Data Centre Support 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 – 2025-0227

Role Background

Supporting NATO throughout all its geographical locations, NCIA is looking for Support for Cloud Security and Compliancy, supporting the journey of NATO’s modernization of IT services, through leveraging the public cloud (Microsoft Azure, M365 and Amazon AWS), delivering managed, protected, security-centric and reliable IT Services.

NCIA – Cloud Operations Team

The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) is dedicated to supporting NATO's strategic objectives, including the ambitious NATO 2030 agenda. As part of this commitment, we are spearheading the modernization and digital transformation of NATO’s IT services. Our focus is on leveraging public cloud technologies like Microsoft 365 and Intune, incorporating a security-by-design approach, and ensuring a seamless transition to a modern, collaborative workplace environment.

To achieve these goals, we are building a Cloud Operations team under the Cloud Portfolio, operating under the NATO Enterprise Cloud Operating Model (NECOM) and under the guidance of the Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE). The NECOM framework provides a standardized approach for cloud service management, ensuring interoperability, scalability, and security across NATO's IT infrastructure. The Cloud Center of Excellence will serve as a hub for best practices, innovation, and expertise, driving the adoption and optimization of cloud technologies within NATO. This team will play a crucial role in our journey towards providing managed, protected, and reliable End User Services.

Embracing the latest technological advancements, this initiative will foster innovation and ensure NATO remains at the cutting edge of IT capabilities. By continuously evolving and integrating new technologies, we aim to enhance operational efficiency and readiness for future challenges. This remote support offers an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of NATO's technological evolution and contribute to the security and efficiency of our operations.

NCIA – Cloud Centre of Excellence (CCoE)

The Cloud Centre of Excellence (CCoE) within NCIA is focused on driving successful cloud adoption and maximizing the potential of cloud technologies across the organization. It serves as a central governing body, promoting best practices, enabling knowledge sharing, and ensuring alignment between business objectives and cloud initiatives. The CCoE supports various cloud-based solutions, ensuring their effective and efficient implementation and management. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, the CCoE helps NCIA leverage cloud technologies to enhance operational efficiency, scalability, and agility.

The ideal service will offer expertise in Microsoft Defender, Sentinel, Purview, DLP, PowerShell scripting, Infrastructure as Code, Azure Policies, and Conditional Access Policies.

This service is crucial for maintaining a secure and efficient environment, supporting

internal users, external collaborators, and third-party stakeholders.

Role Duties and Responsibilities

Security Policy Development:

• Develop and implement comprehensive security policies for the M365 environment.
• Ensure policies align with organizational and regulatory requirements.
• Regularly review and update security policies to address emerging threats.
• Communicate and enforce security policies across the organization.

Compliance Management:

• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and organizational standards.
• Implement and manage data loss prevention (DLP) policies.
• Conduct regular compliance audits and risk assessments.
• Develop and maintain compliance documentation and records.

Advanced Threat Protection:

• Configure and manage Microsoft Defender products and services (i.e. Microsoft Defender XDR. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Defender for office 365, Microsoft Defender for Identity, Microsoft Sentinel)
• Implement Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) policies to detect and mitigate threats.
• Monitor threat analytics and respond to security incidents.
• Conduct regular security assessments and vulnerability scans.

Data Encryption and Information Protection:

• Configure and manage data encryption policies.
• Configure and manage Microsoft Purview for data governance.
• Ensure data protection policies are applied to sensitive information.
• Monitor and report on data protection compliance.

eDiscovery and Legal Hold Management:

• Implement and manage eDiscovery and legal hold processes.
• Ensure that data required for legal proceedings is preserved.
• Conduct regular audits of eDiscovery and legal hold configurations.
• Provide training and support for eDiscovery users.

Security Monitoring and Reporting:

• Monitor the security health of the M365 environment using Microsoft 365 Security Center.
• Generate security reports and provide insights for improvement.
• Utilize security information and event management (SIEM) tools.
• Identify and address security incidents promptly.

Automation and Scripting:

• Develop and maintain scripts (i.e. PowerShell, KQL) to automate security and compliance tasks.
• Implement automated workflows using Power Automate.
• Create automated solutions for compliance reporting and monitoring.
• Maintain and update existing automation scripts.

User Training and Awareness:

• Develop and deliver security training programs for end-users.
• Promote security awareness and best practices across the organization.
• Provide guidance on secure use of M365 tools.
• Conduct regular security awareness campaigns.

Continuous Improvement:

• Stay up-to-date with the latest M365 security and compliance features.
• Continuously improve security and compliance processes.
• Participate in security and compliance forums and training.
• Propose and implement new security measures and enhancements.

Essential Skills, Experience and Certifications

Technical Expertise (Minimum 5 years of experience):

• In-depth knowledge of Microsoft Defender products and services (i.e. Microsoft Defender XDR. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Defender for office 365, Microsoft Defender for Identity, Microsoft Sentinel).
• Proficiency in scripting and automation tools (e.g., PowerShell, KQL).
• In-depth knowledge of Microsoft Purview for data governance
• Experience in security monitoring and compliancy

Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills (Minimum 3 years of experience):

• Strong analytical skills to assess and improve security processes and workflows.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex security issues and implement effective solutions.

Security and Compliance Knowledge (Minimum 4 years of experience):

• Understanding of security best practices and compliance requirements.
• Experience conducting audits and ensuring adherence to regulatory standards.

Communication and Collaboration (Minimum 3 years of experience):

• Excellent communication skills to effectively collaborate with IT teams, stakeholders, and end-users.
• Ability to document processes clearly and provide training on Security and Compliancy tools and practices.

Organizational Skills (Minimum 3 years of experience):

• Strong organizational skills to manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively.
• Attention to detail in managing user accounts, groups, and access controls.

Team Collaboration (Minimum 2 years of experience):

• 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 Contractor has strong customer relationship skills, including negotiating complex and sensitive situations under pressure.
• Full proficiency in the English language. French language proficiency is of advantage.

Working Policy

• Offsite

Travel

• The contractor is required to travel for on-boarding and off-boarding to NATO offices in NATO HQ or Braine-l'Alleud as part of this role, for periods not exceeding 1 week.

Security Clearance

• Valid National or NATO Secret personal security clearance