SFIA Role Mapping and Platform Consultant

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 – 2025-0158

Role Background

The NATO Communications and Information (NCI) Academy conducted a proof-of- concept ‘NATO Enterprise Cybersecurity Role Mapping’ initiative in 2023 and 2024 as a part of a strategic cybersecurity Learning & Development (L&D) programme for the NATO Enterprise, led by the NATO Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO).

The aim of this initiative was to identify commercial and NATO L&D training solutions via the mapping of NATO Enterprise cybersecurity Job Descriptions (JDs) to the following two industry-standard competency frameworks:

• National Institute for Cybersecurity Education (NICE)
• Skills For the Information Age (SFIA)

NATO is currently standardising the way it describes Information and Communication Technology (ICT) roles1 in terms of skills. The NCI Academy is mapping each NATO Enterprise ICT role to the SFIA framework, in order to describe the respective skills along with their corresponding responsibility levels; and associated L&D training solutions.

Role Duties and Responsibilities

Provide SFIA Framework Consultancy

Establish SFIA V8 process for the NATO mapping baseline and develop plan for future transitions to SFIA V9.

Deliverables:

• Support NATO entities in development of internal SFIA mappings.
• SFIA implementation methodology customised for the NATO Enterprise.
• Transition plan for future SFIA versions (e.g. SFIA V9).

Analyse NATO Enterprise Role Mappings

Analyse existing NATO Enterprise ICT role inventory; review JDs and role requirements; and harmonise role variations across different NATO Enterprise entities.

Deliverables:

• Comprehensive analysis of NATO Enterprise ICT roles inventory.
• Role categorisation and standardisation report.
• Role harmonisation recommendations.

Develop NATO SFIA Mapping Capabilities

Develop NATO entities’ mapping capabilities and (when necessary) map NATO Enterprise ICT roles to SFIA framework skills determining appropriate skill levels for each role.

Deliverables:

• Up to 5000 NATO ICT role profiles mapped to SFIA skills and levels.
• Mapping methodology documentation.
• Final validated SFIA mappings.

Conduct NATO Skills Gap Analysis

Identify skill gaps against 20 SFIA illustrative skills profiles2 in order to prioritise training needs by criticality and impact. Subsequently, map skill gaps to NATO and commercial L&D training solutions.

Deliverables:

• Skills gap analysis report.
• Prioritised L&D training recommendations.
• Database of mapped L&D training solutions to SFIA skills/ levels.

Implement Secure Platform Setup

Provide access to COTS, secure, web-based platform architecture.

Deliverables:

• Role-based access control for up to 150 users in an operational web-based platform.
• Permission-based access control system.

Integrate SFIA Framework and Role Profiles

Import validated NATO ICT role profiles and implement mapping visualization tools.

Deliverables:

• SFIA V8 framework integration.
• Version update mechanism.
• Import NATO ICT role profiles.
• Role-to-SFIA mapping visualisations (such as, heat maps).

Implement L&D Training Recommendation Database

Implement database of commercial and NATO L&D training solutions mapped to SFIA and develop L&D training recommendation system.

Deliverable:

• L&D training management dashboard with training solution database linked to SFIA skills.
• L&D training recommendation and prioritisation functionality.
• Cost tracking system.

Implement Assessment and Analytics

Configure self-assessment capabilities and implement manager validation functionality with 360-degree feedback system.

Deliverable:

• Self-assessment tools.
• Manager validation interface.
• 360-degree feedback system.
• Comprehensive analytics dashboard.

Conduct Training and knowledge transfer

Develop admin and user training materials to build knowledge base through help resources and video tutorials.

Deliverable:

• Administrator and user guides and training materials.
• Platform documentation.
• Knowledge base.
• Training videos.

Deliver Support and Maintenance

Provide 12-month technical support and perform regular maintenance and updates.

Deliverable:

• Technical support SLA documentation.
• Maintenance schedule.
• A dedicated account manager.
• Escalation procedures documentation.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Experience with creating skills-based job profiles for ICT roles using the SFIA framework.
• SFIA accredited partner.
• Represented on SFIA Foundation’s Council.
• Experience with mapping job roles in large international organisations to the SFIA framework and relevant organisation specific AND commercial training offerings.
• Experience with operating secure online COTS technical platforms to support competency based talent management/ job role mappings in a large international organisation with a (partially) military staff.
• Experience with visualising SFIA job profiles and associated L&D training recommendations.
• Able to provide a job and competency library that incorporates all functional areas of an organisation, including non-digital skills.
• Mapped learning catalogues to SFIA skills and the capability to map others using AI- enabled tools.
• Demonstrate a close working relationship with the Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) and supports the use of the CIISec framework.
• Demonstrable experience of working with large international organisations and extensive and recent experience with SFIA8 mapping.
• The organisation must demonstrable previous experience of hosting SFIA8 mappings in a secure, online platform, with access limited to users with appropriate credentials and permissions.
• Strong project management skills.

Technical Requirements for a NATO Enterprise ICT Role Mapping Platform

User Management

• Ability to support role-based access control (admin, manager, user).
• Ability to support user profile management.
• Configurable permissions system.

Integration Capabilities

• API availability for integration with NATO Enterprise learning and/ or NATO HR platforms.
• Automated data import/ export functionality.

Security and Compliance

• Ability to support NATO data protection requirements.
• Regular security updates.
• Audit logging capabilities.

System Performance

• Ability to support specified number (TBC) of concurrent users.
• Defined performance metrics.
• Scalability provisions for organisational growth and/ or increase in demand for service.
• Availability requirement: 99% uptime.

AI Mapping Capabilities

• AI solution must be capable of analysing NATO JDs to SFIA skills and (commercial and NATO) L&D training recommendations (Competency-to- learning mapping services).
• Must have demonstrable previous experience of AI implementation for SFIA mappings.
• Feedback loops to improve AI solution.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• ISO 27001:2022 accredited.
• Experience with working in an international environment comprising both military and civilian elements.
• Experience with developing online competency platforms with the NCI Academy.

Working Location

• Remote

Working Policy

• Off-Site

Travel

• Some travel to other NATO sites may be required

Security Clearance

• Valid National or NATO Secret personal security clearance