CDT-0012 Ontology Engineering Support Services (NS) - TUE 12 May

Deadline Date: Tuesday 12 May 2026

Requirement: Ontology Engineering Support Services

Location: Brussels, BE

Full Time On-Site: Yes

Time On-Site: 100%

Total Scope of the request (hours): 1087

Required Start Date: No Later Than 17 June 2026

End Contract Date: 31 December 2026

Required Security Clearance: NATO SECRET

Special Terms and Conditions: The contractor will be responsible for complying with the respective national requirements for working permits, visas, taxes, social security etc. whilst working on site at NATO HQ Brussels, Belgium. No special status is either conferred or implied by the host organisation, NATO HQ Brussels, Belgium to the contractor whilst working on site. If the successful candidate is allowed to work remotely, travel to NATO HQ for meetings will be at the candidate's expense. Travel to other locations will be reimbursed as if the travel originated in Brussels. Attendance at these meetings is mandatory.

1. INTRODUCTION

Cyber Digital Transformation Division (CDT) drives the end-to-end transformation of NATO's Military and Non-Military Instruments of Power, enabled by digital technologies, to enhance the Alliance's ability to execute its core tasks in a Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) environment. In particular, increase Alliance Digital Interoperability, support the modernisation of NATO's Standardization processes, and enable the adoption of data exploitation capabilities and AI.

The contractor shall support NATO's digital transformation by developing and advancing communications and networking standards that enable persistent, secure, and policy-compliant consultation, command, and control networks in support of Multi-Domain Operations (MDO).

We are looking for a well-rounded professional with excellent technical and communication skills as well as experience in the military domain. NATO knowledge would constitute an asset.

2. TASKS

The Ontology Engineering Support Services require a professional who is responsible for the analysis, coordination, development, and maintenance of standardization and terminology activities related to digital interoperability in support of the Military Committee (MC), Digital Policy Committee (DPC) and other Tasking Authorities. This work includes but is not limited to, the development of NATO Ontologies and operationalization of Ontology Governance for NATO.

The incumbent will work closely with operational users, engineers, National SMEs, the Custodian of the relevant specifications and other NATO stakeholders. The Ontology Engineering Expert will support the Interoperability and Standardization Section (ISS) as a cross-functional resource, supporting consistent production of Standards for digital technologies that are part of the portfolio of NATO data standards. The contractor shall provide the following services in an effective and timely manner:

2.1 Requirements Analysis and Stakeholder Engagement

Description: The contractor shall engage with relevant stakeholders, including committees, subject matter experts, custodians, operational and technical bodies, to elicit, analyse, and validate requirements related to ontology engineering, data standards, and interoperability. This includes translating complex operational and technical needs into clear, actionable, and testable requirements that inform downstream development and standardization activities.

Measurement: Success will be measured by the delivery of stakeholder-approved requirements documentation, the establishment and maintenance of traceability between requirements and delivered artefacts, and evidence of consistent stakeholder engagement through documented interactions, decisions, and feedback.

Timeline: Continuously throughout the period of performance.

2.2 Ontology Engineering and Lifecycle Management

Description: The contractor shall design, develop, integrate, and maintain ontologies supporting NATO operational and technical use cases. This includes ensuring compliance with agreed standards, enabling interoperability across systems, and managing ontology artefacts through controlled lifecycle processes, including versioning, validation, and updates.

Measurement: Success will be measured by the delivery of production-ready ontology models compliant with agreed standards, successful integration into designated systems or knowledge graphs, and the maintenance of version-controlled artefacts with complete and auditable change histories.

Timeline: Development by the end of the 3rd Quarter 2026. Updates and maintenance shall be continuous throughout the remaining period of performance.

2.3 Semantic Artefacts Development and Management

Description: The contractor shall develop and maintain semantic artefacts, including taxonomies, thesauri, dictionaries, and code lists, to ensure consistency of terminology and structured data usage across NATO systems and initiatives. These artefacts shall align with NATO terminology directive and applicable standardization policies.

Measurement: Success will be measured by the delivery and publication of approved semantic artefacts in designated repositories, demonstrated alignment with NATO terminology standards, and evidence of reuse or adoption across multiple systems, programmes, or use cases.

Timeline: Initial development by the end of Q3 2026, with updates and maintenance performed continuously thereafter.

2.4 Data Standards Development and Harmonization

Description: The contractor shall contribute to the development, review, and harmonization of NATO data standards, ensuring alignment with ISO standards and NATO standardization artefacts. This includes supporting the modernization of standardization processes and improving interoperability across military and non-military domains.

Measurement: Success will be measured by the delivery and acceptance of data standards contributions by relevant governance bodies, demonstrated compliance with applicable standards, and evidence of improved interoperability or reduction of data inconsistencies.

Timeline: Delivery of proposed solutions by the end of Q4 2026.

2.5 Ontology Governance and Architecture Alignment

Description: The contractor shall define and implement governance processes for ontology lifecycle management, including roles, responsibilities, workflows, and quality assurance mechanisms. The contractor shall ensure that ontology and data artefacts are aligned with the NATO Enterprise Architecture Framework (NAF v4.1) and model-driven development practices.

Measurement: Success will be measured by the delivery and formal endorsement of a governance framework, evidence of its implementation across relevant stakeholders, and demonstrated alignment with enterprise architecture artefacts and governance processes.

