Senior Concept Dev; Cyberspace Operationalisation

Post Context

ACT contributes to preserving the peace, security and territorial integrity of Alliance member states by leading, at Strategic Command level, Warfare Development required to enhance NATO's posture, military structures, forces, capabilities and doctrines.

The Capability Development Directorate (CAPDEV) comprises two Divisions-Requirements and Capabilities. The Directorate supports SACT in his Capabilities Requirement Authority (CRA) role. It is responsible for a holistic through lifecycle Capability Development approach that infuses innovation and transformative efforts that are an integral part of the Warfare Development. This includes responsibilities for elicitation, development, capture and collection, quality review, traceability and visibility of capability requirements.

The Capabilities Division coordinates the development of capabilities from capability planning through acceptance and then disposal with the management entities, NATO Headquarters staff and the NATO Governance Structure. This entails synchronizing horizontally across capabilities to achieve coherent efforts and outcomes.

The Cyberspace Branch provides scientific, technical and operational expertise for the development and continuous improvement of modern and agile Cyberspace capabilities including Cyber Defence and enabling cryptographic infrastructure. The Branch provides services and products through a competency-aligned structure to support appropriate product, programme coordination across DOTMLPFI lines of development throughout the lifecycle. The Branch supports cyber concepts development, capability requirements elicitation, architectures (including cryptographic reference and target architectures) and federated interoperability.

This includes leveraging applied science, technology, operations research and horizon scanning. The Branch leads the development of Capability Programme Plans (CPPs) and ensures delivery of programme outcomes by assessing throughout the lifecycle the CSSPR against agreed tolerances. The Branch leads the acceptance testing and documentation of assigned capabilities. The Branch analyses emerging technologies with stakeholders. It ensures military and technical coherence and persistent interoperability.

Within the Cyber Branch the incumbent's main responsibility is to develop cyberspace warfare products in support of cyberspace operationalization, under the direction and guidance of the Technical Director.

• Develop and/or support the development of cyber-operationalization related concepts:
  • Based on cyber branch TD D&G, and using the branch prioritization as per the cyberspace warfare development work-plan and cyberspace concept framework, identify operational concepts to be developed.
  • For identified concepts:
    • Conduct bibliographic/literature review.
    • Collect cyber branch Subject Matters Experts (SMEs) inputs and seek inputs from external stakeholders.
    • Conduct comparative analysis with similar concepts developed by nations and other organizations.
    • Develop concept proposal and concept development plan.
    • Define purpose, aim and scope. Identify gaps, hypothesis and assumptions. Conduct research to develop cyberspace domain solution-oriented transformational ideas that address capability gaps and identify solutions.
    • Based on previous research, document and develop concept draft(s), collect feedback, validate concept draft(s), develop final concept(s).
    • Seek concept approval at the right level(s).
  • Use command tools to facilitate a-per-concept Community of Interest (CoI) building and exploitation, by organizing and attending conferences, conducting or participating in workshops, utilizing post-experiment/exercise data, considering lessons identified/learned, and being familiar with existing (national and industry) concepts and NATO policies to ensure consistency between documents. These activities include:
    • Building or liaising with appropriate communities of interest;
    • Leads a working groups and writing teams as required;
    • Drafting initial concept and development of implementation plan;
    • Soliciting comments and feedback from the identified communities of interest, and using it to enhance the maturity of concept drafts;
    • Ensuring coherence of developed concepts with other NATO and national related concepts.
    • Finalising expected concepts; and assisting on follow-on actions, including concept approval and dissemination.
    • Contributing to annual update of Cyberspace Warfare Development Plan and cyberspace concept framework.
    • Providing quality assurance and coordination for the concepts developed by other NATO entities;
    • Liaising for concept related issues and participates in bilateral engagements with NATO entities, Partner Nations and International organizations;
• Support other communities of interest (concept validation and experimentation, operational communities, requirements elicitation and capability development, among others) and act as SME, as required, to enable concept-driven capability development products…