Principal Technician (Digital Communications Services)

NATO; Netherlands; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tax-free salary

Private health insurance

30 days annual leave

NATO Pension Scheme

Development programmes

Job summary

NATO in Brunssum, Netherlands is looking for a skilled network engineer to manage and maintain LAN infrastructure for effective operations. You will be part of a team ensuring robust network performance within a critical organization.

The role includes leading a communications team, along with opportunities for professional training and excellent benefits, such as a competitive tax-free salary, health insurance, and generous annual leave.

Qualifications

• At least 3 years hands-on experience with core network architecture.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.
• Practical experience configuring networking elements.

Responsibilities

• Design, deploy, and maintain LAN environments.
• Manage lifecycle of LAN infrastructure.
• Lead the Digital Communications Services Team.

Skills

Network design

LAN management

Troubleshooting

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Tools

Routers

Switches

Firewalls

Job description

Who we are:

For more than 70 years, NATO's mission has been to preserve peace and security in the Alliance for nearly one billion citizens. The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) and its predecessors have worked tirelessly in providing the means that enable the connectedness and togetherness that keep our Alliance strong. We are the NCIA, a team of 3000 civilian and military staff in 29 locations throughout Europe, North America and Asia.

Our technology and cyber experts allow NATO to conduct critical operations, protect NATO's airspace, make data-driven decisions, defend against cyber-attacks, secure NATO networks and maintain superiority in space. This is all possible because of our greatest force, our people. In order to keep this edge we aim to hire, train and retain the very best staff.

Our staff members represent both the diversity and unity of our Alliance. When you join the NCIA, you will be part of an organization where you can contribute authentically to the mission and purpose of NATO and help us keep our technological edge.

About the job:

Based in Brunssum, The Netherlands, you will join the Agency as we embark on a journey to transform our IT services to support NATO's Digital Endeavour. You will join CSU Brunssum, which is responsible to manage, deliver and maintain assigned Communication and Information Systems (CIS) products and services for the Agency's customers during peacetime, crisis and war throughout its assigned AoR and as otherwise directed. As the local service provider and Service Management Authority (SMA) for Joint Forces Command Brunssum (JFCBS), it supports the NCIA in delivering secure, reliable end-to-end services under the Enterprise Service Delivery Model (ESDM).

• 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.
• Responsible for the full lifecycle management of LAN infrastructure, including provisioning, maintenance, inventory, operations, troubleshooting, and decommissioning.
• Design, deploy, and maintain campus LAN environments
• 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.
• Leads the Digital Communications Services Team and provides SME guidance within the CSU AoR on all network related matters.
• Administers and implements technical solutions relating to Local Area Network (LAN) infrastructure and network security issues and manages the daily operations.
• Carries out LAN infrastructure analysis and configuration in support of the Incident and Problem Management Processes.
• Investigates and proposes long-term solutions to re-occurring problems, and identify areas for greater efficiency.
• Routinely conducts in-depth technical analysis to assess network capacity, improves network performance, contributes to Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans and, where necessary, submits Requests for Change to improve the LAN.
• Responsible for the installation, management, inventory and lifecycles programs of Switches, routers and Wireless Controllers.

About you:

• At least 3 years 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.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Good analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.

What we offer:

• Genuinely meaningful work as part of the most successful alliance in history
• 5 year contract with competitive tax‑free salary and household and children’s allowances
• Privileges for expatriate staff including expatriation and education allowances and additional home leave
• Excellent private health insurance scheme
• Generous annual leave of 30 days plus official holidays
• NATO Pension Scheme
• Development programmes such as professional training, wellbeing and more

The NCIA prides itself as 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, ethnicity or cultural origin, age, religion, sexual orientation and physical or neurocognitive ability.