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- Tasks: Engage with military and intelligence stakeholders in West Africa, shaping operational requirements.
- Company: Prevail, a leader in operational intelligence with a focus on complex environments.
- Benefits: Comprehensive health insurance, pension schemes, and support for international travel.
- Other info: Dynamic role requiring resilience and the ability to operate independently in challenging conditions.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in high-stakes environments while building valuable relationships.
- Qualifications: Experience in defence or intelligence, strong communication skills, and professional French.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Location: Predominantly West Africa and other complex operating environments, with periodic UK-based time for planning, governance, and handover.
Overview: Prevail is seeking a Senior Operational Intelligence Liaison Officer to act as the primary forward-facing interface between Prevail and host nation military, security, law enforcement, and intelligence stakeholders in West Africa and other complex operating environments. This is a predominantly deployable role. The post holder will build and maintain trusted relationships, receive and shape host nation requirements, and ensure UK-based intelligence support is prioritised, realistic, and operationally relevant. The role requires a credible and professionally mature individual capable of engaging confidently with senior officials and ministers, while also operating effectively at working and operational levels in austere environments. This is not a command or analytical role. It sits at the intersection of forward engagement, stakeholder management, requirement shaping, and disciplined intelligence tasking. This role requires frequent international travel and extended deployments in West Africa, balanced with UK-based planning, governance, and coordination periods. The successful candidate must be comfortable operating independently for extended periods while maintaining close coordination with a UK-based team.
Key Responsibilities
- Stakeholder Liaison and Relationship Management
- Act as Prevail’s primary forward-facing liaison with host nation military, security, law enforcement, and intelligence stakeholders.
- Build, maintain, and leverage trusted relationships across senior, operational, and tactical levels.
- Engage credibly with senior officers, officials, and ministers, as well as working-level counterparts.
- Represent Prevail in sensitive engagements requiring discretion, judgement, and political awareness.
- Ensure clarity of intent, scope, and expectations in all stakeholder interactions.
- Requirement Shaping and Tasking
- Receive and interpret host nation requirements and translate them into clear, structured, and prioritised tasking.
- Work closely with the UK-based Intelligence Manager and delivery team to ensure requirements are actionable and aligned to capability.
- Support stakeholders in understanding what is realistic, deliverable, and within scope.
- Prioritise competing demands and escalate where appropriate.
- Challenge or push back on requests that are unrealistic, inappropriate, or outside mandate.
- Forward Presence and Operational Judgement
- Operate effectively in austere, dynamic, and politically sensitive environments.
- Exercise sound judgement on engagement posture, movement, and operational visibility.
- Identify and escalate operational, political, legal, compliance, and reputational risks to the UK team.
- Maintain high standards of personal security awareness, professionalism, and discretion at all times.
- Contextual Insight and Continuity
- Provide clear and structured feedback on stakeholder intent, context, and informal tasking.
- Maintain continuity of understanding between forward deployment and UK-based support periods.
- Contribute to handovers and continuity management to support institutional knowledge.
- Ensure the UK team retains an accurate and current understanding of local dynamics and priorities.
- Governance and Professional Standards
- Operate strictly within Prevail’s mandate, governance, and legal frameworks.
- Exercise appropriate judgement in line with delegated authority and escalate where required.
- Ensure all activity aligns with compliance, ethical, and reputational standards.
- Uphold Prevail’s standards of integrity, discretion, and delivery discipline in all engagements.
Requirements
Essential Experience
- Significant experience in defence, intelligence, security, government, or closely related operational environments.
- Demonstrable experience engaging with senior military, security, intelligence, or government stakeholders.
- Experience operating in hostile, austere, or high-pressure environments.
- Strong understanding of intelligence processes and support to operations.
- Proven ability to operate independently, build relationships, and exercise sound judgement under pressure.
- Professional working French (mandatory).
Strongly Preferred
- Military background or equivalent operational experience within government or security environments.
- Experience in liaison, advisory, attaché, or relationship-focused operational roles.
- Experience working in West Africa or Francophone regions.
- Experience supporting counter terrorism, national security, or related operations.
- Familiarity with military or law enforcement organisational culture.
Skills and Attributes
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- High levels of judgement, discretion, and political awareness.
- Ability to operate across strategic, operational, and tactical stakeholder levels.
- Comfort working in ambiguity and evolving operational contexts.
- Strong personal resilience and situational awareness.
- Ability to balance forward engagement with governance and compliance requirements.
Candidate Guidance
Applicants should clearly demonstrate experience aligned to:
- forward liaison and stakeholder engagement.
- intelligence support to operational environments.
- engagement with military, law enforcement, intelligence, or government stakeholders.
- operating in complex, austere, or high-risk environments.
- exercising judgement within governance, legal, and compliance frameworks.
Applications that do not directly address these criteria may not be progressed.
Benefits
Additional Information: Due to the nature of this role, candidates must have the right to work in the UK without restriction or requirement for visa sponsorship. The role requires regular international travel and deployment, and candidates must be able to travel freely to and from West Africa and other operating environments. Candidates must be willing and able to spend extended periods in challenging environments, subject to Prevail’s duty of care obligations, internal risk assessment processes, and operational requirements. All travel and in country activity will be approved in advance and supported by appropriate security, medical, and insurance arrangements.
Comprehensive Benefits: Access to a range of benefits including health insurance, visa sponsorship, pension schemes, and more.
Senior Operational Intelligence Liaison Officer employer: Prevail
Contact Detail:
Prevail Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Operational Intelligence Liaison Officer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join relevant groups, and don’t be shy about reaching out on LinkedIn. Building relationships can open doors that applications alone can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their mission and values, especially how they relate to operational intelligence. This will help you tailor your responses and show you're genuinely interested in the role.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! You need to be able to clearly articulate your experience and how it aligns with the role of Senior Operational Intelligence Liaison Officer. Keep it concise but impactful – think of it as your personal brand statement.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can leave a lasting impression. It shows your enthusiasm for the position and keeps you on their radar. Plus, it’s a great chance to reiterate why you’re the perfect fit!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Operational Intelligence Liaison Officer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in stakeholder engagement and operational environments. We want to see how your background aligns with the role, so don’t hold back on showcasing relevant skills!
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. Use clear language to describe your experiences and how they relate to the job description. We appreciate clarity, especially when it comes to complex topics!
Showcase Your Judgement Skills: Since this role requires sound judgement in high-pressure situations, include examples that demonstrate your ability to make decisions under stress. We’re looking for candidates who can think on their feet and handle ambiguity like pros!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it makes the whole process smoother for everyone involved.
How to prepare for a job interview at Prevail
✨Know Your Stakeholders
Before the interview, research Prevail and its operations in West Africa. Understand the key stakeholders you’ll be engaging with, including military and law enforcement officials. This knowledge will help you demonstrate your ability to build and maintain trusted relationships.
✨Showcase Your Experience
Be ready to discuss your previous experiences in defence, intelligence, or security environments. Highlight specific examples where you've successfully engaged with senior officials or managed complex stakeholder relationships, especially in high-pressure situations.
✨Demonstrate Operational Judgement
Prepare to talk about how you’ve exercised sound judgement in challenging environments. Share instances where you had to make quick decisions while maintaining professionalism and discretion, as this role requires a high level of operational awareness.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Practice articulating your thoughts clearly and confidently. Given the need for effective communication with various stakeholders, ensure you can convey your ideas succinctly, whether discussing requirement shaping or providing feedback on local dynamics.