Staff Assistant (Health And Safety)

Summary:

Headquarters Allied Air Command (AIRCOM) is the Single Service Command (SSC) responsible for delivering Air and Space Power for Alliance Air operations and missions.

The Support Directorate is responsible for directing, monitoring and coordinating support staff functions.

The Base Support Group (BSG) is responsible for overall support and functioning of HQ AIRCOM. These support functions include Safety and Health support, and all aspects of security support; travel, real life support for all events organised, reprographic services, conference services support, and facilities management. Acts as the Headquarters interface with the Host Nation.

The Staff Assistant (Health and Safety) is responsible for monitoring Environmental, Health and Safety status, assessing related risks, counteracting possible hazards, planning and conducting education and training to enforce Safety & Health and Environmental Protection standards. The incumbent is responsible to COM HQ AIRCOM Ramstein through COS via HQ Base Support Group Commander for monitoring compliance with host nation Occupational Safety & Health (OSH), Environmental Protection and Occupational Hygiene legislation and respective NATO STANAGS and directives.

Main responsibilities:

• The staff member acts as principal staff advisor to the COM HQ AIRCOM Ramstein and his Staff concerning protection and prevention from risks related to chemical, biological and physical hazards and which are not caused by adversarial action.
• Makes recommendations to COS via Support Group Commander and any other persons responsible for occupational safety and accident prevention, with specific regard to:
  • the planning, design and maintenance of social and sanitary facilities,
  • the acquisition of equipment and the introduction of new work processes and materials,
  • the design of workplaces, organization of work processes, nature of working environmental and other ergonomic factors.
• Responsible for planning and conducting education and training efforts to enforce safety and health standards, regulations, and directives that are pertinent to Host Nation Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) laws and regulations, European directives and international rules and guidelines related to OSH.
• Responsible for conducting risk assessments of deployed locations as required and for developing plans to rectify safety and health hazards.
• Supports Force Protection as the Subject Matter Expert in coordination with medical personnel on chemical, biological and physical hazards, e.g. Toxic Industrial Chemicals or Low Level Radiological Radiation.
• Acts as Radiation Protection Officer in accordance with Host Nation (HN) legislation when required.
• Produces policies to address environmental conditions and OSH issues.
• Responsible for coordinating the activities of the HQ AIRCOM safety and health committee.
• Responsible for maintaining safety and health reference library.
• Responsible for maintaining liaison with safety and health experts and agencies of the respective HN and other related authorities.
• Plan, establishes, manages and coordinates a program for accident prevention and investigations throughout HQ AIRCOM.
• Serves as the primary point of contact with external contractors involved with installation and maintenance of new equipment. Recommends changes to reduce hazards in work areas and work processes to ensure compliance with recognized safety standards.
• Works with the Headquarters Occupational Health Physician/Medical Advisor in all health and hygiene prevention activities, where applicable.
• During exercises and operations:
  • Deploys, if required, to advise on minimizing environmental, safety & health risks for HQ AIRCOM and subordinated forces.
  • Issues Safety & Health guidance according to overall or specialized risk assessment in close cooperation with Occupational Health Physician/Medical Advisor, FP/NBC and Provost Marshal.
• Trains/educates and supervises secondary OSH personnel in their OSH related function.
• Conducts safety campaigns as required.
  

Qualifications

Higher Secondary education and completed higher vocational training in occupational health, health and safety or related discipline leading to a formal technical or professional certification with 3 years function related experience, or Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training in that discipline leading to a professional qualification or professional accreditation with 5 years post related experience.

Chartered Safety Engineer in accordance with Host Nation legislation is required.

Professional experience in international OSH, specifically in military organisations is required.

Experience in overseeing, directing, and controlling programmes concerned with safety and occupational health is required.

Organizational, coordination and communication skills are required.

A University Degree in a technical career field or a Higher Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training leading to a professional qualification/accreditation, with 6 years post related and 2 years function related experience, is desirable.

EU compliant certification in the field of Occupational/Environmental Safety & Health is desirable.

Previous staff experience at large HQ, Joint Command, NATO HQ or MOD is desirable.

Wide experience in office communication and information systems is desirable.

Language skills: NATO Standard Proficiency (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)

English 3322 is required, 4444 is preferred.

German language is required, 3333 is preferred.

French 2222 is an asset.

NOTE: The work in this post and in this Headquarters is conducted mainly in English language.

Personal Attributes and Competencies

Personal Attributes: Must be able to adapt to changing tasks and personnel and handle situations with tact to be easily accepted by leadership and staff members, even in situations of conflict. Needs to be capable of quick and efficient continuous practical learning on the job. Good health, resilience and ability to work long hours when required. Must be energetic to cope with the periodical work peaks due to changes in work / organization or legislation.

Professional Contacts: Professional contacts throughout the HQ as well as with external Host Nation authorities and contractors requiring discussion, co-ordination, persuasion, and dealing with complaints. Daily contacts with numerous officers and supervisors of other HQ AIRCOM divisions and branches concerning all Health, Environment and Safety aspects of the HQ. Serves as the primary point of contact with external contractors in the execution and work acceptance. Deals through frequent contacts with external civilian agencies specialised in installations and organisational health issues according to national law.

Contribution to the Objective: The incumbent ensures through the Commander BSG to HQ AIRCOM Ramstein the compliance of all manual labor with host nation and EU Health, Environment and Safety law (HES) and Occupational Hygiene directives by conducting risk assessments as required and developing plans to rectify health and safety hazards.

This post reports to: OAC RZXX 0010 - Commander (Base Support Group) - OF-5.

This post has no direct reports.

Special Requirements

The employee may be required to perform a similar range of duties elsewhere within the organization at the same grade without there being any change to the contract.

The incumbent may be required to undertake deployments in support of military operations and exercises, and/or TDY assignments, both within and without NATO boundaries. Such operational deployment may exceed 30 days duration up to 183 days in any period of 547 days and may be on short notice. For NATO International Civilian Staff, acceptance of an employment contract linked to this post constitutes agreement to deploy in excess of 30 days if required.

The incumbent may be directed to undertake operational duties supporting AIRCOM in its Air Power projection role, and when HQ AIRCOM executes its role as the NCS JFAC. When COM AIRCOM so directs, personnel will be assigned to a JFAC CE position to support operational tasks within the JFAC structure; this will require that the individual undergoes appropriate training and preparation. The expected deployment location will be HQ AIRCOM at Ramstein Air Base. Personnel may be directed to support activities in the framework of delivering Air Power for the Alliance. All additional operational duties take precedence over peacetime tasks, involve regular/frequent operational training, and may lead to operational deployments or TDY assignments within and beyond NATO boundaries.

The work is normally performed in a normal NATO office environment /secure office environment. Normal working conditions apply.

The risk of injury is categorized as: No Risk / risk might increase when deployed

Contract

The successful selected candidate must complete a NATO medical examination and have NATO security clearance before an employment offer will be released. AIRCOM’s medical consultant must confirm the recommended candidate is fit to perform the duties and is deployable to NATO's regional areas of operation.

In accordance with current policy, newly recruited staff will be offered a three year contract which may be extended, subject to a satisfactory recommendation, to an indefinite duration contract. Serving NATO International Civilian staff will be offered a contract in accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations.

Recruitment process : To apply, candidates must submit applications electronically using the NATO Talent Acquisition Program: https://nato.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en A Selection Board will assess the information provided in the application form therefore attachments are supporting documents and should not be referred to in the application form.

Assessments and Interviews are tentatively planned for March 2023.