Senior Application Support 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 – 2025-0148

Role Background

The NCI Agency (hereafter referred to as the “Purchaser”) is seeking an L3 Application Support Engineer (COTS & Cloud Technologies) to provide ongoing support for the NBAC Business Area during the migration of on-premise applications to the cloud. This role will focus on ensuring continued L3 support for existing COTS applications while also offering expert guidance and consultation on cloud migration efforts when required.

Role Duties and Responsibilities

• Atlassian Products configuration and automation (on-prem or private cloud)
  • Design, implement, and manage Atlassian products on Azure private cloud as well as on-prem. Jira Service Management (JSM) and Jira Software (JS) are the main products.
  • Ensure seamless integration with internal and external applications and systems.
• Containerization and Kubernetes
  • Design, implement, and manage Kubernetes environment that run in private cloud environments
• Cloud Configuration (Azure, AWS)
  • Configure CI/CD Pipelines
  • Manage EntraID Groups and Roles
  • Manage and configure different Cloud components
• COTS End-User Support:
  • Provide third-level support for end-user queries.
  • Troubleshoot and resolve software issues, ensuring minimal disruption to users.
  • Troubleshoot and resolve software problems, ensuring efficient use of resources and problem resolution.
• Incident Logging and Tracking:
  • 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.
• 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 the 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.
• Communication and Collaboration:
  • Communicate effectively with users to understand their issues and provide clear instructions.
  • Collaborate with IT teams to resolve issues and improve service delivery.

Essential Skills and Experience

Technical Proficiency

• Expert knowledge of Linux server infrastructure and Windows server infrastructure.
• Expert knowledge in designing, implementing, and optimizing Jira Service Management projects, including request types, workflows, screens, fields, security, SLA’s and automation rules.
• Expert knowledge in configuring and managing JSM portals.
• Strong experience with Advanced JQL (JIRA Query Language) for reporting, filtering and dashboard creation.
• Understanding of JSM security best practices including project and global permissions.
• Deep knowledge of Software Programming Principles.
• Good knowledge of JAVA or Groovy Programming Language
• Good knowledge of Version Control Systems such as GIT.
• Good understanding of Microsoft Azure or Amazon AWS.
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Entra ID.
• Good knowledge of REST APIs for custom integrations.
• Good knowledge of Docker and Kubernetes technologies.
• Good knowledge of configuration of Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD) in Azure DevOps.
• Good knowledge of implementing monitoring and logging solutions such as Prometheus, Grafana.
• Expert Knowledge of web servers such as IIS and Apache Web Server.
• Strong understanding of ITIL principles (Incident, Problem, Change, Request Fulfilment, Service Level Management) and their application in JSM projects.
• Good experience of the Agile Methodology.
• Expert knowledge of networking infrastructure.
• Expert knowledge of PKI.
• 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 in human resource (HR) IT applications related to personnel, posts, organisations, identity management and badges;
• Experience (at least two years) in various areas of Software Engineering including some of the following:
  • Requirements elicitation and management (including non-functional requirements for Operations & Maintenance);
  • SW change management and testing;
  • Application release and deployment management;
  • Configuration management practices and tools;
  • Application Lifecycle Management concept and tools.
• Knowledge of NATO HR processes;
• Knowledge and experience in state-of-the-art technologies, relevant to software engineering:
  • Technologies and standards (at least 4 of them): HTML5, REST Services, Web Services, XML, SQL, Visual Basic for Applications;
  • Application server technologies and Relational data base management systems;
  • programming languages and platforms like .NET, C#, JAVA, Groovy, JavaScript;

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.
• Ability to communicate technical information to non-technical users in a clear and concise manner.

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.

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

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

Language Proficiency

• Business English
• Business French is desirable to have

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

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.