Innovation and Experimentation Manager

Role ID – SA RFP JATEC 04-26

Role Duties and Responsibilities

• Support NATO–Ukraine Innovation and Experimentation Activities, including:
• Supporting execution and documentation of innovation challenges and experimentation events;
• Compiling results into evidence packages;
• Drafting governance arrangements, roles, responsibilities, meeting rhythm, and basic SOPs;
• Preparing stakeholder linkage plans covering relevant NATO, Ukrainian, and national innovation pathways;
• Preparing briefs, reports, and presentations related to innovation activities;
• Coordinating event execution;
• Develop and Maintain the Testing and Demonstration Mechanism. The Contractor shall support development of a repeatable mechanism for coordinating testing and demonstration of candidate solutions in support of Ukraine, where feasible and authorized. This includes:
• Developing and updating the testing roadmap;
• Defining test objectives, prioritization logic, metrics, and data-capture approach;
• Drafting and maintaining the testing and demonstration SOP;
• Preparing templates, checklists, test cards, and reporting formats;
• Compiling approved movement, import/export, or process-support checklists without providing legal determinations;
• Consolidating materials into a version-controlled coordination package;
• Support Experimentation and Analytical Activities, including:
• Supporting experimentation planning and documentation;
• Capturing objectives, conditions, observations, lessons identified, and recommendations;
• Packaging experimentation results into decision-support products;
• Supporting preparation of wargaming outcome reports based on SME inputs;
• Developing synchronization assessments across testing, experimentation, and innovation outputs.
• Coordinate Stakeholders, Schedules, and Inputs. The Contractor shall coordinate stakeholder inputs and schedules necessary to deliver the required outputs. This includes:
• Coordinating with JATEC elements, Ukrainian stakeholders, NATO bodies, national pathways, and SMEs as directed;
• Supporting recurring coordination meetings;
• Maintaining action trackers, decision logs, and issue trackers;
• Ensuring stakeholder inputs are captured and reflected in deliverables;
• Supporting alignment with the JATEC project calendar and relevant milestones;
• Support Events, Workshops, Demonstrations, and Meetings. The Contractor shall support planning, execution, and follow-up for events required to produce the SOW deliverables. This includes:
• Workshops; pitch days; - testing and demonstration events; experimentation activities; wargaming-related sessions; NATO Ukraine coordination meetings; stakeholder synchronization sessions;
• Maintain Workflow Traceability and Project Artefacts. The Contractor shall maintain an auditable workflow showing traceability from demand signal through assessment, testing, experimentation, and decision-support outputs. This includes:
• Maintaining relevant project artefacts in the approved JATEC toolset;
• Linking stakeholder inputs to outputs and recommendations;
• Ensuring deliverables are version-controlled and professionally formatted;
• Maintaining briefs, reports, SOPs, trackers, templates, evidence packages, and closeout materials
• Produce Periodic Reports, Lessons Identified, and Close-Out Products. The Contractor shall prepare required progress, synchronization, lessons identified, and close-out reporting products. This includes:
• Monthly progress reports;
• Quarterly stakeholder synchronization briefs;
• End-of-year summary reports;
• End-of-contract close-out reports;
• Identification of risks, issues, dependencies, lessons, and recommended follow-on actions.

Essential Skills, Experience and Certifications

• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in defence, security, government, international organization, military, innovation, experimentation, capability development, or programme/project support.
• Minimum 3 years of experience supporting innovation, experimentation, testing, demonstrations, trials, capability assessment, operational analysis, or emerging technology activities.
• Experience working in a NATO, military, Ministry of Defence, multinational, international security, or comparable stakeholder environment.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating multiple stakeholders, including technical experts, operational users, programme staff, and senior decisionmakers.
• Demonstrated experience producing professional staff products such as reports, briefings, SOPs, trackers, templates, evidence packages, or analytical summaries.
• Demonstrated experience supporting events such as workshops, working groups, demonstrations, exercises, wargames, trials, or stakeholder coordination meetings.
• Native English language speaker or individual presenting very good command of spoken and written English, with a proven ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, supported by certification.

Working Location

• Bydgoszcz, Poland

 Working Policy

• On-site

Travel

• Some travel to other NATO sites may be required

Security Clearance

• Valid National or NATO Secret personal security clearance