Chief Technician (Virtual Infrastructure)

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 Duties and Responsibilities

As the Chief Technician, you will play a pivotal role in supporting, contributing to, developing, and managing Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and related systems. Your responsibilities span the entire lifecycle, including service operation, and project support and execution. Here are the key aspects of the role:

Daily Operations and Maintenance:

• Guarantee seamless operation and upkeep of NISC IaaS Services, regardless of whether they are hosted on-premises, in private clouds, or public clouds.
• Perform system administration tasks for other IaaS-related assigned systems.

Troubleshooting and Issue Resolution:

• Identify and troubleshoot issues promptly, assisting in their timely resolution.

Change Management and Documentation:

• Follow change management processes diligently.
• Update network topology diagrams and the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) after installing new components or decommissioning old ones.

Strategic Support and Coordination:

• Provide advice and support to the IaaS Service Area Owner (SAO) and Service Delivery Managers (SDMs) throughout the entire capability lifecycle.
• Foster close and coordinated ties with IaaS management to ensure harmonized efforts and synchronized outcomes across all activities.

SLA Compliance and Process Development:

• Monitor compliance with Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Contribute to the development of processes, procedures (SOPs), and Standard Operating Instructions (SOIs) for IaaS services.

Reporting and Communication:

• Prepare reports, briefings, position papers, and presentations for senior management during project development and implementation phases.

Ad Hoc Responsibilities:

• Undertake ad hoc tasks related to the NISC Business Area's responsibilities.

Availability and Flexibility:

• Be prepared to work during scheduled maintenances, serviceaffecting activities, and contingency situations beyond regular business hours.
• Be on-call after working hours on weekends if necessary.

Travel and Deployment:

• Be ready to travel and work at various locations, including SHAPE/Mons, HQ Brussels, The Hague/Netherlands, or other datacenters in NCIA's responsibility as required.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Technical Expertise:
  • Practical proficiency in both on-premises and cloud technologies (both public and private).
  • Familiarity with the operations and standards of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), including physical and virtual servers, VMware hypervisor, and storage devices.
  • Hands-on experience with virtualization using VMWare ESXi, blade and rack-mount servers, and Hyperconverged Infrastructure (vSAN).
  • Proficiency in managing software-defined storage systems.
  • Competence in working with Linux and Windows operating systems, including Active Directory (A.D.), hardening, and patching.
• Cloud Operations and Management:
  • Practical experience in public and private cloud environments, covering IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and cloud monitoring and optimization.
• Familiarity with at least one of the following containerization solutions:
  • OpenShift, Docker, Kubernetes, or Tanzu.
• Collaboration and Communication:
  • Exceptional ability to function effectively within a team, provide IT support, and resolve technical issues.
  • Willingness to stay updated on advancements in IaaS technologies.
• Documentation and Process Development:
  • Proficiency in documenting current designs and configurations.
  • Ability to create and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and training materials.
• Communication Skills:
  • Outstanding verbal and written communication skills.
• Availability and Incident Response:
  • Willingness to respond to IaaS incidents even outside regular working hours.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Certifications and Training:
  • Industry certifications related to virtualization, Linux operating systems, cloud, and containerization technologies.
• Service Provisioning Experience:
  • Previous work experience in a service provisioning organization.
• Understanding of NATO Responsibilities:
• Familiarity with the responsibilities and structure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Education

• Higher vocational training in a relevant discipline with 4 years post-related experience. Or a secondary educational qualification with 6 years post-related experience;

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