Cyberspace Concept Developer and Validator

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

Allied Command Transformation (ACT) is NATOs 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.

The program

Capability Development & Management Support (CDMS)

DCOS Capability Development (CAPDEV) acts as the Supreme Allied Commander Transformations 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 NATOs strategic objectives.

Role Duties and Responsibilities

• Based on NATO operational needs literature review high-level direction and guidance (notably stemming from ACTs Warfare Development Agenda) and guidance from ACT Cyberspace Technical Director identify cyberspace operation capability concepts to be developed.
• For information: Building on previous efforts on Cyberspace Situational Awareness (CySA) follow-on capability concepts are expected to be developed in the area of decision-support and Cyberspace Command and Control (CyC2) to name a few.
• Develop the identified cyberspace operation capability concepts by conducting all the necessary activities including but not limited to initial research input collection concept aim/scope definition concept drafting submission and approval.
• Build and maintain Communities of Interest (NATO organizations Nations Industry Academia) dedicated to the development and implementation of cyberspace operation concepts in close coordination with the Technical Director and ACT Cyberspace Federation & Partnership SME.
• Contribute to experimentation and validation efforts related to the cyberspace operation concepts (feasibility analysis experiment design and preparation assessment etc.) under the guidance of the Technical Director.
• Develop (as lead or contributor) relevant engineering products/artefacts to support cyberspace capability development and implementation. This includes capability requirements identification and definition across all DOTMLPFI aspects Analyses of Alternatives architecture development Information Exchange Requirements definition operational evaluation/validation and interoperability assessment.
• Support and contribute to other warfare development activities related to concept implementation and engineering (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 NATOs boundaries for up to 20 days per year.
• Perform additional tasks related to the contract as required by the COTR.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Hands-on experience in system engineering activities including definition implementation and engineering of operational/military concepts throughout the complete capability life cycle is 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 cyberspace concepts specifications architectures functional analysis 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).
• Demonstrated experience in planning coordinating and executing workshops for various stakeholders including governmental agencies academia and industry.

Education

• Masters degree in engineering systems engineering or computer science. A bachelors degree and 5 years of recent experience in system engineering capability concept development and implementation in a military context will be considered in lieu of a masters 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