Senior Assurance Engineer

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.

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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.

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Role ID – C005017

Role Background

The section where the duties will be performed is within the Chief Quality Office, Independent Assurance Branch, Product and Service Assurance Team. The Product and Service Assurance Team is responsible for the independent verification and validation

of all Agency delivered projects, systems, services, processes and programmes, including independent status reporting at executive level. This includes in-service projects, systems, services, processes and programmes, which are supported by the Branch through the Agency enterprise change management processes.

The role is to be a part of a team that deals with planning, execution and reporting on multiple different projects. The person will be integrated in a multinational team of assurance engineers with the knowledge of the specific domain(s) as requested for the profile.

Role Duties and Responsibilities

• Plans, organizes and conducts formal reviews and assessments of complex domains areas, cross-functional areas, and across the supply chain.
• Evaluates, appraises and identifies non-compliances with organizational standards and determines the underlying reasons for non-compliance;
• Produces test documentation such as (Event) Test Plans, Test cases, Requirements Traceability Matrix, test reports, etc.
• Provides assurance to test artefacts such as the Requirements Traceability Matrix;
• Manages the design, planning and execution of the V&V events and its reporting;
• Provides support to projects where the execution is performed by an external contractor
• Provides support to the operational community in operational acceptance activities

Essential Skills, Experience and Certifications

• At least 5 years recent experience in planning and execution of test, verification and validation activities in large complex projects
• At least 5 years recent experience with functional, non-functional and interoperability testing of systems and products
• Proven experience with managing external stakeholders and coworkers during the execution of large complex projects
• Ability to understand and reason about hardware and software system architectures typically found in system design documentation
• Ability to communicate with clarity, coherence, conciseness and engagement, both orally and in writing
• Experience in the management of a team of testers, quality or development engineers;
• Experience using, and testing in virtualized and cloud environments
• Familiar with main test tools for test management, defect management and requirements management
• Experience dealing with independent testing when the testing is conducted by an external party

Desirable Skills, Experience and Certifications

• Advanced certification in the area of testing and testing management;
• Experience testing NATO/military business domain;
• Experience with assurance tools and processes;
• Experience as an interoperability tester within NATO context;

Working Location

• The Hague, Netherlands

Working Policy

• On-site (Flexibility for working from home when needed)

Travel

• Some travel to other NATO sites may be required

Security Clearance

• Valid National or NATO Secret personal security clearance