Sociocultural Representative

Spektrum supports apex purchasers (NATO, UN, EU, and National Government and Defence) and their Tier 1 supplier ecosystem with a wide range of specialist services. We provide our clients with professional services, specialised aerospace and defence sales, delivery, and operational subject matter expertise. We are looking for personnel to join our team and support key client projects.

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Who we are supporting 

The NATO Joint Warfare Centre (JWC) is a NATO establishment focused on improving the Alliance’s operational capabilities through training and exercises. Located in Stavanger, Norway, the JWC plays a critical role in preparing NATO forces for future challenges by:

• Training and Exercises
  • Conducting large-scale, joint operational-level training events, simulations, and exercises to enhance interoperability among NATO member nations.
• Doctrine Development
  • Contributing to the development and refinement of NATO doctrines and concepts by providing feedback and insights from exercises and training activities.
• Operational Support
  • Offering expert support to NATO operations, missions, and exercises, ensuring that lessons learned are integrated into future training and planning.

 The JWC supports NATO’s overall strategic objectives by ensuring that its forces are well-prepared and capable of responding to various global threats and challenges.

The program 

To deliver each full exercise cycle the JWC relies heavily on an Exercise Control (EXCON) structure. EXCON staff members are drawn from several backgrounds and units including JWC staff, NATO component commands, Training Audience (TA) Headquarters, Partner Nations and other augmenters’ positions. EXCON has both direction and control functions which allow it to establish the conditions needed by the TA to achieve the exercise aim and objectives. EXCON size and structure is flexible and is shaped to the requirement of each phase of exercise delivery. When it is not possible to fill a position from military sources, the JWC has the option to source a contractor to fill a position. Not all contracted positions are required for each phase of each exercise.

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Role Background

Cultural heritage and behavior of populations is essential to conduct proper planning. To ensure implementation into NATO exercises this SME will be responsible.

Role Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide scientific sociocultural subject matter expertise and advice to assist JWC personnel and TA staffs in understanding the sociocultural implications of operating in a non-western environment.
• Assist EXCON and TA to translate this into exercise content and play.
• Understand and provide recommendations for improvement in the representation of sociocultural elements within the scenario to refine or improve the scenario.
• Assist training audiences with initial planning stages by providing scientific sociocultural subject matter expertise.
• Assist EXCON/GYC personnel in analysing TA produced orders and documentation with regard to understanding the sociocultural implications of the proposed actions and effects. If required, suggest options to resolve discrepancies in orders or COAs to facilitate TA education.
• Provide recommendations and mentoring to EXCON personnel, in particular GYC- members, for improvement in the representation of sociocultural issues in the Area of Operations into the exercise delivery (thereby supporting consistency in exercise content and story lines).
• Be prepared to assist EXCON in the development of scenario documents tailored to the sociocultural situation in the Area of Operations.
• Be prepared to act (role-play) as spokesman of one or more fictitious tribal or ethnic groups or diplomat, as depicted in the exercise scenario; in meetings with the training audience during the exercise, whether face to face, by VTC, phone, email or letter.
• Be familiar with the latest relevant NATO publications

Essential Skills and Experience

• Demonstrate significant experience (i.e. in excess of 3 years in the past 15) of working within the Cultural Social field with practical experience in the required region as described in the Scenario documentation.
• Demonstrate 3 years’ experience in the last 10 in briefing senior leaders/decision makers at the governance level (or NGO equivalent level) in a National or Multinational environment.
• Demonstrate experience of interaction with or working alongside NATO at operational level.

Education

• A Master’s level Degree (or equivalent higher education/experience) in Social and/or Cultural Anthropology (with proven understanding of the field of the sociocultural anthropology)

Language

• Business English

Working Location

• Stavanger, Norway
• Remote work may be requested on an ADHOC per requirement basis

Working Policy

• Each exercise support requirement is anticipated to be 5 to 15 working days per event
• On-Site, unless otherwise specified with up to 12-hour days
• If out of normal hours work is required, this will be requested on a per requirement basis

Travel

• Any associated travel costs to and from your home location to participate in the activity will be covered by Spektrum

Security Clearance

• Valid National or NATO Secret personal security clearance