[5748] Principal Technician (Digital Communication Services)

Start date: March 2026 (Flexible)
Clearance: NATO Secret or equivalent
Location: Mons, Belgium

Duties & Role:

Systems design
• Designs large or complex systems and undertakes impact analysis on major design options and trade-offs;
• Ensures that the system design balances functional and non-functional requirements;
• Reviews systems design and ensures that appropriate methods, tools and techniques are applied effectively;
• Makes recommendations and assesses and manages associated risks;
• Adopts and adapts system design methods, tools and techniques;
• Contributes to development of system design policies, standards and selection of architecture components.

Network design
• Produces, or approves network providers', network architectures, topologies and configuration databases for own area of responsibility;
• Specifies design parameters for network connectivity, capacity, speed, interfacing, security and access, in line with business requirements;
• Assesses network-related risks and specifies recovery routines and contingency procedures;
• Creates multiple design views to address the different stakeholders' concerns and to handle both functional and non-functional requirements.

Systems integration and build
• Plans and drives activities to develop organisational systems integration and build capabilities including automation and continuous integration;
• Identifies, evaluates and manages the adoption of tools, techniques and processes to create a robust integration framework;
• Provides authoritative advice and guidance on any aspect of systems integration;
• Leads integration work in line with the agreed system and service design;
• Assesses risks and takes preventative action;
• Measures and monitors applications of standards;
• Contributes to the development of organisational policies, standards, and guidelines for systems integration.

Network support
• Drafts and maintains procedures and documentation for network support and operation;
• Makes a significant contribution to the investigation, diagnosis and resolution of network problems;
• Ensures that all requests for support are dealt with according to set standards and procedures.

Additional duties for this post:
• Be responsible for implementing, and maintaining network routing infrastructure. Their duties typically include:
• Network Design & Implementation – Plan, configure, and deploy LAN and WLAN networks;
• QoS Optimization – Configure and enhance Quality of Service in LAN and Wireless LAN networks;
• Troubleshooting & Support – Diagnose and resolve LAN issues, including latency, congestion, and failures;
• Security & Compliance – Implement route filtering, prefix lists, and security policies to prevent unauthorized access;
• Capacity Planning – Monitor network usage and plan for scalability and growth;
• Documentation & Reporting – Maintain network diagrams, change logs, and incident reports;
• Collaboration – Work with other teams (e.g., security, data center cloud) to ensure seamless connectivity;
• Software & Firmware Management – Upgrade and patch routers to maintain security and stability;
• Testing & Lab Work – Conduct network simulations and testing before deploying changes;
• On-Call Support – Be available on a rotating basis for after-hours network incidents and escalations
• Enterprise Security Operations Center (ESOC) – Take assigned shifts in the ESOC to monitor and manage network operations in real-time.

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.
• Or 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 NCIA, that is, at least 6 years extensive and progressive expertise in duties related to the function of the post.
• At least 3 years practical experience with the designing, implementing, and maintaining the core network architecture for large organizations;
• Relevant practical experience configuring, troubleshooting and optimizing Wireless LAN Controllers, Routers, Switches, and other hardware/software networking elements;
• Ability to stay updated with emerging technologies;
• Very good communication and interpersonal skills;
• Strong analytical skills and problem-solving attitude;
• Experience in leading small teams.

Education, Experience and Training
(Desirable):
• Knowledge and experience of Network Local Area Network, and Network Wireless Communications;
• Knowledge and experience in applying ITIL principles and methodologies applied to effective Service Management and Control;
• Experience with centralised management systems, e.g., DX NetOps Spectrum, Cisco Catalyst Center, Splunk and/or Cisco ISE;
• Public cloud experience and CSP certifications from Azure, AWS, GCP, Meraki technologies;
• Prior experience of working in an international environment comprising both military and civilian elements;
• Knowledge of NATO responsibilities and organization, including ACO and ACT.
• Valid CCNA Certification or other vendor network certifications are welcome.