Principal Service Engineer, NCI Academy Oeiras

Overview

Principal Service Engineer, NCI Academy is based in Oeiras, Portugal and will join the Architecting and Engineering Team within the Chief Technology Office (CTO), a strategic function leading the NCIA Technology Strategy and related initiatives required to deliver NATO's digital transformation.

Key details

• Role: Principal Service Engineer, NCI Academy
• Organization: NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA)
• Location: Portugal, Oeiras
• Schedule: Full-time
• Application Deadline: 21-Sep-2025, 9:59:00 PM
• Salary (Pay Basis): 8, 638. 00
• Grade: NATO Grade G20

About the job

The Principal Service Engineer, NCI Academy will provide architecting and engineering guidance across all
- led projects and services that support both students and customers. You will serve as the technical bridge between innovative solutions and the Academy’s mission to deliver
- class learning experiences to the NATO community. You will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, drive the design and integration of advanced educational technologies, and ensure that the Academy’s digital transformation aligns with the CTO technology roadmap. You will evolve the Academy’s learning platforms, oversee the modernization of network infrastructures, and champion emerging technologies. This role acts as the technical expert and CTO representative within the Academy, driving innovation in learning initiatives. Areas of focus include the following. "

• Lead Architectural Excellence: Deliver strategic architecting artifacts and engineering design guidance for ICT systems and software projects led by the NCI Academy, ensuring coherence and technical alignment across the learning ecosystem.
• Drive Learning Platform Transformation: Lead the digital transformation of the Academy’s learning platform and applications, integrating
  - edge tools aligned with the CTO roadmap.
• Innovate Learning Delivery: Champion advanced technologies to support and enhance the Academy’s learning delivery.
• Align Unique Network Infrastructure: Oversee the Academy’s bespoke network infrastructure to ensure robust, secure, and scalable connectivity.
• Advance Emerging and Disruptive Technologies: Provide expertise and leadership across courses, projects, and operations.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Act as a trusted advisor to students, customers, and Academy teams; translate vision into actionable solutions.

For the full and detailed list of duties, please review the job description on the NCIA career site.

About you

The essential requirements for this post are:

• A Master’s degree at a nationally recognised/certified University in a related discipline and 5 years
  - related experience. Or a Bachelor’s degree with 8 years post related experience
• Extensive experience leading major ICT system and software architecture and design implementations, technical assessments to major ICT projects, experience with
  - cycle support and with cyber security risks.
• Extensive experience in providing support and guidance to
  - disciplinary technical teams during implementation and operational support of large ICT and/or Software projects
• Extensive experience leading implementation of new and emerging technologies including cloud computing, evaluate the potential impacts, threats and opportunities.
• Extensive experience leading the creation and review of ICT services, systems, architectures and roadmaps for large organizations.
• Extensive experience leading and monitoring the development of domain / segment, and solution design, ensuring consistency with specified requirements.
• At least 5 years of practical experience in developing engineering systems design, planning requirements specification for military CIS/C4ISR systems or similar complex IT systems and driving the architecture to implementation.
• Extensive experience leading the implementation of ICT specific projects for alignment with relevant architectures and roadmaps.
• Sound practical knowledge and experience of service delivery and service provisioning policies, methodologies, processes and tools
• Extensive experience managing relationships with senior stakeholders (internal and external)
• Proven ability to apply analytical and systems thinking to complex problems.
• Proven ability to moderate technical design related discussions with
  - disciplinary teams.
• Proven ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing, with good briefing skills.

One or more of the following would additionally be desirable:

• Working experience in NATO’s committees or working groups.
• Domain knowledge in ICT systems and software for Training and Education
• Knowledge of NATO C3 policies and directives;
• Experience in process analysis, and design techniques, including needs assessment, specification development, planning and gap analysis.
• Knowledge of NATO responsibilities and organization, including ACO and ACT.
• Experience with Cloud Architecting including Iaa
  S, Paa
  S, Cyber Security, Cloud Service Management.
• Knowledge in The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) and Archi
  Mate modelling language, or equivalent.
• Knowledge in ITIL, COBIT, CISSP, or equivalent.

What we offer

• Genuinely meaningful work as part of the most successful alliance in history;
• 3 year contract with competitive
  - free monthly salary of EUR 8, 638 and household and children’s allowances;
• Privileges for expatriate staff including expatriation and education allowances (where appropriate) and additional home leave;
• Excellent private health insurance scheme;
• Generous annual leave of 30 days plus official holidays;
• NATO Pension Scheme;
• Development programs such as professional training, wellbeing, and more.

NCIA prides itself on being an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment of mutual respect and value uniqueness and differences in gender, gender identity, race, ethnic or cultural origin, age, religion, sexual orientation and physical or neurocognitive ability.

Details

• Seniority level: Mid-Senior level
• Employment type: Full-time
• Job function: Engineering and Information Technology
• Industries: Defense and Space Manufacturing