Senior Procurement Assistant

Senior Procurement Assistant-251118 

Primary Location

 United Kingdom-London

NATO Body

 Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA)

Schedule

 Full-time

Application Deadline

 10-Aug-2025, 9:59:00 PM

Salary (Pay Basis)

 : 4,191.57Pound Sterling (GBP) YearlyGrade NATO Grade G10-G12 

Description

:  

1.    OVERVIEW OF DIANA
The Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) is NATO’s newest body. From across the Alliance, DIANA will bring together innovators and operational end users to foster a transatlantic ecosystem supporting dual-use ground-breaking innovation in deep technologies.  
DIANA is an independent NATO body comprised of an Allied Board of Directors and an executive management team - the DIANA Executive (DX). Operating out of regional offices in Europe and in North America, the DX will conduct DIANA’s mission: accelerating deep tech, dual-use solutions to critical transatlantic challenges in defence and security. The DX will use Challenge Programmes in line with a published Strategic Direction, as the primary vehicle to accomplish this mission. DIANA is a dynamic, agile and hybrid workplace, which strives for innovation, diversity, and excellence. In order to achieve these aims, DIANA is committed to providing our people with an environment that is positive, inclusive, and collaborative.

2.    OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE
The Senior Procurement Assistant works in the DIANA Executive, Office of the Financial Controller (DX OFC). The DX OFC is responsible for the management of financial and budgetary control systems for all of DIANA.  
As custodians of member Nations’ funds, DX OFC provides reliable and transparent financial and procurement services in support of DIANA’s mission and objectives. It works to comply with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and other best practices, including robust risk management.  
Reporting to the DX Financial Controller, the Senior Procurement Assistant supports DX OFC in the development and implementation of DIANA-specific financial and procurement processes, policies, and standard operating procedures. They work closely with the Procurement & Contracts Officer.

Reporting to the Financial Controller duties of this role include:

•    Assisting with day-to-day administration processing purchase requests and ensuring that invoices are paid in a timely manner 
•    Assisting in performing budget execution and monitoring the obligations incurred and the actual expenditure of funds by analyzing monthly department budgeting and accounting reports.
•    Serving as the primary point of contact for enquiries from vendors and suppliers via phone and email 
•    Contributing to the maintenance, update and improvement of the Information and Knowledge Management tools and platforms, team workflows, and taskings. 
•    Maintaining and updating files and archives within the compliant framework of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and other best practices, including robust risk management. 
•    Contributing to the preparation of reports and providing fiscal and budgetary data. 
•    Staying informed on upcoming activities, including procurement actions, status of contracts, negotiations, and document preparation.
•    Maintaining an effective follow-up and/or reminder system for outstanding actions and control activities of the OFC and/or DX team to ensure proactive compliance and mitigation of issues. 
•    Assisting in analyzing and reviewing financial requests, undelivered orders and historical and audit data for accuracy and completeness
•    Assisting in the preparation and reconciliation of payments and orders and compiling fund status information for internal and external briefings and reports. 
•    Assisting in the organization, preparation, and execution of meetings or events.
•    Performing any other related duties as may be required.

 
ROLE REQUIREMENTS, QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL
The incumbent must have:
•    Possess higher vocational training in a relevant discipline with 2 years procurement-related work experience, OR secondary educational qualification with 4 years procurement-related work experience
•    Experience with procurement processes and financial workflows, such as creation of purchase requisitions, vendor selection, contract management, invoice processing and payment tracking
•    Have proven organizational and coordination skills, in particular the ability to work on own initiative, independently manage multiple requirements simultaneously, and produce quality results on time 
•    Demonstrated commitment to and experience in customer service
•    Proficiency in using Microsoft 365 or similar standard productivity software (in particular MS Excel and MS Outlook, or equivalents) 
•    Possess the following minimum levels of NATO’s official languages (English/French): V (“Advanced”) in one; and I (“Beginner”) in the other.  

NOTE: Most of DIANA’s internal work is conducted in the English language. 

DESIRABLE 

The following would be considered an advantage: 
•    A bachelor’s degree in finance or business administration
•    12+ months experience working in an international organization or international environment
•    Proficiency in using Enterprise Resource Planning tools (e.g. SAP, Oracle, Workday) or similar digital platforms/tools 
•    Hands-on experience (intermediate level) with communication and knowledge management tools (such as MS Teams and MS Sharepoint or similar applications)
•    Experience working in a start-up and/or innovative environment
•    Knowledge of NATO institutional framework, policies and procedures.

3.    WHAT WE OFFER

•    Genuinely meaningful work as part of the newest unit within the most successful alliance in history.
•    Tax-free salary.
•    Household and children’s allowances and privileges for expatriate staff including expatriation and educational allowances (where applicable) and additional home leave.
•    Excellent private health insurance scheme.
•    NATO pension scheme.
•    Generous annual leave of 30 days plus official holidays.
•    Flexible working conditions and a smoke-free office in London.
•    Opportunities for learning and development.

The incumbent is required to be a resident in the host nation for the duration of their contract. DIANA has a flexible teleworking policy to permit working in office, at home, and across NATO Allied Nations subject to managerial approval. In accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations, the successful candidate will receive a definite duration contract of three years, which may be followed by an extension.

If the successful applicant is seconded from the national administration of one of NATO’s member States, a 3-year definite duration contract will be offered, which may be renewed for a further period of up to 3 years subject to the agreement of the national authority concerned. The maximum period of service in the post as a seconded staff member is six years.

NOTE: Irrespective of previous qualifications and experience, candidates for twin-graded posts will be appointed at the lower grade. Advancement to the higher grade is not automatic and will not normally take place during the first three years of service in the post.
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 NATO Medical Adviser.

Applicants who are not successful in this competition may be offered an appointment to another post of a similar nature, albeit at the same or a lower grade, provided they meet the necessary requirements.
  
NOTE: DIANA 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. DIANA 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 DIANA’s sole discretion, and DIANA reserves the right to take further steps in such cases as appropriate.

For more information on DIANA, please visit our website.