Full Stack Developer

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 report to the Technical Lead in the Data Science & AI branch. As a Full Stack Developer, the role focuses on designing and maintaining secure, scalable systems. Responsibilities include developing front-end and back-end solutions, integrating AI functionalities, and ensuring compliance with security standards. The role also involves contributing to new demonstrators and use cases, enhancing system performance, and maintaining detailed documentation.

Role Duties and Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain secure, scalable, and high-performance front-end and back-end systems to support AI applications, using existing applications as a reference models.
• Build and maintain web-based user interfaces (UI) and dashboards for secure interaction with AI capabilities, tailored for classified environments.
• Develop and optimise server-side logic, APIs, and services to integrate AI functionalities seamlessly across workflows and systems.
• Implement authentication and access control mechanisms to ensure secure and compliant use of systems, aligning with data sovereignty policies.
• Design and develop containerised application environments (e.g., Docker) and integrate them with orchestration tools (e.g., Kubernetes) to ensure scalability and high availability.
• Collaborate with data engineers and AI engineers to integrate data pipelines, inference mechanisms, and AI model outputs into front-end and back-end systems.
• Develop robust error handling, logging, and performance monitoring solutions across the application stack to ensure reliable operation of platforms.
• Ensure compliance with security and privacy standards by implementing secure coding practices at all stages of development.
• Build automated testing frameworks to validate the stability, security, and performance of full-stack systems.
• Improve the scalability and flexibility of architectures by designing modular and reusable components across the stack.
• Provide support for the deployment, maintenance, and troubleshooting of systems in classified operational environments.
• Participate in the development of Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) and prototypes, assisting in delivering innovative solutions for mission objectives.
• Produce and maintain detailed documentation of development workflows, APIs, system architectures, and configurations to ensure knowledge continuity and operational transparency.
• Stay current with emerging tools and methods for full-stack development, enabling enhanced functionality and secure deployment.
• Support internal training efforts related to full-stack development, secure coding practices, and application management.
• Performs additional tasks as required by the Tech Lead or COTR related to the labor category.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Proven experience in full-stack development roles, including the design, development, and deployment of secure and scalable web applications within the last four years.
• Expertise in front-end technologies such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and modern frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue.js.
• Proficiency in server-side programming with languages like Python, Node.js, Java, or .NET for building secure and high-performance back-end systems.
• Experience designing and consuming RESTful and GraphQL APIs, ensuring efficient and secure interaction with components.
• Strong understanding of database technologies, including relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL) and NoSQL options (e.g., MongoDB, DynamoDB).
• Knowledge of containerization and orchestration technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) to support scalable and resilient full-stack deployments.
• Familiarity with secure software development practices and frameworks, including OWASP guidance and security standards for sensitive systems.
• Demonstrated ability to implement automated testing frameworks (e.g., Jest, Selenium, or Cypress) to ensure system reliability and security.
• Effective communication skills, including the ability to document workflows and collaborate across software development, AI engineering, and operations teams.
• Experience working within NATO environments or demonstrated familiarity with NATO processes, workflows, and organizational structures.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience integrating AI/ML model outputs into web applications, including optimising model-driven UI/UX elements for real-time interaction.
• Working knowledge of cloud services such as Microsoft Azure or AWS for deploying secure front-end/back-end systems.
• Familiarity with visualisation tools and libraries (e.g., D3.js, Chart.js, Plotly, ggplot2) for presenting actionable insights.
• Experience with agile methods and DevSecOps workflows to optimise team collaboration and secure deployment practices.
• Familiarity with classified networks and regulations concerning authentication, access control, and cybersecurity.
• Capability to create intuitive visual interfaces and dashboards catering to both technical and non-technical users.
• Eligibility and prior experience working with security clearances to operate classified or sensitive systems.

Education

• A Bachelor’s degree or higher from a nationally recognized/certified university in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related discipline OR at least four years of professional experience in full-stack development within the last six 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