YPP, Operations Research and Analysis

NATO•Lisbon, MA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Young Professionals Programme (YPP) is a global three-year program designed to accelerate international careers within NATO. Participants will experience the frontline of a political and military alliance, fostering personal and professional development in a diverse and inclusive work environment. The program aims to ensure NATO can respond with unity and strength to growing dangers, build stronger defenses, harness new technologies, leverage partnerships, and contribute to fighting terrorism and instability. This specific path focuses on Operations Research and Analysis, offering participants the chance to apply their knowledge and skills across different NATO bodies and locations.

Requirements

National of a NATO member state.
Master’s degree.
At least one year of professional experience.
Master’s degree in the field of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) or in a scientific discipline including at least one statistics-based module.
Any other degree that you believe can be useful to the area of Operations Research and Analysis – let us know how your knowledge and skills can be applied!

Nice To Haves

Academic knowledge or professional experience in the fields of data science, Artificial Intelligence (AI), or Operations Research and Analysis.
Understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data science, including but not limited to technology and policy matters, particularly as applicable to security and defence.
Experience of applying mathematical and/or statistical techniques to complex problems in support of research or technology studies.
Ability to apply standard Operational Research techniques to include statistical analysis, mathematical modelling, project management, simulation, linear programming and other analytical techniques.
Experience of conducting an independent research/analysis project delivering a research/analysis report, ideally in a team and in a workplace context.
Experience in writing policy reports on technology topics, preferably in the areas of AI and data.
Genuine interest in Technology Innovation topics in international and multi-disciplinary contexts.
Experience with at least one data analysis tool (such as Power BI, MATLAB, KNIME, Python), preferably in the context of a project.
Experience with Natural Language Processing, machine learning engineering, or computer vision.
Experience with DBMS (e.g. MSSQL) and knowledge of SQL.
Experience in using application programming interfaces (APIs).
Knowledge of and experience in applying data-mining techniques.
Experience with project management and project-management tools.
Previous experience of working or conducting studies within military organizations.
Knowledge of NATO, its agenda, policies, military posture, and/or partnerships.
Prior professional experience or internship with other international organizations, national administrations, or the research or tech industries.
Any additional training/certification(s) related to Operations Research and Analysis, cyber defence and emerging technologies and project or program-management certification.
A curious and innovative mindset.
Strong analytical and drafting skills.
Proactivity, a can-do attitude and a willingness to learn and share information.
Teamwork, excellent communication, facilitation and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

Conduct operational analysis/operations research activities for significant capability development programmes, selecting appropriate techniques to deliver analysis reports and presentations to support decision making.
Developing, implementing and promoting the use of data science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in support of NATO policy development and NATO’s digital transformation.
Working on data-science projects that contribute to better decision-making and multi-domain military operations.
Working on data fusion and analysis for the extrapolation of data sets to contribute to the decision-making process with respect to complex and interrelated programmes.
Researching and employing research and analysis techniques (e.g. modelling, simulation, war gaming, Analyses of Alternatives).
Supporting the development of joint analysis of operations, training, exercises and experiments, based on technical requirements defined within the NATO enterprise.
Constantly scouting for new ideas, adoption of innovation and technological developments of relevance to the Alliance.
Coordinating and collaborating with stakeholders across NATO, Allies, partners and industry in support of achieving Allied objectives.
In-depth study of military experiences through direct engagement with military officers and experts in research interviews and workshops.
Informing the Strategic Level about the military implications of technological innovation.
Conducting information flow analysis within NATO Command and Force Structure elements to determine information exchange and subsequent interoperability requirements.
Contributing to the C3 Domain within NATO’s Defence Planning Process.
Developing and implementing data-mining and data-warehousing programs.
Programming custom data-analysis and mining programs for using NATO data.
Automating the measurement of cybersecurity KPIs.
Automating the calculation of cybersecurity risk metrics for the NATO IT ecosystem.
Researching new trends within the areas of responsibilities of data science and Operations and Research.