Chief Customer Officer

Who We Are The NCIA exists for one reason: to ensure the Alliance can communicate securely and reliably, whether in critical political consultations or during complex military operations. We are a key enabler of NATO’s core mission to keep one billion people safe. Our technology and cyber experts power NATO’s digital capabilities. From data-driven decision making and secure networks to resilient operations and mission execution across land, air, sea, cyber and space domains. Our people make this mission possible. Join a team of 3500 civilian and military staff across 30 locations throughout Europe, North America and Asia. The Role Impact As Chief Customer Officer, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring that everything we deliver is guided by a deep understanding of our customers’ needs. This is more than a leadership position - it is a transformational role at the heart of NATO’s digital and operational effectiveness. You will lead the Agency’s customer-facing function, shaping how demand is understood, prioritized, and delivered. By driving a truly customer-centric approach, you will ensure that the Agency focuses on what matters most, aligns resources effectively, and delivers maximum value to NATO missions. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, you will influence strategic direction, bridge customer needs with operational delivery, and help define how NCIA evolves to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing security environment. What You’ll Do • Embody and role model the NCIA culture principles of Customer First, Together and Impact • Lead with the customer at the center of every decision, build bridges across organizational pillars and drive delivery with the ownership and pace the mission demands • Build and lead a cohesive, multicultural and multidisciplinary team, promoting excellence, the highest professional standards and inspiring work environments that enable managers and staff to develop their full potential • Lead the NCIA’s customer engagement model, embedding a customer-first mindset across all functions • Shape and manage the customer demand pipeline, ensuring early engagement and clear prioritization of needs • Translate customer insights into actionable strategies, services, and investment decisions • Oversee customer relationships, service agreements, service support packages, and price proposals • Define and evolve the service strategy, ensuring services are scalable, sustainable, and outcome-focused • Establish and lead prioritization frameworks across competing demands • Lead value-based decision-making, including costing models and benefits realization • Act as Senior User on Project Boards, ensuring delivery aligns with customer outcomes For a full list of duties, please review the job description on the NCIA career site. Who You Are • A senior executive leader with 15+ years (holding a Master’s degree) or 20+ years (holding a Bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in complex organizations • Proven leadership of large, distributed organizations (e.g. 100+ staff across service, support, CX, and analytics functions) • A strong track record of defining and delivering customer strategies aligned to organizational goals • Demonstrated success driving customer-centric transformation and cultural change at enterprise scale • Experienced in shifting organizations from reactive service delivery to proactive, insight-driven engagement • Skilled in designing and operating enterprise customer models, including service, support, and engagement functions • Deep understanding of customer governance, demand management, service performance, and workforce planning • Strong experience using data and analytics to drive customer insights and decision-making • Proven ability to balance competing stakeholder priorities and achieve enterprise-wide alignment • Experience managing large-scale budgets and investment decisions (100M+ EUR) • Strong commercial or mission awareness, with the ability to link customer experience to value or impact • Excellent communication and influencing skills, including experience operating in senior and political environments • Proven experience in managing large, diverse and multidisciplinary teams successfully employing modern, inspirational leadership practices. If you are a strategic leader who thrives in complex environments and is passionate about delivering meaningful outcomes through customer-focused transformation, this is a unique opportunity to shape the future of NATO’s digital capabilities. What Do We Offer? • Genuinely meaningful work as part of the most successful alliance in history • Initial three year contract with a competitive monthly tax-free salary and household and children’s allowances • Privileges for staff including expatriation and home leave (where applicable), as well as education allowances • Excellent private health insurance scheme • Generous annual leave of 30 days plus official holidays • Retirement Pension Plan To learn more about our mission and goals at the NCIA, please visit our website. The NCIA prides itself on being an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment of mutual respect and value uniqueness and differences in gender, gender identity, race, ethnic or cultural origin, age, religion, sexual orientation and physical or neurocognitive ability. Additional details on the conditions of application can be found via the NCIA career site.