Engineer (Test, Verification and Validation)

NATO offers you more than a job. It gives you a mission: building peace and security for one billion people in Europe and North America. The NATO Communications & Information Agency is leading NATO’s Digital Endeavour. We are NATO’s technology and cyber leaders, helping NATO Nations to communicate and work together in smarter ways. Our work is challenging and meaningful, and you will develop and apply your expertise as part of a dynamic international team of civilian and military professionals. Come and be part of the most successful alliance in history.

This is a position within the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), an organization of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The NCIA has been established with a view to meeting to the best advantage the collective requirements of some or all NATO nations in the fields of capability delivery and service provision related to Consultation, Command & Control as well as Communications, Information and Cyber Defence functions, thereby also facilitating the integration of Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Target Acquisition functions and their associated information exchange.

We are looking for a talented Engineer (Test, Verification and Validation) who will work within the Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) team with a focus on manual and automated testing. This is an ideal position for someone with a development background who can understand code developed by others (Java, .NET and other technologies) and can develop automated testes and manual tests to verify that products are fit for purpose and can contribute to the Agency's DevOps journey.

The Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) service line is responsible for the agency-wide governance of all verification and validation aspects across the full service and capability life-cycle; and, for the provision of IV&V services and facilities to support other service lines and programme offices in IV&V-related activities such as quality and change management. The IV&V service line supports other agency service lines with independent verification (executed on service line facilities or a common NCI Agency facility) and validation on IV&V facilities.

The Independent Verification and Validation, Test and Evaluation section is responsible for the testing of all projects, services, exercises and interoperability events. It also provides additional system administration services, in conjunction with the facilities section, in support of test and reference environments.

Role Responsibilities
Under the direction of the Section Head TV&V Facilities, and for services the Service Delivery Manager; you will perform testing in support of projects, services, exercises and interoperability events by:

• Reviewing contractor produced test plans, test cases and test reports;
• Supervising staff in execution of TVV duties;
• Supporting project, services and event stakeholders in the preparation leading up to a test event;
• Participating in unit, system and integration testing for internal projects;
• Reviewing or witnessing unit, system and integration test results for external projects;
• Filling role of IV&V Engineer in projects and other events by assisting with event preparations, witnessing dry-runs and witnessing formal events to confirm requirements compliance and defect status;
• Performing testing in support of change management and RFC evaluation;
• Producing test plans, test cases and test reports as required;
• Providing recommendations to TVV Managers, line management, Service Delivery Managers and change managers regarding project, services, exercise and RFC TVV;
• Assisting NATO Quality Assurance Representatives in the production of Quality Assurance reports;
• Designing, configuring and developing test and test management tools;

Operate and maintain, as required, various reference, service infrastructures and community-of-interest environments used by IV&V Service Line and its customers by:

• Configuring environments in preparation for test events;
• Supervising staff in the configuration and operation of facilities;
• Ensuring the environment is patched and updated as required;
• Performing operating, maintaining and custodial functions for crypto equipment;
• Performing necessary backup and restore activities;
• Operating and maintaining test management tools used in conjunction with the references environments;
• Ensuring proper change and configuration management practices are put in place for these environments;
• Ensuring environments comply with NATO security requirements;
• Ensuring reference environments replicate production environments, to ensure test activities are conducted in a suitable environment;
• Providing monthly management reporting regarding status and availability of reference environments

Further on, you will:

• Execute duties of a service delivery provider, when required;

• Provide recommendations to IV&V SL Managers regarding improvements/lessons-learned as they apply to test events and reference environments practices;

• Maintain necessary documentation and audit trail of all activities conducted;
  Contribute to NATO and the NCI Agency IV&V strategy, policies and plans, and execution;
• Participate in design, evaluation and procurement, implementation and operation for Reference, Service infrastructures and Testing Services equipment and facilities;
• Ensure test management tools used for IVV requests, RFC tracking, project, service tracking, exercise/interoperability tracking are used consistent with SL Directions and process/procedural guidance;
• Identify skills requirements and training needs for IV&V Staff;
• Assist with recruitment of staff for the IV&V Service Line as required;
• Deputize for higher grade staff, if required;
• Perform other duties as may be required. 

Person Specification

Qualifications Required

A Master of Science (MSc) degree at a nationally recognised/certified University in a related discipline (Quality Management, Computer Science or Engineering), with 2 years post-related experience; or a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree at a nationally recognised/certified University in a related discipline, with 4 years post related experience.  Exceptionally, the lack of a degree may be compensated by a lower academic qualification combined with the demonstration of particular abilities or experience of relevance to this post, with a minimum of 10 years relevant experience.

