NATO’s Young Professionals Programme is now open for applications. The closing date is 31 May 2026 at 11:59PM CET.
What is NATO’s YPP?
The NATO Young Professionals Programme (YPP) aims to attract and develop highly talented young professionals who are interested in accelerating their career. Successful candidates will be assigned to different NATO bodies for one-year periods, for a total of three NATO bodies over three years. This will provide participants with a broad understanding of NATO and with opportunities to develop many competencies in several different work areas within the Organization.
For the fourth cycle of the NATO YPP, there are 15 positions available for young people from a wide variety of educational and professional backgrounds, including:
- Innovation, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
- Economics and Finance
- Engineering, Supply Chain and Logistics
- Human Resources
- ICT and Cyber Defence
- International Political Affairs
- Legal Affairs
- Strategic Communications and Marketing
- Programme and Project Management
The vacancy notices for the 15 different positions can be found on NATO’s e-recruitment system.
Who is eligible to apply for NATO’s YPP?
Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria at the time of application:
- Age: between 21 and 32 years old at the time of application
- Nationality: a citizen of a NATO member country
- Professional experience: at least one year of demonstrated professional experience, including full-time employment, temporary assignments and/or internships
- Educational status: a Master's degree or equivalent from a recognised institution in a relevant subject
- Languages: proficiency in one of the two official NATO languages: English or French. A working knowledge of the second is considered an asset. Knowledge of other languages may also be considered an asset for certain positions.
Further information can be found on the following web pages:
How to apply?
To submit an application, you must first create an account in NATO’s e-recruitment system.
Click on “Sign In” in the upper right corner. You will be directed to a page where you can create a “New User”.
Please note that NATO cannot accept applications via mail or email.