Head, Experimentation and Rapid Adoption Division

1.   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.

2.   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's 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.

3.    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.

4.    ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

a.    Education/Experience

Minimum requirements for education and experience:

• Master's degree at a nationally recognised/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

b.    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.

5.    DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

a.    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.

6.    ATTRIBUTES/COMPETENCIES

a.   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.

7.    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.

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About Us:

The Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) is part of the NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO).  The mission of the STO is to help position both national and NATO science and technology investments as a strategic enabler and technology advantage for the defence and security posture of NATO Allies and partners. The Centre conducts scientific research and technology development and delivers innovative field-tested S&T solutions to address the defence and security needs of the Alliance. CMRE has more than 60 years of experience and has produced a cadre of leaders in ocean science, modelling and simulation, acoustics and other disciplines, as well as producing critical results and understanding that have been built into the operational concepts of NATO and the Nations.

What we offer:

• Salary (Pay Basis)\:9, EUR) Monthly (Salary value as per 2026. Subject to future adjustments in accordance with North Atlantic Council decisions).

• Grade ABCL grade A5 / NATO grade G22.

• A world class research facility located in the sea port of La Spezia, Italy supported by two specialised research vessels.

• An exciting place in which to work situated at an ideal location, the port of La Spezia, Italy, enabling synergy with regional and global academic institutes and industry.

• Salary and conditions of employment will be in accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations (NCPR), which includes a rewarding salary and a comprehensive system of allowances, supplements and insurances to support families and, in case of expatriated staff, offers an interesting "expatriate" package.

• A generous annual leave and, (where eligible) home leave.\\

• The successful candidate will be offered a three years' definite duration contract which may be renewed for subsequent periods subject to business needs, satisfactory performance and the need to rotate skills and talent within the Organization.

• Applicants who prove to be competent for the post but who are not successful in this competition may be offered an appointment to another post of a similar nature, which might become vacant in the near future, albeit at the same or a lower grade, provided they meet the necessary requirements.

Our recruitment process:

• Please note that we can only accept applications from nationals of NATO member countries.

• Applications (including the most relevant publications, the diplomas - stating the highest level of education - and a CV) for this vacancy are to be submitted using the E-recruitment system;

• Appointment will be subject to receipt of a security clearance (provided by the national Authorities of the selected candidate) and approval of the candidate's medical file by the CMRE Medical Adviser.

Additional information:

• CMRE values diverse backgrounds and perspectives and is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and talented workforce. We welcome applications of nationals from all Member States and strongly encourage women to apply.

• Selected candidates are expected to be role models of integrity, and to promote good governance through ongoing efforts in their work.

For more information on how to apply:
How to apply for posts within NATO
6 tips to apply for posts within NATO

NOTE:

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.