VACANCY NOTICE
Head, Experimentation and Rapid Adoption Division )
Primary Location: Italy-La Spezia
NATO Body: Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE)
Schedule: Full-time
Application Deadline: 1 March 2026
Salary (Pay Basis): 9,766.81 EUR (Monthly)
Grade NATO SSS Grade G22 (ABCL A5)
Clearance Level NS
Appointment will be subject to receipt of a NATO SECRET security clearance (provided by the national Authorities of the selected candidate) and approval of the candidate’s medical file by the CMRE Medical Adviser.
POST CONTEXT
This is a position within the Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE), an organization of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
CMRE is an established, world-class scientific research and experimentation facility that organizes and conducts scientific research and technology development, centred on the maritime domain, delivering innovative and field tested Science & Technology (S&T;) solutions to address defence and security needs of the Alliance.
As per the STO Charter, CMRE operates under a Customer Funding Regime, whereby customers are charged the direct costs of the services provided plus an overhead to cover general and administrative expenditures, recuperation of capital investments (if applicable) and the Centre operating and running costs. Customers are comprised of NATO bodies, NATO Nations and other parties consistent with NATO policy.
The position is within ERA Division. The Head of ERA Division directs the Centre’s Experimentation & Rapid Adoption activities. The incumbent will lead the design, experimentation, and delivery phases of new capabilities, ensuring that emerging technologies are rapidly validated and successfully integrated for operational use. The division provides strategic leadership across operational experimentation and exercises, leveraging mission engineering, wargaming, modelling and simulation, analysis & assessment, MVP development and leading to rapid adoption and exploitation by the operational community. The Division identifies and transitions the most promising outputs of research and engineering for exploitation by operational stakeholders, accelerating the pathway from evidence to adoption for NATO and Allied customers. The Head of the Division will ensure a user centric agile approach working with HQ, ACT, ACO and the nations to meet their urgent and evolving operational needs.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES
The incumbent’s duties are:
- Under the guidance of the HOO and working in close collaboration with EITD, RD, MAROPs, the PMO and support divisions, work to solve the needs of requirements holders in ACO, ACT, HQ, other NATO bodies, COEs, Nations and partners through the rapid exploitation and adoption of Centre expertise and capabilities developed by or resident in the EITD, RD and MAROPs divisions.
- Translate Centre strategy into a focused ERA roadmap with measurable objectives, delivery milestones and clear adoption outcomes that prioritise rapid operational impact.
- Maintain end‑to‑end responsibility for ERA’s portfolio—intake, prioritisation, resourcing and benefits tracking—while operating a continuously updated Operational Needs Backlog that captures sponsor requirements, capability gaps and adoption priorities; use the backlog to link ERA activities directly to tangible operational stakeholder needs, drive prioritisation in cross‑Centre resource negotiations, and ensure every Operational Experimentation, pilot or product roadmap maps to a validated operational requirement.
- Ensure all Operational Experimentation is user‑centric through continuous involvement with the operational community and hypothesis‑driven by enforcing experiment design, interoperability, integrated mission engineering, war gaming and measurement plans that produce decision‑grade evidence.
- Define transition frameworks, MVP roadmaps, pilot governance and adoption pathways that convert validated prototypes into interoperable, sustainable capabilities for NATO and Allied users.
- Participate to CMRE decision boards.
- Ensure ERA activities meet NATO security, accreditation, export control, H&S; and host‑nation regulatory requirements; own operational risk, accreditation readiness and mitigation plans for Operational Experimentation and transitions.
- In coordination with the heads of divisions, lead and sustain relationships relevant to their portfolio with key stakeholders such as the military community, HQs, ACT, ACO, NCIA, DIANA, NSPA, Nations, industry and academia to secure sponsorship, align requirements and create clear adoption pathways.
- Build and sustain internal relationships with EITD, RD, MAROPS, PMO and the support divisions to ensure identification and transition of capabilities to deliver operational solutions while ensuring that the transition process does not negatively impact their baseline and ongoing activities.
- Ensure capability handover into acquisition or operational units by ensuring the right level of maturity across the DOTMLPFI spectrum.
- Recruit, mentor and performance‑manage ERA staff; embed continuous improvement, lessons learned and agile delivery practices across the division.
- Oversee ERA budget and forecasts, control spending in partnership with Finance and PMO, and ensure customer‑funded activities are delivered within agreed commercial terms.
- Represent the Centre externally on ERA matters, act as senior sponsor for high‑impact Operational Experimentation and adoption initiatives, promote ERA outputs to operational stakeholders, and act as the business development lead for ERA related activities, closely supported by PMO and in coordination with the Head of Operations.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AND ADDITIONAL DUTIES
a. Flexibility Clause
The incumbent may be required to perform other related duties in other parts of the organisation as directed.
b. Deployment/Travel
The incumbent may be required to participate in trials, exercises or Temporary Duty (TDY) assignments within and outside NATO boundaries.
c. Certifications
The incumbent needs to hold a fit for sea certificate in line with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Labour Organization (ILO) standards before taking up duty.
ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS
Education/Experience
Minimum requirements for education and experience:
• Master’s degree at a nationally recognized/certified University in engineering or scientific related fields and 10 years post-related experience.
10 years’ senior level leadership experience in one or more of the following:
- product development
- rapid adoption
- military exploitation of advanced technology
- innovation management
Proven experience leading multi-disciplinary teams and managing complex projects deliveries and spending
Language Requirements
A thorough knowledge of one of the two NATO languages, both written and spoken, is essential and some knowledge of the other is desirable.
English SLP 4444
NOTE: Most of the work of CMRE is conducted in the English language.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Experience
- Familiarity with Agile, DevOps, business development, and product management environments.
- Familiarity with the conduct of operations, operational experimentations and exercises with advanced technological capabilities.
- Experience in multi-national environments and industry.
- Knowledge of NATO procedures and regulations.
ATTRIBUTES/COMPETENCIES
Personal attributes
- Strategic thinking, leadership, and stakeholder engagement.
- Strong analytical and decision-making skills.
- Excellent communication and organizational abilities.
All CMRE personnel are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the current NATO Code of Conduct agreed by the North Atlantic Council (NAC), and thus display the core values of integrity, impartiality, loyalty, accountability, and professionalism.
REMARKS
The duties are mostly performed in an office environment, but the incumbent may be required to work on board a vessel. This is a post in which turnover is desirable for technical reasons.
HOW TO APPLY:
Applications are to be submitted using the NATO Talent Acquisition Program (NTAP)
Applications submitted by other means are not accepted. NTAP allows adding attachments. Essential information must be included in the application form. Particular attention should be given to Education and Experience section. Each question should be answered completely. Expressions such as “please see annex / enclosed document” or invitations to follow links to personal webpages are not acceptable and will be disregarded. All answers should be in English preferably, or French.
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