C004235 Principal Technician (Digital Comm. Services) (CTS) - THU 2 Oct RELAUNCH

Previously proposed candidates were not compliant for the following reason:

• No MPLS experience, required for the position

Clarification question received:

Would you accept a candidate with NATO Secret clearance, for whom after the award we would apply for Cosmic Top Secret clearance? • Yes we do accept NS Clearance, and after application for CTS must be submitted by the company.

Deadline Date: Thursday 2 October 2025

Requirement: Principal Technician (Digital Communication Services)

Location: Braine-l'Alleud, BE

Full Time On-Site: Yes

Time On-Site: 100%

Total Scope of the request (hours): 248

Required Start Date: 7 November 2025

End Contract Date: 31 December 2025

Required Security Clearance: NATO COSMIC TOP SECRET (NS with CTS in process acceptable)

Duties and Role:  

Systems design

• Follows standard approaches and established design patterns to create new designs for simple systems or system components.
• Identifies and resolves minor design issues.
• Identifies alternative design options and seeks guidance when deviating from established design patterns.

Network design

• Specifies the technical configurations and components required for a small network or a network segment in a more complex infrastructure.
• Follows organisational architectures and standards.

Systems integration and build

• Defines the software modules needed for an integration build and produces a build definition for each generation of the software.
• Accepts completed software modules, ensuring that they meet defined criteria.
• Produces software builds from software source code for loading onto target hardware.
• Configures the hardware and software environment as required by the system being integrated.
• Produces integration test specifications, conducts tests and records and reports on outcomes.
• Diagnoses faults and records and reports on the results of tests.
• Produces system integration reports.

Network support

• Maintains the network support process and checks that all requests for support are dealt with according to agreed procedures.
• Ensures network configurations are applied to meet operational requirements in line with agreed procedures.
• Uses network management software and tools to investigate and diagnose network problems, collect performance statistics and create reports.

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 routing protocols (e.g., OSPF, BGP, IS-IS).
• LA/WAN Optimization – Optimize routing tables and traffic flow for performance and redundancy.
• Troubleshooting & Support – Diagnose and resolve routing 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 centre, 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 Rotation – Take assigned shifts in the ESOC to monitor and manage network operations in real-time.

Skill, Knowledge & Experience:

• The candidate must have a currently active NATO COSMIC TOP SECRET security clearance
• Hands-on experience with the designing, implementing, and maintaining the core network architecture for large organizations.
• Practical experience configuring, troubleshooting and optimizing routers, switches, firewalls, and other hardware/software networking elements.
• CCNA Routing and Switching or similar training/certification.
• At least 2 years practical experience with the designing, implementing, and maintaining the core network architecture for large organizations.
• Good practical experience configuring, troubleshooting and optimizing routers, switches, firewalls, and other hardware/software networking elements.

Knowledge and experience of the following domains:

• Routing and Protocol Expertise: Proficiency in dynamic routing protocols (OSPF, BGP, IS-IS) and traffic engineering techniques, with a strong foundation in IPv4/IPv6 networking. MPLS, IPv6, Segment Routing, QoS.
• SD-WAN and Network Virtualization: Hands-on experience deploying, managing, and optimizing SD-WAN solutions for modern enterprise environments. Software Defined (SDx) (e.g. SDN, SD-WAN, SDDC, SASE) Network Functions Virtualization (NFV)
• Troubleshooting and Automation: Advanced troubleshooting skills combined with knowledge of network automation tools (e.g., Python, Ansible) for efficient configuration and monitoring.
• Prior experience of working in an international environment comprising both military and civilian elements
• Knowledge of NATO responsibilities and organization, including ACO and ACT.
• Cisco or other network manufacturer certifications are welcome.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Good analytical skills and problem-solving attitude.