3321 Solution Architect (ISR)

• Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR)
• Solutions Architect
• Capture and Documentation

Required Security Clearance: NATO SECRET

INTRODUCTION The JISR Centre's (JISRC) Vision is to assure information superiority for NATO. Our Mission is to deliver, support and protect valued Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, expertise and services, to maximize operational effectiveness for NATO.

Ensuring coordination and cohesion of the multiple JISR programs and projects from a technical perspective, the JISRC requires Solution Architect services to capture and document the as-is and to-be JISR architecture.

The services include the capturing of the current JISR architecture through the delivery of a documented understanding of all current programs / projects / services, the capturing of the to-be architecture as well as the implementation roadmap in order to assure future programmatic technical coherence. With a focus on documenting the architecture and engagement with all JISRC key stakeholders, the services will ensure the delivery of high-quality technical products that align and will inform current and future JISR programs.

SCOPE OF WORK The purpose of this project is to provide the JISR "as-is" and "to-be" architecture and implementation roadmap. To achieve this scope, the Contractor shall:

• Engage with JISRC staff (Technical Subject Matter Experts, Service Delivery Managers, Project Managers) to understand and document current and future system/service capabilities; and with Chief Technology Office (CTO) staff, especially the JISR Segment Architect and JISR Segment Service Engineer.
• Document JISR workflows and processes at technical level.
• Develop high level overview of technical solutions in place.
• Deliver JISR as-is architecture, capturing all current JISR services, applications and system capabilities; their inter-dependencies and the technologies by which they are implemented.
• Deliver JISR to-be architecture.
• Deliver implementation roadmap that specifies how to achieve the to-be architecture.
• Advise on technical synergies, gaps and opportunities identified.

DELIVERABLES The Contractor shall deliver:

• JISR "as-is" architecture, capturing current system/service capabilities.
• JISR "to-be" architecture capturing current and future system/service capabilities, dependencies on platform, infrastructure and AI services, implementation & integration technology choices.
• JISR roadmap that shows how the to-be architecture will be achieved., * Stakeholders and Roles: List of users, associated locations, and their roles in the current system/service capabilities.
• Application Architecture: High-level description of existing applications, their software components, interfaces, related standards, and dependencies between the applications.
• Technical Architecture: Description of the hardware, infrastructure services, network components and connectivity, platform services, middleware as they are relevant for the deployment and hosting of the conceptual and application layer components; related to locations.
• Security Architecture: Current security measures, policies, and vulnerabilities; explanation why and how security concepts are realized.
• Pain Points and Limitations: Identified issues, bottlenecks, risks, and gaps in the current architecture.
• Compliance and Standards: International and/or existing NATO standards; adherence status.
• Appendix: Diagrams, glossary, references, and supporting documents.

In order to deliver the report detailed above, the Contractor is expected to:

• Conduct interviews with relevant stakeholders regarding projects and programs detailed by JISRC project team.
• Support the report with an overview of conceptual/logical systems and the components (structure).
• Support the report with a model of implementation-independent functionality (services) that is provided at the business level, and refinement into sub-functions.
• Support the report with an overview of current data holdings and data flows (IERs) - associated volume, and storage details, data exchange mechanism, data transformation and processing components and High level data models as required.
• Assess feasibility for a shared platform including all JISR services and applications.

"To-be" Architecture The "to-be" architecture shall be based upon existing and future JISRC system/service capabilities such as:

• INTEL FS Spiral 2.
• GeoViewer
• INTEL & ISR Capability Program Plan
• Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space
• PANGEA
• NATO Geospatial Enterprise Core Service
• NABIS
• C2 of EW
• AI Platform
• Others - during contract implementation.

The "to-be" architecture shall:

• Simplify, harmonize the "as-is" architecture: Consolidate technology choices, identify common components and optimize their reuse.
• Reduce Operation & Maintenance support from NCIA side.
• Be data-centric, considering data as a first class concept and avoiding to lock data into specific applications/systems Aligned with NATO's Data Centric Reference Architecture.
• Be a resilient architecture with open design for the future.
• Optimize data flow; consider data transfer spanning different security domains, networks, and the internet/cloud.
• Support interoperability including interoperability with the nations.
• Zero Trust Policy: enforce identity checks, data integrity, provenance, and strict guard policies.
• Comply with NATO STANAGs when available.
• Applications need to be cloud-native as much as possible, i.e. embrace a cloud-optimized design using cloud services and principles such as portability, resiliency, and scalability, and ensure readiness for migration to the cloud.
• Maximize use of available platform, infrastructure and AI services.

The "to-be" architecture and the generated report shall address the following areas:

• Executive Summary: Overview of the future architecture vision and objectives.
• Business Goals and Drivers: Business goals driving the new architecture, including expected benefits.
• Future Architecture Overview: High-level description of the future system architecture; Identify new component, and components from the as- is architecture that can be reused or need to be modified.
• Target Stakeholders and Roles: List of future users, associated locations, and their expected roles.
• Application Architecture: High-level description of planned applications, their functions, interfaces, and dependencies.
• Information and Data Architecture: Future data models, data flow improvements, data governance.
• Technology Architecture: Target application technology
• Security Architecture: Planned security controls, risk mitigations, and compliance.
• Integration Architecture: Future integration methods, APIs, middleware, and interoperability.
• Compliance and Standards: Future compliance requirements and alignment strategy.
• Appendix: Diagrams, glossary, references, and supporting documents.

Implementation roadmap The implementation roadmap aims identifying the bridge between the "as-is" architecture and the "to-be". The implementation roadmap shall enable the ability to deliver faster, identifying quick wins as well as long-term strategies. The implementation roadmap shall address the following areas:

• Gap analysis: Compare as-is and to-be to highlight what needs to change
• Initiatives / projects: Group related changes into programmes/projects.
• Dependencies: Identify dependencies on external projects (ONX, PBN, ….)
• Roadmap Phases: Prioritize based on value, feasibility, and dependencies. Define clear phases or waves for implementation. Identify: Quick wins (low effort, high impact); Foundational work (e.g., data governance, cloud infrastructure); Major transformations (new core system, process re-engineering)
• Milestones and Timeline: Gantt chart or timeline view of key activities; Milestones for each work stream or phase
• Risks: Identify top risks and mitigation plans.
• Appendix: Diagrams, glossary, references, and supporting documents.

Do you have experience in Solution architecture?, Do you have a Master's degree?, * MSc degree in either Computer Science, Software & Systems Engineering, or a similar area, or exceptionally, the lack of a university degree may be compensated by the demonstration of particular abilities or experience that is/are of interest to NCIA, that is, at least 6 years' extensive and progressive expertise in duties related to the services outlined in the SoW.

• Minimum 5 years' of proved experience in solution architecture delivery.
• Minimum 2 years' technical knowledge of the JISR process and ongoing programs.
• Proven experience on the development of architectures for NATO and/or defense customers.
• Experience of using Archimate and Sparx Enterprise Architect
• Proven experience and writing of large, structure documents
• Proven ability to integrate and work in a multinational team.
• Fluent in Business English.