Work within the YPP
The successful applicants from previous editions have worked in varied and important areas that deliver on the key priorities of the Alliance. This includes positions in project management, engineering, cyber defence, emerging technologies, communications, administration, policy analysis, operation planning and coordination, legal affairs, and financial management. The Young Professionals have brought impressive skills and knowledge to the Alliance, and present real opportunities for NATO to benefit from fresh and innovative perspectives.
Learn about the YPP experience!
We asked Young Professionals about some of their favourite projects and what they have gained from the YPP so far. Read about some of their experiences below.
"I have been able to form a holistic vision of how NATO Headquarters and NATO Agencies work, as well as of the impact that political decisions have in NATO Agencies, their internal structure and governance bodies, and the work of the NATO armaments community."
Silvia - Silvia worked in Defence Investment at NATO Headquarters in Brussels in her first year.
"What I have most enjoyed about the first year is that, thanks to this programme, we have had the opportunity to work on actual content work, and not on purely administrative support tasks. Another very important point for me were all the activities, events and talks that have been organised around the programme and allowed us to obtain a more comprehensive training."
Pablo Garcia Prieto – Pablo worked at the NATO Communications and Information Agency in Brussels during his first year.
"What I enjoyed most in the first year was Allied Command Operations' military culture where respect, collaboration and esprit de corps are highly valued. Through my role as a finance Staff Officer I was able to reconcile NATO's purpose, decision-making process, and activities into a coherent whole."
Miguel L. R. Marchildon – Miguel worked at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium in his first year.
"Among a lot of outstanding projects, I really liked to contribute to the NATO Partnership Symposium, which took place in Geneva and was an outstanding platform bringing together Allies and partners. Working at Headquarters provided me with a lot of valuable insights into the daily work of the Alliance and also with various opportunities to make new friends. A major thing I learned this year is that consensus is not always easy to achieve but remains an important driver for the Organization."
Tobias – Tobias worked in Political Affairs and Security Policy at NATO Headquarters in Brussels in his first year."I really enjoyed the opportunity to support the NATO Support and Procurement Agency Front Office and the General Manager directly, as it gave me great exposure to the senior decision-making processes at the Agency. Also, I learned that moving to a new country and starting a new job for NATO can be an overwhelming experience, but that if you work hard and diligently, you can learn and make a positive contribution quickly."
Nikolay Kolev – Nikolay worked at the NATO Support and Procurement Agency in his first year.
Hear from the managers!
We asked managers participating in the YPP about their experiences so far. Read some of their comments below.
“In the area of Cyber Defence it is difficult to get young talent on board that is knowledgeable on the subject, especially when it comes to the political and strategic level. The Young Professional who joined our section brought a unique combination of cyberspace domain expertise with a political and strategic perspective, which complemented the existing expertise. Specifically, the knowledge on state-of-the-art cyberspace topics provided valuable insights and contributions to the ongoing work strands."
Dr. Patrick Jungkunz, Branch Head, Cyber Defence and Cyberspace Operations, NDS
"The Young Professional strengthened their organisational understanding, finance processes knowledge, approaches to implement positive change and improvements in financial policies, processes, and documentation. NCI Agency Finance remains committed towards such programmes, whereby the organisation is interacting on-the-job with these next generations of professionals, who have in turn the opportunity to increase their professional experience in between NATO bodies."
Cosmin Croitor, Chief, Financial Strategy, Policy, Process and Continuous Improvement, NCIA
"The obvious quality of the Young Professional who worked with us as an employee reflects positively on NATO and makes me proud that I am employed by an organisation that can attract candidates like this. The Young Professional demonstrated very high standards and clearly showed that NATO can benefit by employing from a broader age range. The diversity of perspectives delivered a better quality of work that advanced the Alliance's agenda in key areas. The Young Professional constructively challenged our status quo."
Simon Purton, Section Head (Capability Requirements) - Senior Operations Research Analyst, ACT
"Having a Young Professional as part of the Acquisition team gave us a colleague who is highly educated, high potential, ready to make an impact to NATO and eager to learn fast. This kind of program can create a strong positive loop for the Alliance, increasing the professionalisation of its staff."
Alexandre Vitry, Deputy Chief of Acquisition - Procurement & Policy, NCIA