Experience Required

• Experience as a tester or independent verification and validation engineer, during all phases of the project lifecycle;
• Experience in using ITIL v3;
• Knowledge of ISTQB foundation principles;
• Windows and Linux/Unix;
• Systems administration experience;
• Testing experience;
• Experience using, supporting designing, operating, maintaining and testing virtualized environments;
• Experience using, supporting designing, operating, maintaining and testing LANs and WANs;
• Experience as a tester or independent verification and validation engineer, during all phases of the project lifecycle;
• Knowledge of software/system/service life cycle management;
• Working-level knowledge of MS-Office, Project, Visio and SharePoint;

The following will be considered as an advantage:

• Advanced certification in the area of testing;
• Experience with cryptographic equipment;
• Experience with MS-Exchange and SharePoint;
• Experience in the implementation of ITIL Service Management;
• Prior experience of working in an international environment comprising both military and civilian elements;
• Knowledge of NATO responsibilities and organization including ACO and ACT.

Language Proficiency
A thorough knowledge of one of the two NATO languages, both written and spoken, is essential and some knowledge of the other is desirable. NOTE: Most of the work of the NCI Agency is conducted in the English language.

Competencies or Personal Attributes
Working with People - Shows respect for the views and contributions of other team members; shows empathy; listens, supports and cares for others; consults others and shares information and expertise with them; builds team spirit and reconciles conflict; adapts to the team and fits in well.

Relating and Networking - Easily establishes good relationships with customers and staff; relates well to people at all levels; builds wide and effective networks of contacts; uses humour appropriately to bring warmth to relationships with others.

Presenting and Communicating Information - Speaks fluently; expresses opinions, information and key points of an argument clearly; makes presentations and undertakes public speaking with skill and confidence; responds quickly to the needs of an audience and to their reactions and feedback; projects credibility.

Writing and Reporting - Writes convincingly; writes clearly, succinctly and correctly; avoids the unnecessary use of jargon or complicated language; writes in a well-structured and logical way; structures information to meet the needs and understanding of the intended audience.

Delivering Results and Meeting Customer Expectations - Focuses on customer needs and satisfaction; sets high standards for quality and quantity; monitors and maintains quality and productivity; works in a systematic, methodical and orderly way; consistently achieves project goals.

Adapting and Responding to Change - Adapts to changing circumstances; tolerates ambiguity; accepts new ideas and change initiatives; adapts interpersonal style to suit different people or situations; shows an interest in new experiences.

Travel
Business travel to NATO and national (NATO and non-NATO) facilities as well as frequent travel between the NCIA offices; you may be required to undertake duty travel to operational theatres inside and outside NATO boundaries.

Contract

NCI Agency normally offers contracts of employment of a definite duration, not exceeding three years. Contracts may be for less than three years as required to support short-term projects, meet uncertainty with respect to the business outlook, staff performance and other factors.

Definite duration contracts may be extended for further periods. When extending contracts, the following is taken into consideration:

• Renewal is in the interest of the Agency;
• Staff member's desire to remain with the Agency;
• The financial situation provides sufficient funding for the post held;
• The skills, competencies and behaviours, potential and work experience of the staff, versus the requirements of the Agency's work and/or availability of funding;
• Staff member has served the Agency with performance to the required standard as defined by the Agency;
• Staff member's deployability to operational theatre.

Serving civilian members of NATO will be offered a contract in accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations.

The first six months of definite duration contracts are a probationary period. During this period the staff member's work is assessed to ensure that he/she has the ability to carry out the duties of the post. At or before the end of the probationary period, the staff member will be notified in writing that the appointment is confirmed or terminated or, in exceptional cases, that the probationary period is extended.

What do we offer?

• Excellent tax-free salary (5,781.30 Euro Monthly), including (where eligible) expatriation household and children's allowances and additional privileges for expatriate staff;
• Education allowance for children (where appropriate) and an excellent private health insurance scheme;
• Generous annual leave and home leave (if eligible);
• Retirement Pension Plan.

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Please note that due to the Agency’s transition into a new structure in the near future, this post may be subject to transfer to one of our other locations, as well as to a change of reporting lines. The final decision will be made at the time of a firm offer.The Agency’s recruitment team advises you that due to the large volume of applications it receives the screening process may take up to 2 months after closing date.

We appreciate your patience.