Senior Application Support 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.

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 – C005207

Role Duties and Responsibilities

COTS Application Support

• Deploy and manage server applications running on Windows or Linux servers;
• Integrate applications with identity providers;
• Support creation and deployment of client applications on enduser workstations.
• Gathering and reporting metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Supporting in-service operations of the systems.
• Support and operation of the assigned system(s) including:
  • Systems operationally used by NATO Enterprise community;
  • Local systems currently used by Local Commands;
  • Atlassian Products management and configuration
  • Maintenance of the operational & support environments;
  • Monitoring performance of the assigned service applications;
  • Support CIS Support Units (CSU) and other support staff for daily operations of the systems;

Cloud Configuration (Azure, AWS)

• Manage EntraID Groups and Roles
• Manage and configure different Cloud components

AI related activities

• Deployment, configuration and support of AI based solutions, tools and agents
• Support of COTS applications-AI integration in production environments
• Ongoing Monitoring, Maintenance and Support

COTS End-User Support:

• Provision of support services in accordance with the SLA, based on the NCI Agency support levels, roles and responsibilities.
• Provide second-level and third-level support for end-user queries.
• Troubleshoot and resolve software issues, ensuring minimal disruption to users.
• Communicating solutions or advices to customers and users.
• Troubleshoot and resolve software problems, ensuring efficient use of resources and problem resolution.

Incident Logging and Tracking:

• Monitor the incident management process for tickets created in the helpdesk ticketing system.
• Log and track support incidents using the helpdesk ticketing system.
• Ensure all tickets are updated with accurate and detailed information and resolved within the agreed service levels.

Escalation:

• Escalate complex issues to vendor support or appropriate teams when necessary.
• Follow up on escalated issues to ensure timely resolution and user satisfaction.

Knowledge Base Management:

• Contribute to the creation and maintenance of a knowledge base, documenting common issues and solutions.
• Share knowledge and best practices with team members to improve overall service quality.
• Contribute to analysis and documentation of new requirements and change requests.
• Participate in review of documentation such as requirements definitions, software design (functional/technical analysis), systems specifications or other deliverables.

Technical:

• Controlling, managing and providing access to the restricted areas managed by the business area.
• Ensuring the proper functionality and security of software and hardware managed by NBAC.
• Monitoring COTS Applications and other software managed by NBAC by identifying and reporting any problems with the infrastructure, hardware and software applications.
• Providing support to NBAC team for security approval and accreditation of software applications and CIS.
• Controlling and checking compliance with security regulations laid down by NCIA and NATO on the use of software and hardware which is part of the NBAC services.
• Gathering functional and non-functional requirements, including drafting systems specifications.
• Support technical reviews, walkthroughs and audits.
• Support preparation of functional and technical specifications for software and hardware with special focus on the SSBA BA domain.
• Support to change management, configuration management, release/deployment and testing.

Communication and Collaboration:

• Work with and provide input to Service Delivery Managers, Project Managers, Portfolio Managers and other stakeholders.
• Communicate with users to understand their issues and provide clear instructions.
• Collaborate with NCIA and vendors teams

Essential Skills, Experience and Certifications

Technical Proficiency:

• Deep understanding of end-user devices (desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones) running Windows OS, Android OS and Apple iPhones/iPads.
• Expert knowledge of Linux server infrastructure, Windows server infrastructure and Active Directory.
• Expert knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server 2019-2025 and IIS based web applications.
• Very good understanding and experience with AI/LLM:
  • LLMs knowledge (cloud and on premises based)
  • Agentic systems development
  • AI/LLM integration
  • MLOps and AI Lifecycle Management
• Deep understanding of networking infrastructure.
• Very good knowledge of cloud technologies and cloud deployment for both AWS and Azure.
• Deep understanding of PKI.
• Expert knowledge relevant to software engineering:
  • Technologies and standards (at least 4 of them): HTML5, REST & Web Services, XML, SQL, Visual Basic for Applications;
  • Identity Management (OAuth, OIDC, SAML2) application integration;
  • Application server technologies and Relational Database Management Systems;
  • Programming languages and platforms - .NET/C#, JAVA, JavaScript;
  • Task automation through scripting in both Windows and Linux.
• Deep understanding of security constraints and requirements in CIS.
• Deep understanding of NCIA and NATO security directives and regulations, along with understanding of industry best practices and standards.
• Familiarity with Microsoft services and tools, including Outlook, Teams, SharePoint.
• Experience and good knowledge of at least the following COTS technologies:
  • IIS, JBOSS, Apache Tomcat
  • .NET based applications
• Extensive experience in deployment and management of clientserver applications, application integration and data transformation for application integration;

Problem-Solving Skills:

• Strong troubleshooting skills to diagnose and resolve hardware, software, and network issues.
• Ability to guide users through problem-solving steps effectively.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Full proficiency in English. French language proficiency is of advantage.
• Ability to communicate technical information to non-technical users in a clear and concise manner.
• Ability to work in cross-functional application management/deployment teams.

Customer Service Orientation:

• Strong customer service focus with a commitment to user satisfaction.
• Patience and empathy when dealing with user issues and concerns.

Organizational Skills:

• Ability to manage multiple support tickets and prioritize tasks effectively.
• Attention to detail in documenting support activities and maintaining accurate records.

Work Experience:

• At least 3 years of relevant experience in the field of computer science or electronic engineering
• Very good knowledge and in various areas of Software Engineering including some of the following:
  • Requirements elicitation and management (including nonfunctional requirements for Operations & Maintenance);
  • SW change management and testing;
  • Software design, implementation and testing;
  • Software Engineering techniques and methodologies;
  • Application release and deployment management;
  • Configuration management practices and tools;
  • Application Lifecycle Management concept and tools

Team Collaboration:

• Ability to work effectively as part of a team and share knowledge and resources.
• Willingness to collaborate with colleagues to solve complex issues.

Others:

• Candidate has strong customer relationship skills, including negotiating complex and sensitive situations under pressure.
• Prior experience in an international environment comprising both military and civilian elements;

Language Proficiency

• Business English
• French is desirable and an advantage

Working Location

• Braine l’Alleud, Belgium

Working Policy

• Hybrid (50% on-site, 50% off-site)

Travel

• Some travel to other NATO sites may be required

Security Clearance

• Valid National or NATO Secret personal security clearance