Software Engineer

Spektrum have a wide range of exciting opportunities in several global locations. We are always looking to add great new talent to our team and look forward to hearing from you.

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 – SC2026/004824

Role Duties and Responsibilities

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Perform unit, integration, and system testing;

• Support user acceptance testing;

• Ensure compliance with security and performance requirements

• 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

• 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.

• Designing scalable and maintainable system architectures;

• Implementing role-based access control and fine-grained authorization models;

• Developing applications with secure coding practices

• 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;

• 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;

• 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

• 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

• 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

Desirable Skills, Experience and Certifications

• Experience working within controlled or restricted DevOps environments is highly desirable.

• Previous experience working within NATO environments is highly desirable.

Working Location

• Mons, Belgium

Working Policy

• Onsite

Travel

• Some travel to other NATO sites may be required

Security Clearance

• Valid National or NATO Secret personal security clearance

We never know what new opportunities might be just over the horizon. If this opportunity isn't for you, please feel free to send us your resume anyway and be the first to know if something suitable for your skills and experience comes up.