Staff Officer

1. POST CONTEXT

SHAPE is NATO's strategic military headquarters for Allied Command Operations. It supports the Supreme Allied Commander Europe by helping NATO monitor security developments, plan responses, and direct operations.

The Operations Directorate tracks current operations and possible crises, supports operational planning, and provides assessments to NATO leadership.

The J2 Division provides intelligence advice, warning, and situational awareness to SHAPE leadership and Allied Command Operations.

The Geospatial, Meteorological and Oceanographic Branch within J2 is responsible for NATO's use of geographic, weather, and oceanographic information across operations and activities.

The post holder will manage NATO's Core GIS-based Common Intelligence Picture, also known as CIP/Red Spider. This shared digital picture combines location‑based intelligence, geospatial data, and weather and ocean information. The role is responsible for developing, maintaining, and improving this system so that it can be accessed and shared effectively across NATO.

2. PRINCIPAL DUTIES

• Manage the ACO Common Intelligence Picture, known as CIP/Red Spider. Oversee day‑to‑day development, maintenance, and improvement of the system.
• Identify and coordinate data requirements. Work with intelligence, command and control, geospatial, meteorological, oceanographic, and other data owners to identify what information is needed in CIP/Red Spider.
• Ensure relevant data is available, usable, and properly integrated. Support the collection, ingestion, discovery, and use of location‑based data from multiple NATO systems and communities.
• Prioritize operational requirements. Work with J2 leadership, data owners, users, and other stakeholders to decide which improvements and data needs are most important.
• Manage data access and governance. Ensure the right users can access the right data, while maintaining appropriate data access controls and procedures.
• Coordinate technical improvements and system interoperability. Work with technology providers, CoreGIS staff, NCIA, and other technical teams to ensure CIP/Red Spider uses current GIS technology and remains interoperable with NATO systems.
• Coordinate the people and organizations supporting the project. Bring together staff from ACO, NCIA, working groups, data providers, and other stakeholders to keep the project on track.
• Support exercises and operational readiness. Ensure CIP/Red Spider is properly included in NATO exercises, with the required data available and aligned for exercise use.
• Contribute to future capability development. Provide input to plans, requirements, capability packages, policies, doctrine, and future intelligence, geospatial, meteorological, and oceanographic systems.
• Manage stakeholder engagement, budgets, and project risks. Liaise with NATO nations, NATO bodies, data communities, and relevant authorities; coordinate budget matters; and help identify and resolve issues affecting project success.

3. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

The incumbent may be required to deploy in support of military operations and exercises, or undertake TDY assignments within or outside NATO boundaries for up to 180 days. The role may require performing similar duties elsewhere in the organization at the same grade.

4. ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience as a Geospatial Staff Officer or Civilian Equivalent.
• Strong understanding of GIS technologies, systems, data‑and‑metadata governance.
• Strong Intelligence Background (ideally INTEL SO qualification), systems, functions, data, processes.
• Broad understanding of METOC related issues (INTEL‑related; e.g. served in GEOMETOC functions).
• Strong understanding of C2 capabilities and data landscapes.
• Strong experience in requirements management.

Master's Degree (or equivalent) in Geospatial / Geo‑Intelligence; Project management and strategic communication.

University Degree in geography, computer science, management information systems, accounting, economics, finance, business administration, public administration, operations research, project management or related discipline and 4 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 7 years post‑related experience.

English – SLP 3333 – (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing).

5. DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Military Staff experience in Strategic Headquarters at Echelon above Operational HQ and knowledge of the