Timeline: Framework development by the end of Q3 2026, with implementation and continuous application thereafter.

2.6 Integration, Data Exploitation, and AI Enablement

Description: The contractor shall support the integration of ontologies into knowledge graphs and operational systems, enabling advanced data exploitation and supporting artificial intelligence and machine learning use cases. This includes ensuring compatibility with secure cloud environments and supporting DataOps and MLOps practices, where applicable.

Measurement: Success will be measured by the successful integration of ontology-driven models into operational environments, demonstrated support to data exploitation or AI use cases, and achievement of agreed performance, interoperability, and scalability benchmarks.

Timeline: Initial integration capabilities delivered by the end of Q4 2026, with continuous enhancement and support thereafter.

2.7 Reporting, Briefings, and Cross-Functional Coordination

Description: The contractor shall prepare and deliver briefings, presentations, and reports to NATO committees, capability panels, and working groups, and shall coordinate activities across stakeholders to ensure alignment, transparency, and effective progress of all assigned tasks.

Measurement: Success will be measured by the timely delivery of high-quality reports and presentations, documented coordination activities and decisions, and stakeholder feedback demonstrating clarity, relevance, and effectiveness of communication.

Timeline: Continuously throughout the period of performance.

2.8 Support to Unforeseen and Ad Hoc Requirements

Description: The contractor shall provide support to unforeseen or ad hoc requirements within the scope of ontology engineering, data standardization, and interoperability, as requested and prioritised by CDT. Such support shall be subject to mutual agreement on scope, effort, and priority.

Measurement: Success will be measured by the timely and effective delivery of agreed support activities, as documented in tasking requests, and acceptance of outputs by CDT.

Timeline: Continuously throughout the period of performance.

3. PROFILE

[See Requirements]

4. LOCATION OF DUTY

The contractor will be embedded within CDT at NATO HQ, Brussels Belgium, working in close coordination with the Interoperability and Standardization Section (ISS) within the Strategy and Policy Directorate, the NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA), Capability Panels, and other stakeholders.

The services are to be provided on-site or via teleworking where relevant (NATO nation only) on a case-by-case basis, subject to management approval.

5. TIMELINES

5.1: The services of the contractor are required for the period starting as soon as possible but no later than 17 June 2026 until 31 December 2026.

5.2: A contract extension is possible for the calendar year 2027. The contract extensions are subject to performance of the contractor and related NATO regulations and budget availability.

6. SPECIFIC WORKING CONDITIONS

The work will be performed in an office-based environment within a secure setting, under standard working hours. Occasional non-standard working hours may be required to support urgent or high-priority tasks.

7. TRAVEL

7.1: The contractor will be expected to undertake business travel in support of specification development and coordination with ontology engineering stakeholders across NATO entities.

7.2: The frequency and duration of travel will depend on operational requirements and tasking needs.

7.3: Travel expenses will be reimbursed to the individual directly (in addition to the hourly rate) under NATO rules. Travel to Shape will not be reimbursed.

8. SECURITY AND NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT

8.1: The contractor must hold, or be capable of obtaining, a NATO SECRET security clearance.

8.2: The contractor will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement prior to commencing work.

Requirements

REQUIREMENTS

• The candidate must possess a university degree in a relevant engineering or technical field such as computer science, mathematics, physics, artificial intelligence, or cognitive science, or an equivalent technical qualification.
• The candidate must have comprehensive knowledge of structured information and data analysis techniques and/or business analysis leading to the development of automated systems.
• The candidate must have comprehensive knowledge of ontology and taxonomy development, including integration with knowledge graphs and modelling of complex entity relationships.
• The candidate must demonstrate strong analytical capabilities, including the ability to analyse complex technical data and system specifications and apply conceptual thinking to problem-solving.
• The candidate must demonstrate a strong interoperability mindset and the ability to operate effectively in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.
• The candidate must have at least two (2) years of demonstrated experience in software engineering and/or data modelling in a national or military context, including knowledge of systems interoperability at both governance and operational levels. Demonstrated experience working with national or international standards (e.g. ISO, CEN, CENELEC, NIST, AFNOR, DIN) is essential.
• The candidate must have demonstrated experience working in secure cloud-based environments.
• The candidate must have good knowledge of Enterprise Architecture methods and model-driven development approaches such as TOGAF and ArchiMate.
• The candidate must have good knowledge of data engineering and AI-enabling capabilities. Experience with DataOps, MLOps, and cloud-based data environments is desirable.
• The candidate must have knowledge of high-level programming languages and frameworks. Experience with technologies such as Python, TensorFlow, or PyTorch is desirable.
• The candidate must demonstrate strong communication and presentation skills, including the ability to support briefings and translate complex technical concepts into clear and actionable requirements.
• The candidate must demonstrate strong project management skills and knowledge of agile delivery practices.
• Knowledge of NATO Data Governance and Management policies and supporting directives is desirable.
• Knowledge of the NATO Digital Policy Committee (DPC) and its substructure is desirable.
• Knowledge of NATO standardization artefacts, including STANAGs, Allied Data Publications (ADatP), and Standards Related Documents (SRD), is desirable.
• Knowledge of ontology and semantic web standards is desirable. Experience with standards such as OWL 2 DL and SPARQL is desirable.
• Experience in software development for interfaces, including APIs, object-based development, web applications, and data processing, is desirable.
• The candidate must hold, or be capable of obtaining, a NATO SECRET security clearance.