Cyberspace Warfare Development 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

Allied Command Transformation (ACT) is NATO’s leading agent for change: driving, facilitating, and advocating the continuous improvement of Alliance capabilities to maintain and enhance the military relevance and effectiveness of the Alliance. The main objectives of ACT are: providing appropriate support to NATO missions and operations; leading NATO military transformation; and improving relationships, interaction and practical cooperation with partners, nations and international organisations. ACT therefore leads Alliance concept development, capability development, training and lessons-learned initiatives and provides unfettered military support to policy development within NATO.

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The program 

Capability Development & Management Support (CDMS)

DCOS Capability Development (CAPDEV) acts as the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation's Director for guidance, direction and coordination of the activities and resources of the Capability Development Directorate.

The Requirements Division will execute all tasks and activities needed to support requirements management for NATO capabilities

The Capability Requirements (CR) Branch will develop the Capability Requirements Brief and recommended courses of action to resolve issues through the life cycle management of requirements using matrixed, cross-functional project-specific Requirements Management teams.

The Requirements Forward Branch (Mons) is responsible for conducting requirements development and management representation and engagement-related functions in Europe.

The Capability Division coordinates the development of capabilities from capability planning through acceptance and then disposal with management entities, NATO Headquarters staff and the NATO Governance Structure

The Capability Forward Branch (Mons) coordinates with ACO, NCIA, NSPA, NATO HQ, territorial Host Nations, and NATO Centres of Excellence (COEs) to support the development of capabilities.

Strategic Plans and Policy (SPP) supports Allied Command Transformation in formalizing military advice to shape future military strategy, political guidance, and other policy documents supporting NATO’s strategic objectives.

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Role Duties and Responsibilities

• Based on NATO operational needs, requirements, literature review, and high-level direction and guidance from ACT Programme Director, develop, describe and document cyber capabilities, including:
  • Develop, analyse, validate, complete and enhance capability requirements, departing from operational requirements, to translate them into specifications for the capability description.
  • Develop or support the development and documentation of capability architectures.
  • Develop or support the development of capability specifications, including functional and non-functional specifications.
  • Develop or support the development of implementation plans, including analysis of scope, timelines, cost and risk.
• Build and maintain Communities of Interest (NATO organizations, Nations, Industry, Academia) dedicated to the development and implementation of cyberspace capabilities, in close coordination with the Technical Director and ACT Cyberspace Federation & Partnership SME.
• Use those Communities of Interest to develop and validate the products resulting from tasking 1, above.
• Support and contribute to other capability development activities, including feasibility studies, foresight analysis, technical and operational analysis, experimentation campaigns, etc.
• Inform, organize and participate in meetings, workshops, conferences and other events, and travel to attend those, as needed, generally within NATO’s boundaries for up to 20 days per year.
• Perform additional tasks, related to the contract, as required by the COTR.

Essential Skills and Experience

Note: Hands-on experience in system engineering activities, including definition, implementation and engineering of complex cyber defence and/or cyberspace capabilities is essential. In general, management experience, team leading, participation and/or contribution to the above activities will not suffice to qualify.

• Proven recent (at least three within the last five years) post-degree hands-on experience in authoring specifications, architectures, functional analysis and designs, preferably in the area of military information and cyber systems. Experience at the level of management, overseeing, participating or supporting shall not be accounted for.
• Post-degree education in CIS security and cyber defence disciplines, as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), GIAC Security Expert or ISACA Certified Information Security Manager (CISM).
• Post-degree hands-on experience in architecture drafting, preferably using NATO Architectural Framework (NAF) or similar standard (e.g. TOGAF).
• Expert-level certification at the level of Programme Management Professional (PMP), AXELOS Management of Successful Programmes (MSP) or Project Professional Qualification (PPQ).
• Demonstrated experience in planning, coordinating and executing workshops for various stakeholders including governmental agencies, academia and industry.

Education

• Master’s degree in engineering, systems engineering or computer science. A bachelor’s degree and 5 years of recent experience in system engineering, capability development and implementation in a military context will be considered in lieu of a master’s degree.

Language Proficiency

• Advanced Proficiency in English

Working Location

• Norfolk, VA, USA

Working Policy

• On-Site

Contract Duration

• January 2026 – December 2030

Security Clearance

• Valid National or NATO Secret personal security clearance