Senior Cyber Security Specialist

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 – C005471

Role Duties and Responsibilities

Delivery planning and coordination

• Documenting planned deliverables / changes (System Design Specifications, Change requests, Services requests, A2SL processes).
• Facilitating approval of planned changes throughout NCIA and NCSC Change management process, project team and internal NCSC meetings.
• Coordinating NCSC other than NCSC business lines to deliver prerequisites required for cyber security physical and virtual installations.
• Activities coordination with project managers, system engineers, network engineers, security architects and operational stakeholders to ensure successful delivery of cyber security capabilities.

Delivery

• Installation, configuration and testing of network tapping and aggregation equipment.
• Installation, configuration and testing of vulnerability assessment tools, including Tenable.SC and Nessus.
• Installation, configuration and testing of computer forensic tools, including Fidelis.
• Installation, configuration and testing of monitoring, detection and incident response tools, including Splunk.
• Installation, configuration and testing of virtualisation and networking technologies.
• Implementation and validation of security settings across network equipment (Cisco, Juniper) and operating system (Linux and Microsoft) environments.
• Investigation of technology errors, network faults, performance issues, including the development and implementation of proposed improvements.
• Support to the integration of cyber security tools into existing and future NATO CIS environments.
• Ensuring that implemented solutions comply with applicable NATO security policies, operational requirements and agreed technical standards.

Post-implementation, transition to operations and support activities

• Documenting as-is cyber installations (in a form of System Implementation Specifications)
• Conducting testing, validation and acceptance activities for deployed cyber security capabilities.
• Support to handover to operations, including knowledge transfer, training support and preparation of operational documentation.
• Development of broad range of technical documentation, including installation guides, configuration baselines, test plans, test reports, standard operating procedures and security hardening guides.
• Provision of technical advice and recommendations on cyber security architecture, tool configuration, system integration and operational improvements.
• Participation in technical meetings, reviews, workshops and coordination activities with NATO, national and industry stakeholders.

Essential Skills, Experience and Certifications

• At least 5 years practical technical (hands-on) experience in cyber security or related field, such as developing and maintaining cyber security solution architecture, developing or delivering capabilities and services in the area of Cyber security, or complex and demanding technical environments;
• The individual shall possess a broad understanding of cyber security tools and their configuration, including the configuration and integration of boundary protection components such as firewalls, network traffic aggregators, Network Intrusion Prevention / Detection Systems, Host Intrusion Prevention Systems, data diodes, encryption technologies, identity and access management, monitoring and detection solutions, incident response, vulnerability assessment, computer forensics and risk management.
• The contracted individual shall have recent and relevant experience with technologies and tools including Juniper, Palo Alto, web application proxy solutions, Splunk, Tenable.SC, Nessus and Fidelis. The individual shall also have experience in the design and configuration of IT infrastructure elements within projects, including routing, switching and virtualisation technologies such as
• The individual shall have experience delivering technical systems or cyber security capabilities into operational environments, including installation, configuration, testing, documentation, and handover to operations for industry, government or military organisations, including deployment to operational military areas. Experience with implementation projects within NATO and/or national military organisations is desirable. The individual shall be capable of working independently and as part of a team to achieve agreed objectives, including the ability to monitor, coordinate and support industry teams. Excellent communication and technical writing skills in English are required.
• Very good communication and analytical skills.

Desirable Skills, Experience and Certifications

• Experience in working for or supporting a military or governmental organization.

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, or exceptionally, the lack of a university degree may be compensated by the demonstration of a candidate's particular abilities or experience that is/are of interest to NCIA, that is, at least 10 years extensive and progressive expertise in duties related to those in this post

Language Proficiency

• Business English

Working Location

• Mons, 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