Deadline Date: Thursday 28 May 2026
Requirement: Operations and Exercises Network Engineer
Location: Mons, BE
Full Time On-Site: Yes
Time On-Site: 100%
Total Scope of the request (hours): 1000
Required Start Date: 13 July 2026
End Contract Date: 31 December 2026
Required Security Clearance: NATO SECRET
Duties & Role:
The Network Engineer operates within a highly complex, multi-domain environment supporting mission-critical services and distributed architectures. The role combines advanced technical expertise with strong operational accountability, ensuring secure, resilient, and scalable interconnectivity across organizational boundaries. Beyond incident resolution, the position contributes to service evolution, risk-aware change implementation, and continuous improvement initiatives within a change-sensitive environment. Under the direction of the Senior Routing and Switching Engineer, but largely under own initiative. The incumbent will perform project duties such as the following:
- Provide advanced Level 3 support for complex enterprise network environments.
- Lead the technical resolution of high-impact and high-severity incidents.
- Perform in-depth analysis of recurring issues and implement sustainable corrective actions.
- Identify opportunities for service optimization and operational improvements, and drive their implementation.
- Contribute to the design, planning, and implementation of network enhancements and new projects.
- Ensure technical correctness, operational readiness, and minimal service impact during changes and deployments.
- Validate and support network changes in line with governance and change management processes.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, external partners, and service stakeholders.
- Maintain accurate technical documentation and contribute to knowledge sharing within the team.
- Ensure that, on Routing and Switching elements, remote routine maintenance throughout NATO sites is performed
- Coordinate with sites for Routing and Switching elements centralisation, standardisation and best practices
- Liaise and collaborate internally throughout the NCI Agency Service Line infrastructures and to external organisations for fault rectification activities
- Being responsible for the creation and maintenance of Standard Operating Procedures
- Coordinates and performs routing infrastructures design, configuration and maintenance activities for all appointed NATO exercise scenarios and Operations
- Performing the practical evaluation of management tools and capabilities
- Ensure a common understanding of the available toolsets and method of utilization within the centralised and distributed user base
- Investigating and proposing long term solutions to encountered equipment and configuration problems
- When required, coordinates on-site surveys, validations and system acceptance testing into the Routing infrastructure.
Requirements
Skill, Knowledge & Experience:
- The candidate must have a currently active NATO SECRET security clearance
- A minimum requirement of a Bachelor's degree at a nationally recognised/certified University in a related discipline and 2 years post-related experience.
- Alternatively, exceptionally, the lack of a university degree may be compensated by the demonstration of a candidate's particular abilities or experience that is/are of interest to NCI Agency, that is, at least 8 years extensive and progressive expertise in duties related to the function of the post.
- At least 8 years' progressive experience in complex network engineering roles.
- Design, implementation and support scalable enterprise network infrastructures leveraging BGP, MPLS, IPv6, OSPF, IS-IS, IP multicast, Software-Defined WAN (SD-WAN). Active CCNP (Enterprise, Service Provider) certification is required.
- Deep knowledge of BGP, including route reflectors, confederations, communities, path manipulation, and filtering (iBGP, eBGP, policy control).
- Proficient in QoS design, shaping, policing, and classification techniques for converged networks. Extensive experience in fine-tuning QoS policies to support mission-critical applications and voice services. Knowledge of QoS configuration and traffic classification models (CBWFQ, LLQ and WRED).
- Proven expertise in IPv6 implementation, troubleshooting and dual-stack environments with a strong focus on IPv6 adoption and transition strategies.
- Deep knowledge and experience with: policy-based routing, route aggregation and summarization, redistribution, VRF, MPLS traffic engineering.
- In-depth knowledge of multicast protocols (PIM sparse/dense mode, IGMP, MSDP, Anycast RP) and their use in real-world deployments. Configuration and troubleshooting of multicast protocols.
- Proficient in datacenter and switching technologies (STP, MSTP, RapidPVST, EtherChannel, LACP, Virtual Stack, StackWise, Cisco Nexus NX-OS, Spine-Leaf Architecture, VXLAN).
- Strong troubleshooting skills with tools like Wireshark, NetFlow and SNMP. Knowledge of network monitoring concepts.
- Hands-on experience with SD-WAN technologies.
- Familiarity with DevNet, API integrations, and network programmability.
- Knowledge of network security best practices (ACLs, firewalls, VPNs, IPSec, AAA, Role Based Access Control, Public Key Infrastructure, security-hardening concepts).
- Proficient in network automation and scripting (Python, Ansible, Terraform).
- A minimum of 2 years' experience with the configuration and operation of HP Network Automation or equivalent network automation and orchestration systems
- A minimum of 4 years' experience with the configuration and operation of Network Monitoring and Event Management systems ideally CA Spectrum,
- Proven experience in the use of an Incident Management System such as BMC Remedy A high level of knowledge of network, system and application-level troubleshooting techniques.
- Comprehensive knowledge of the principles of command-and-control systems. Extensive technical management expertise in C2 management Broad knowledge of C2 systems and software maintenance procedures
- Experience in Site and Systems Evaluation and Inspection
- Experience of preparing test plans, technical documentation and Standard Operating Procedures.
- Good interpersonal skills and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
- Autonomous, problem-solver and drives towards results Experience in configuration management practices and tools
- Knowledge of ITIL IT service management model.
- Experience and applied knowledge of Service Transition
Desirable Experience and Education:
- Active CCIE (R&S, Enterprise Infrastructure or Service Provider) certification is desirable.
- Prior experience of working in an international environment comprising both military and civilian elements
- Knowledge of NATO responsibilities, structure and organization, including ACO and ACT.
