AFN/AFS Governance Lead

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 – 2025-0257

Role Background

The Alliance Federation Network (AFN) and Alliance Federation Services establishes a federated network that integrates the NATO Enterprise, NATO Nations, NATO Force Structures, and Multinational Entities across the Alliance. NCIA is the primary contractor to deliver the AFN/AFS Federation with NATO Nations on behalf on NATO Digital Staff, Brussels This integration facilitates the interconnection of Alliance Federated Participants (AFP) to the AFN by encompassing a range of technical services, including Communications, the Core Services, the Community of Interest (COI) Services, the Service Management and Control (SMC) and Communication and Information Systems (CIS) Security.

The AFN is a NATO Enterprise-driven and Nations-enabled initiative to build a modern, coherent, transparent and effective CIS platform for delivering and consuming C3 services across the Alliance. It evolves the current NATO Enterprise-centric Alliance-wide network (NS WAN) into a broader and distributed network of networks, building upon the model of the Internet and specifications developed under the Federation Mission Networking (FMN) framework.

The project will instantiate the Governance & Management structure to realise the

intended AFN/AFS aims as stated above.

Role Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide subject matter expertise to facilitate the creation of the AFN/AFS Governance & Management Support Structure across the 32 NATO Nations also known as Alliance Federated Partners (AFPs) and NCIA;
• They shall provide the mechanism (processes) for the AFN/AFS assigned authorities (beneath) to collaborate with each other and receive requirements from NDS and Nations:
  • AFS Operational Authority
  • CIS Operational Authority
  • Information Management Authority
  • Service Management Authority
  • Technical Authority Verification and Validation Authority
  • CIS Security Coordinating Authority
  • Security Accreditation Authority;
• They shall draft the AFN/AFS roadmap and governance and managements plans; coordinate and synchronise and update as necessary with approval from NDS;
• They shall lead and Implement governance and management activities to ensure seamless application of the AFN/AFS instantiation and its operational and change management processes;
• They shall initiate a Communications and Information knowledge Management strategies;
• They shall create issue and risk registers and link to NCIA registers
• They shall direct the service management activities, processes and functions across the AFPs;
• They shall organise key stakeholder meetings in the name of AFN/AFS/NDS/NCIA; ensuring agenda, minutes etc. are recorded and distributed.
• The contractor's personnel shall engage and interact with senior staff officers from all AFPs/NDS/NCIA;

Essential Skills, Experience and Certifications

• Extensive relevant and recent experience (at least 10 years) all:
• IT Service Management experience in a military service provider environment
• Project Management, Prince 2;
• 5 years' experience in preparing, planning and participating in formal testing events such as NATO interoperability exercises
• Microsoft SharePoint
• Experience in engaging with the primary customers i.e. NDS, NHQ, ACO etc.;
• Knowledge of the NATO processes especially for requirements management andcapability planning
• Prior experience of working in an international environment comprising both military and civilian elements;
• Leadership within the Federated context i.e. AMN, FMN, AFS
• Knowledge of NATO responsibilities and organization, including International,
• International Military Staff and NATO Digital Staff (former C3 Board).

Education

• A university degree in computer science or a related scientific or engineering discipline. The lack of a university degree may be compensated by the demonstration of particular abilities or experience of interest to the Agency;

Language

• All work under this contract, both oral and written, is conducted in English.
• Proficiency in the English language (listening, speaking, reading and writing) is required.

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