Spektrum supports apex purchasers (NATO, UN, EU, and National Government and Defence) and their Tier 1 supplier ecosystem with a wide range of specialist services. We provide our clients with professional services, specialised aerospace and defence sales, delivery, and operational subject matter expertise. We are looking for personnel to join our team and support key client projects.

Who we are supporting 

The NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA) is responsible for providing secure and effective communications and information technology (IT) services to NATO's member countries and its partners. The agency was established in 2012 and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.

The NCIA provides a wide range of services, including:

• Cyber Security: The NCIA provides advanced cybersecurity solutions to protect NATO's communication networks and information systems against cyber threats.
• Command and Control Systems: The NCIA develops and maintains the systems used by NATO's military commanders to plan and execute operations.
• Satellite Communications: The NCIA provides satellite communications services to enable secure and reliable communications between NATO forces.
• Electronic Warfare: The NCIA provides electronic warfare services to support NATO's mission to detect, deny, and defeat threats to its communication networks.
• Information Management: The NCIA manages NATO's information technology infrastructure, including its databases, applications, and servers.

Overall, the NCIA plays a critical role in ensuring the security and effectiveness of NATO's communication and information technology capabilities.

The program

Assistance and Advisory Service (AAS)

The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) is NATO’s principal C3 capability deliverer and CIS service provider. It provides, maintains and defends the NATO enterprise-wide information technology infrastructure to enable Allies to consult together under Article IV, and, when required, stand together in the face of attack under Article V.

To provide these critical services, in the modern evolving dynamic environment the NCI Agency needs to build and maintain high performance-engaged workforce. The NCI Agency workforce strategically consists of three major categorise's: NATO International Civilians (NIC)'s, Military (Mil), and Interim Workforce Consultants (IWC)'s. The IWCs are a critical part of the overall NCI Agency workforce and make up approximately 15 percent of the total workforce.

Role ID – C005071

Role Duties and Responsibilities

• Solution architecture:
  • Provide technical lead support to acquisition projects, ensuring the delivery of integrated and interoperable technical solutions, preparing technical specifications, supporting evaluation processes, ensuring technical leadership throughout the implementation process and supervising acceptance testing;
  • Contributes to the development of solution architectures in specific business, infrastructure or functional areas.
  • Identifies and evaluates alternative architectures and the trade-offs in cost, performance and scalability.
  • Determines and documents architecturally significant decisions.
  • Supports projects or change initiatives through the preparation of technical plans and application of design principles.
  • Aligns solutions with enterprise and solution architecture standards (including security).
• Requirements definition and management:
  • Defines and manages scoping, requirements definition and prioritisation activities for small-scale changes and assists with more complex change initiatives.
  • Follows agreed standards and applies appropriate techniques to elicit and document detailed requirements.
  • Provides constructive challenge to stakeholders as required.
  • Reviews requirements for errors and omissions.
  • Prioritises requirements and documents traceability to source.
  • Provides input to the requirements baseline.
  • Investigates, manages and applies authorised requests for changes to base-lined requirements, in line with change management policy.
• Systems development management:
  • Plans and drives systems development projects which support the organisation's objectives and plans.
  • Selects, adopts and adapts appropriate systems development methods, tools and techniques.
  • Monitors and reports on the progress of development projects.
  • Ensures projects are carried out in accordance with agreed architectures, standards, methods and tools and addresses security and privacy requirements.
  • Develops road maps to communicate future development activity.
• Network design:
  • Follows organisational architectures and standards.
• Sourcing:
  • Prepares pre-qualification questionnaires and tender invitations in response to business cases.
  • Recognises the difference between open source and proprietary systems options.
  • Applies standard procedures and tools to produce detailed evaluation criteria for complex tenders and to evaluate tenders.
• Contract management:
  • Acts as a routine contact point between the organisation and suppliers concerning contract management.
• Systems design alternatives evaluation:
  • Oversees System design reviews
  • Ensures that the system design balances functional and non-functional requirements.
  • Reviews systems design and ensures that appropriate methods, tools and techniques are applied effectively.
  • Makes recommendations and assesses and manages associated risks.
• Systems integration, test and acceptance:
  • Plans and drives activities to develop organisational systems integration and build capabilities including automation and continuous integration.
  • Identifies, evaluates and manages the adoption of tools, techniques and processes to create a robust integration framework.
  • Provides authoritative advice and guidance on any aspect of systems integration, test and acceptance.
  • Responsible for overseeing all integration activities to ensure they align with the agreed system and service designs.
  • Assesses risks and takes preventative action.
  • Measures and monitors applications of standards.
• Additional duties for this post:
  • Ensure the successful development of SATCOM related project proposals aligned with NATO operational requirements, interoperability standards, and future capability needs.

Essential Skills, Experience and Certifications

• Education:
  • A minimum requirement of a Bachelor's degree at a nationally recognised/certified University in a related discipline and 3 years post-related experience.
• Experience:
  • Minimum of three (3) years of practical experience in SATCOM systems, including UHF and SHF domains;
  • Deep knowledge of SATCOM architecture principles, including link budget analysis, modulation schemes, error correction coding, and satellite network topologies;
  • Strong understanding of RF engineering and antenna systems, including propagation modelling in SATCOM frequency bands;
  • Knowledge of SATCOM cybersecurity architecture principles, including encryption and secure communications design;
  • Solid knowledge of radio wave propagation, including propagation mechanisms, impairments and associated mitigation techniques;
  • Familiarity with SATCOM-related standards such as DVB-S2, DVB-S2X, MIL-STD-188, and experience with Software Defined Networking (SDN) in SATCOM environments;
  • Familiarity with modern military communication networks, including interfaces, protocols, and SATCOM operational environments;
  • Experience in writing, analysing and commenting on technical documents;
• Professional Competences:
  • Knowledge and engineering experience in state-of-the-art technologies, across a broad spectrum, which should include multiple of the following:
  • Strong communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex technical SATCOM concepts;
  • Strong interpersonal skills, enabling effective collaboration with technical teams and stakeholders;
  • Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while contributing effectively as part of a team;
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities;
  • Proven ability to communicate effectively orally, using tact and diplomacy, and in writing with good briefing skills;
  • Ability to understand operational requirements and translate them into technical and/or implementation requirements;
  • Strong problem solving and analytical skills;
  • High level of motivation, adaptability, and collaboration
• Education, Experience and Training (desirable):
• Education:
  • Master's degree at a nationally recognised/certified University in Telecommunication Engineering and 5 years post-related experience.
• Experience:
  • Knowledge and engineering experience in state-of-the-art technologies, across a broad spectrum, which should include Deployable CIS, Infrastructure as a Service and familiarity with related international / commercial / industrial standards;
  • Knowledge and experience in System Engineering;
  • Knowledge and experience in applying MBSE methodology;
  • Knowledge and experience in applying ITIL principles and methodology applied to effective Service Management and Control;
  • Prior experience of working in an international environmentcomprising both military and civilian elements;
  • Knowledge of NATO responsibilities and organization, including ACO and ACT.
  • Understanding of NATO operational standards, procedures, and communication protocols;
  • Knowledge and experience with SATCOM operations, engineering support, or related defence communication systems;
  • Strong analytical capability applied to system performance, interoperability, and technical assessment activities.
• Training/Certifications:
  • International recognized System Engineering training or certification
  • International recognized MBSE training or certification
  • ITIL v4 foundations

Working Location

• Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium

Working Policy

• On-site.

Travel

• Some travel to other NATO sites may be required

Security Clearance

• Valid National or NATO Secret personal security clearance