2025-0159 Support for Cloud Service Management (NS) REMOTE - 27 May

Deadline Date:  Tuesday, 27 May 2025
 
Requirement:   Support for Cloud Service Management
 
Location:  Off-Site
 
Not to Exceed: 2025 BASE: 74,520 EUR ( 4 Sprints at NTE 12,420 EUR each)
 
Period of Performance:  BASE period: 25 June 2025, 2026 Option, 2027 Option, 2028 Option
 
Required Security Clearance:  NATO SECRET
 
Introduction:

• Supporting NATO throughout all its geographical locations, the NCI Agency is looking for Support for Cloud Service Management, joining the journey of NATO’s modernisation of IT services, through leveraging the public cloud (Microsoft Azure, M365 and Amazon AWS), delivering managed, protected, security-centric and reliable IT Services. NCI Agency – Cloud Operations Center
• The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) is dedicated to supporting NATO's strategic objectives, including the ambitious NATO 2030 agenda. As part of this commitment, we are spearheading the modernization and digital transformation of NATO’s IT services. Our focus is on leveraging public cloud technologies like Microsoft 365 and Intune, incorporating a security-by-design approach, and ensuring a seamless transition to a modern, collaborative workplace environment.
• To achieve these goals, we are building a Cloud Operations Center under the Cloud Portfolio, operating under the NATO Enterprise Cloud Operating Model (NECOM) and under the guidance of the Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE). The NECOM framework provides a standardized approach for cloud service management, ensuring interoperability, scalability, and security across NATO's IT infrastructure. The Cloud Center of Excellence will serve as a hub for best practices, innovation, and expertise, driving the adoption and optimization of cloud technologies within NATO. This team will play a crucial role in our journey towards providing managed, protected, and reliable End User Services.
• Embracing the latest technological advancements, this initiative will foster innovation and ensure NATO remains at the cutting edge of IT capabilities. By continuously evolving and integrating new technologies, we aim to enhance operational efficiency and readiness for future challenges. This remote position offers an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of NATO's technological evolution and contribute to the security and efficiency of our operations.
• NCI Agency – Cloud Centre of Excellence (CCoE)
• The Cloud Centre of Excellence (CCoE) within the NCI Agency is focused on driving successful cloud adoption and maximizing the potential of cloud technologies across the organization. It serves as a central governing body, promoting best practices, enabling knowledge sharing, and ensuring alignment between business objectives and cloud initiatives. The CCoE supports various cloud-based solutions, ensuring their effective and efficient implementation and management. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, the CCoE helps the NCI Agency leverage cloud technologies to enhance operational efficiency, scalability, and agility.
• The ideal candidate will have expertise in Cloud Service Management processes and public cloud financial operations. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills are required.

• The NCI Agency is embracing cloud services by transitioning to IaaS, PaaS and SaaS services provided by public cloud providers. This shift aims to enhance operational efficiency, collaboration, and security across the organization. We are looking for service providers with strong knowledge, a willingness to learn, and a desire to grow as part of this new challenge.
• The objective of this statement of work is to establish a support for maintaining operational efficiency and financial accountability within the NCI Agency managed cloud environment.

• Provide support for ITSM processes, including incident, problem, and change management.
• Ensure adherence to ITSM best practices and policies.
• Assist in documenting ITSM activities and maintaining process efficiency.
• Collaborate with internal teams to improve IT service delivery.

• Develop and maintain dashboards to track operational and financial metrics.
• Generate reports on system performance, incident trends, and cloud expenditures.
• Work with stakeholders to define key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Utilize reporting tools to provide insights and recommendations for improvements.

• Monitor and manage cloud expenses across multiple cloud providers (i.e. AWS, Azure,).
• Track and analyse cloud resource usage and cost allocation.
• Implement cost optimization strategies in coordination with engineering and finance teams.

• Support budget planning and forecasting for cloud expenditures.
• Assist in invoice processing, reconciliation, and financial reporting.
• Work with procurement and finance teams to manage vendor contracts and cloud service agreements.
• Ensure compliance with financial governance policies related to cloud spending.

• Supports and monitors the implementation of IT service changes and procedures
• Determines methods and processes for IT service changes
• Provides status reports for implemented IT service changes to senior management.
• Generates schedule and time estimates for IT service changes.

• The contractor shall participate in daily status update meetings, activity planning and other meetings as instructed, via electronic means using Conference Call capabilities, according to the Operation Managers / Team Leaders instructions.
• For each sprint to be considered as complete and payable, the contractor must report the outcome of his/her work during the sprint, first verbally during the retrospective meeting and then in written within three (3) days after the sprint’s end date. The format of this report shall be a short email to the NCIA Point of Contact mentioning briefly the work held and the development achievements during the sprint.

• All the deliverables provided under this statement of work will be based on NCI Agency templates or agreed with the project point of contact.
• All code, scripts, documentation, etc. will be stored under configuration management and/or in the provided NCI Agency tools.

• To deliver services under this SoW require a valid NATO SECRET security clearance.
• All the deliverables of this project will be considered NATO UNCLASSIFIED, while access to networks exceeding this classification level is required.
• With this role being of technical nature providing administrative support, a security clearance at the NATO Secret level is required prior to the start of the engagement.

• The contractor will be required to work remote as part of this engagement. The Cloud Operations Center Team is located in BRAINE L’ALLEUD /BEL, with working hours to be adjusted accordingly.
• The contractor will be required to work within a NATO country, following the rules and regulations applicable for the operations of NATO CIS.
• This contractor hired for this position will collaborate with the NCIA Cloud Operation Center team.

• Experience in ITSM processes and support.
• Strong knowledge of reporting and dashboarding tools (e.g., Power BI, ServiceNow reporting).
• Familiarity with public cloud financial management (AWS Cost Explorer, Azure Cost Management, etc.).
• Understanding of cloud cost optimization and financial operations best practices.

• Strong organizational skills to manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.

• Ability to work effectively as part of a team and share knowledge and resources.
• Willingness to collaborate with colleagues to solve complex issues.

• The candidate has strong customer relationship skills, including negotiating complex and sensitive situations under pressure.
• Full proficiency in the English language. French language proficiency is of advantage.
• The candidate must have the nationality of one of the NATO nations.
• The candidate must possess a NATO SECRET security clearance or national equivalent.