Provision of Operational Acceptance support to SHAPE
Duties
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Monitor and analyse CIS projects and services, tracking project milestones, requirements, scope, timelines, costs, dependencies and changes.
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Prepare project progress reports, dashboards and dependency matrices to support management oversight and decision-making.
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Identify, assess and monitor operational risks, project issues and critical dependencies, recommending corrective and mitigation actions.
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Maintain project risk registers and conduct periodic risk assessments and reviews.
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Develop and maintain Operational Acceptance Criteria (OAC) based on operational requirements, functionality, performance and user needs.
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Plan, coordinate, execute and assess User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and Operational Acceptance Testing (OAT) for new or modified CIS systems and services.
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Review test plans, test cases, requirements traceability matrices and test documentation to ensure acceptance requirements are met.
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Conduct or witness service-based testing, operational testing and evaluation, performance, availability, failover and end-to-end service testing.
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Establish service baselines and assess readiness for site acceptance, user acceptance, operational acceptance and transition to service.
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Identify, document and track defects, acceptance deficiencies and residual risks, ensuring corrective actions or acceptable workarounds are implemented.
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Support the transition of delivered systems and services into operational use, ensuring they meet agreed requirements with minimal mission impact.
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Coordinate with NCIA Project Managers, ACO Senior Requirements Owners, operational requirements managers and other technical and business stakeholders.
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Produce and contribute to project review reports, operational acceptance reports, test reports, corrective action reports and acceptance dashboards.
Requirements
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Master of Science (MSc) degree in Computer Science, Engineering or a related discipline from a nationally recognised or certified university, with at least 5 years of relevant post-degree experience.
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Minimum 3 years of experience in CIS project and service analysis, monitoring and reporting.
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Minimum 3 years of experience in planning and executing acceptance testing activities.
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Minimum 3 years of experience with ITIL v3.
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Minimum 3 years of experience in CIS projects involving core communications and IT infrastructure.
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Knowledge of NATO responsibilities, organisation and operational environment.
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Knowledge of software, system and service lifecycle management and quality management, preferably within a PRINCE2 and ITIL environment.
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Working-level knowledge of Microsoft Office, Microsoft Project, Visio and SharePoint.
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Working knowledge of JIRA.
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Strong analytical, reporting, coordination and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify risks, assess dependencies and recommend corrective actions.
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Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, including preparing reports and delivering briefings.
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Valid NATO Secret security clearance, maintained in accordance with the contract requirements.
Desirable qualifications
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PMP certification.
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PRINCE2 Foundation or Practitioner certification.
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ISTQB Foundation Level certification.
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Experience with NATO CIS projects involving software applications for the Operational Digital Workplace.
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Experience working in an international environment comprising military and civilian personnel.
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Knowledge of NATO responsibilities and organisation, including Allied Command Operations (ACO) and Allied Command Transformation (ACT).
Location: Primarily on-site at SHAPE Headquarters, Mons, Belgium, with possible activities in The Hague and other ACO locations.
Contract duration: 1 January–31 December 2027, with a possible one-year extension into 2028.