Data Science & AI Senior Software 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 Background

The contractor will be under the responsibility of the DSAI Branch Head and the Technical Lead. As a Senior Software Developer, the role will lead software development efforts and may transition into the role of Technical Lead. The role involves working on DSAI's use cases, demonstrators, and AI experimentation initiatives, updating AI applications, and ensuring modular platforms, current UI/UX, and comprehensive documentation.

Role Duties and Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain robust software components focusing on scalability, performance, and security.
• Implement and optimise AI/ML algorithms, ensuring compliance with NATO-specific requirements.
• Design and manage data pipelines for secure handling of classified data.
• Develop, test, and integrate model training and inference systems.
• Deploy and support AI applications within NATO's secure environments.
• Collaborate with data scientists and AI engineers to enhance software practices.
• Produce high-quality documentation for software components and processes.
• Stay updated on software development, AI engineering, and NLP technologies.
• Contribute to a culture of innovation within the Data Science & AI Branch.
• Provide feedback about their work clearly and concisely.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Proven experience as a software developer with a focus on implementation AI systems in the last four years.
• Proficiency in modern software development and practices, including coding in Python, C++, Java, or similar programming languages.
• Experience with AI/ML frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and manage secure and scalable software systems for sensitive data.
• Strong skills in database management, data processing, and cloud-based services, particularly with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure.
• Familiarity with containerization technologies and orchestration tools like Docker and Kubernetes.
• Experience designing and testing APIs or system interfaces to integrate AI systems into larger infrastructures.
• Understanding of NATO data security standards, privacy concerns, and secure coding practices.
• Effective communication skills, to include writing technical documentation, code reviews, and collaboration with diverse stakeholders, including non-technical users.
• Experience working within NATO environments or demonstrated familiarity with NATO processes, workflows, and organizational culture.

Desirable  Skills and Experience

• Experience with Big Data tools such as Apache Kafka, Databricks or Spark.
• Knowledge of federated learning practices and secure multi-party computation for handling sensitive or classified AI training datasets.
• Familiarity with military or defense applications of AI systems, particularly in international environments.
• Experience with agile software development methodologies and tools, such as Jira or Confluence.
• Capability to act as a ‘data storyteller’ by visualizing technical insights and presenting relevant findings to senior leadership in accessible formats.
• Eligibility and prior experience working with NATO security clearances to process classified or sensitive data.
• Familiarity with DevSecOps practices to streamline secure software development and system deployment within NATO.

Education

• A Bachelor’s degree or higher from a nationally recognized/certified university in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline OR a minimum of six years of professional experience in software development within the last eight years.

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