms and practices established for the defence and related security sector. Selected candidates are expected to be role models of integrity, and to promote good governance through ongoing efforts in their work.

Special Notice:

In order for the Internship Office to assess your eligibility for the Internship Programme, please attach the following documents:

1.       Copy of university qualifications you have completed and/or

2.       Proof of ongoing studies with the dates clearly mentioned if you are still studying.

We prefer that these documents are in one of the NATO official language (English or French). If you don’t have these documents in English or French, please attach a self translation.

Please ensure that all information is complete and accurate before submitting your application.

Please note that the application cannot be updated after the relevant deadline. 

The pool of candidates will be available to all NATO IS / IMS Divisions, Offices and NATO Bodies in case there is a need for a similar profile.

Due to the broad interest in NATO and the large number of potential candidates, telephone or e-mail enquiries cannot be dealt with.

Read more about the Internship Programme, including terms and conditions, and what we offer at our website.

Kindly note that 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.