View Vacancy - UKDEL Political Officer Internship (BEL20.316)

The United Kingdom’s Joint Delegation to NATO is the vital link between the UK Government and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Its principal roles are to promote British interests in NATO and to keep UK Ministers and Government Departments informed about NATO discussions and is now looking for a Political Officer Intern for the UK Delegation to NATO in Brussels (UKDEL).

NATO is the world’s most successful military alliance, and has been at the heart of the United Kingdom’s defence for 70 years. The United Kingdom's Joint Delegation to NATO is the link between the UK Government and the NATO. The Delegation’s principal roles are to promote British interests in NATO and to keep UK Ministers and government departments informed about NATO discussions. Its work is valued highly by FCO and MOD Ministers alike.

The successful candidate will help to represent the UK in the world’s most successful political-military alliance by delivering UK objectives as part of the UK Delegation’s political team, who deal with NATO’s security policy and partnerships across the world, including the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

Roles and responsibilities

• The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is the bedrock of the UK’s defence and security. It is undergoing its most significant changes since the Cold War to meet new and more assertive threats in an increasingly complex and uncertain world. The UK plays a highly respected leadership role in the Alliance. The growing threat to the international order, and NATO’s increasing political weight and breadth of engagement, is also strengthening the Alliance’s importance to the UK’s foreign policy;
• The United Kingdom’s Joint Delegation to NATO (UKDEL NATO) is the vital link between the UK Government and NATO Headquarters. Its principal roles are to promote British interests in NATO and to keep UK Ministers and Government Departments informed about NATO discussions. The Delegation is looking for a Political Officer Intern for six months, with the possibility of extension;
• The pace and range of work are increasing. The delegation is a busy team, a mixed community of UK diplomats, Ministry of Defence civilians, military officers and locally-hired employees, operating at a high tempo in a challenging multilateral environment. But it is also a supportive and happy workplace, with a strong focus on learning and development and upholding values of respect, integrity, fairness and inclusivity;
• As with all jobs in the Delegation, we promote an adaptable and responsive approach, which means the jobholder will need to be ready to adapt their focus to deal with changing circumstances and priorities. The jobholder will be a strong team player. Working in a large and diverse mission, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in cross-team issues, and the job holder will be expected to make an active contribution to supporting the effectiveness and wellbeing of the UK delegation and its people, based on their particular interests and experience. We can ensure that it will be fast moving and enjoyable, with plenty of scope for policy development and delivery;
• This internship will expose the successful candidate to a combination of multilateral policy work at the centre of a busy diplomatic mission, crisis response, and core office management tasks. The UK Delegation is joint – it reports directly to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). The job holder will therefore gain experience of working with civilian and military personnel and have the opportunity to build key Civil Service skills. The position also offers unique insight into the UK’s relationship with NATO – the cornerstone of our security;
• This successful candidate will quickly master a complex and rapidly changing international brief and work on a range of UK activities, initially as part of the political team supporting day-to-day negotiations at the Headquarters. In the second half of their term they will assist with the annual NATO Crisis Management Exercise, a major event in the Alliance’s calendar involving all Allied delegations and the NATO HQ staff. The role will also provide essential administrative assistance and resilience to Delegation teams, as necessary. Please note these plans may shift depending on resourcing in the coming months, and you may also be called to fill in for colleagues at short notice.   The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has a strong culture of learning and development, in which the delegation plays a full part. See below for details;
• As a political officer you will prepare for committee meetings, write reports and advise officials in London and the UK’s global diplomatic network (10% of time), represent the UK in negotiations with Allies (25% of time), support UKDEL procedure/Crisis Exercise lessons learned process (20% of time, rising in the second half), and provide administrative assistance to Delegation teams, as required (25% of time).

Please note: Due to COVID restrictions, the successful candidate may need to work some of the time from home, dependent on local conditions in Brussels.

The UK government is an equal opportunities employer. However, due to security requirements, electronic devices are not permitted in NATO workspaces and certain assistive technologies and IT therefore may not be suitable for this role. We will consider requests on a case-by-case basis and make every effort to accommodate reasonable adjustments.

Everyone has at least five days each year for development, and there is great scope to take up specific learning in different forms: there are team away days, opportunities for on-the-job learning, training courses, and longer-term development. French classes are organised regularly, and a range of other masterclasses and presentations are offered, e.g. on prioritisation, stress management and policy issues. Staff have access to the FCO’s Diplomatic Academy which provides in-depth learning and knowledge on a wealth of different subjects and skills up to diploma level.

• Fluency in English (written & spoken) - C1 or above;
• Keen interest in current affairs and international relations;
• Strong written and oral communication skills;
• A Levels and/or 2 years of work experience;
• Strong focus on customer needs and stakeholder management;
• Ability to build relationships face to face and remotely;
• Proficient user of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Outlook).