Software Engineer

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.

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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.

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Role ID – SC2026/004965

Role Duties and Responsibilities

• They shall be responsible for the end-to-end delivery of the Military Text Format (MTF) message monitoring application, in accordance with the defined requirements.
• Design and Development: Design the overall system architecture aligned with the prescribed technology stack; Develop backend services for message ingestion, processing, validation, and storage; Develop frontend components for user interaction, including dashboards and detailed views; Implement message parsing and validation logic for MTF messages; Ensure extensibility of configurable elements such as message categories
• Integration: Integrate the application with Microsoft Exchange using EWS to monitor the registry mailbox; Implement authentication and authorization via Keycloak and Active Directory; Implement and manage X.509 certificate usage where required; Ensure proper interaction between frontend, backend, and database components
• Data Management: Design and implement the database schema; Ensure efficient storage and retrieval of message data and delivery status information; Implement user and group-based access control within the application
• Delivery Status and Monitoring Features: Implement tracking of message delivery, read, and acknowledgement status; Develop mechanisms to calculate and display status metrics and percentages; Provide visualization components for operational awareness, including dashboards
• Validation and Compliance: Implement validation of MTF messages against both generic and type-specific structures; Implement validation of message exchange workflows; Identify and highlight missing actions and inconsistencies
• DevOps and Deployment: Configure and maintain Amazon Azure DevOps pipelines for build and release; Produce deployable RPM packages; Implement and maintain software deployment automation; Ensure the application can be deployed on Oracle Linux environments
• Documentation: Produce and maintain documentation in LaTeX format, including User manual, Installation guide and Deployment plan; Ensure documentation is complete, accurate, and aligned with the delivered system
• Testing and Quality Assurance: Perform unit, integration, and system testing; Support user acceptance testing; Ensure compliance with security and performance requirements
• Support and Collaboration: Collaborate with stakeholders to refine requirements and priorities; Translate operational needs into practical technical and user interface solutions; Provide technical guidance and recommendations where appropriate; Support troubleshooting and issue resolution during development and deployment

Essential Skills, Experience and Certifications

• Technical Skills: The contractor shall possess strong, demonstrable experience in: Backend development using Java; Frontend development using React; Database design and implementation using PostgreSQL; Object-relational mapping using Java Persistence API (JPA); Integration with Microsoft Exchange using Exchange Web Services (EWS) or IMAP; Implementation of authentication and authorization using Keycloak, including integration with Active Directory, Working with X.509 certificates, including handling, validation, and secure usage; Deployment and configuration on Linux environments, preferably Oracle Linux (versions 9 or higher); Configuration and use of Apache as a reverse proxy; Version control using Git. The contractor shall have experience in: Designing scalable and maintainable system architectures; Implementing role-based
• access control and fine-grained authorization models; Developing applications with secure coding practices
• DevOps and Tooling: The contractor shall demonstrate experience with: Amazon Azure DevOps, including repository management, pipelines, and build automation; Creation and maintenance of CI/CD pipelines; Packaging applications in RPM format; Software deployment automation; Generating technical documentation using LaTeX and automated build pipelines; Experience working within controlled or restricted DevOps environments is highly desirable.
• Domain Knowledge: The contractor should have: Understanding of Military Text Format (MTF) messaging standards, or the ability to rapidly acquire such knowledge; Experience with message parsing, validation, and structured data processing; Familiarity with messaging workflows, delivery tracking, and audit requirements; Previous experience working within NATO environments is highly desirable.
• Security and Compliance: The contractor shall demonstrate: Experience in developing applications compliant with strict security standards; Familiarity with NATO Web Application Security Directive or equivalent security frameworks; Ability to implement secure authentication, data protection, and audit logging mechanisms
• User Experience and Requirements Translation: The contractor shall demonstrate a strong ability to: Translate user requirements into effective and usable web-based user interfaces; Balance user expectations with web design best practices, ensuring usability across different screen sizes and avoiding overly complex layouts, such as multiple panels or independent scroll areas
• Methodology, Communication and Collaboration: The contractor shall: Have proven experience working in Agile SCRUM environments; Be capable of participating in sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives; Be able to conduct all work, communication, and documentation in English; Demonstrate strong communication skills and ability to collaborate with stakeholders, including technical and operational users

Working Location

• Mons, Belgium

Working Policy

• Hybrid

Travel

• Some travel to other NATO sites may be required

Security Clearance

• Valid National or NATO Secret personal security clearance