Satellite Imagery Basemap processor for Foundation Imagery Layer

Spektrum supports apex purchasers (NATO, UN, EU, and National Government and Defence) and their Tier 1 supplier ecosystem with a wide range of specialist services. We provide our clients with professional services, specialised aerospace and defence sales, delivery, and operational subject matter expertise. We are looking for personnel to join our team and support key client projects.

Who we are supporting 

The NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA) is responsible for providing secure and effective communications and information technology (IT) services to NATO's member countries and its partners. The agency was established in 2012 and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.

The NCIA provides a wide range of services, including:

• Cyber Security: The NCIA provides advanced cybersecurity solutions to protect NATO's communication networks and information systems against cyber threats.
• Command and Control Systems: The NCIA develops and maintains the systems used by NATO's military commanders to plan and execute operations.
• Satellite Communications: The NCIA provides satellite communications services to enable secure and reliable communications between NATO forces.
• Electronic Warfare: The NCIA provides electronic warfare services to support NATO's mission to detect, deny, and defeat threats to its communication networks.
• Information Management: The NCIA manages NATO's information technology infrastructure, including its databases, applications, and servers.

Overall, the NCIA plays a critical role in ensuring the security and effectiveness of NATO's communication and information technology capabilities.

The program

Assistance and Advisory Service (AAS)

The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) is NATO’s principal C3 capability deliverer and CIS service provider. It provides, maintains and defends the NATO enterprise-wide information technology infrastructure to enable Allies to consult together under Article IV, and, when required, stand together in the face of attack under Article V.

To provide these critical services, in the modern evolving dynamic environment the NCI Agency needs to build and maintain high performance-engaged workforce. The NCI Agency workforce strategically consists of three major categorise's: NATO International Civilians (NIC)'s, Military (Mil), and Interim Workforce Consultants (IWC)'s. The IWCs are a critical part of the overall NCI Agency workforce and make up approximately 15 percent of the total workforce.

Role Background

NATO Core Geographic Information System (Core GIS) Application Service provides a suite of data, services and products that ensure all phases of military operations are conducted on the same (geo-) spatial data and information. The NATO Information and Communication Agency (NCI Agency) located in The Hague, Netherlands, is currently providing data procurement and processing support to the NATO Core GIS and the wider NATO Command Structure (NCS). Recently, a satellite imagery basemap has been procured, which needs to be processed to a Foundation Imagery Layer (FIL) to NATO Standards, in support of NATO’s situational awareness. In parallel, new satellite and aerial imagery is provided in several ways. In order to maintain a recent dataset, this new imagery needs to be continuously integrated into the FIL. The JISR Centre is looking for several experienced satellite imagery processing experts to provide the required services.

Role Duties and Responsibilities

• Indexing and quality control of available data
• Imagery processing to FIL following NATO standards
• Consulting relevant imagery repositories for additional data
• Collecting all relevant additional images
• Drafting acceptance criteria for image quality, consulting with end-user and maintaining decision a log
• Incorporating imagery into existing FIL
• Improving imagery as necessary through
  • Colour adjustment
  • Positional correction
  • Additional processing
• Maintaining metadata for source imagery and final FIL product
• Documenting workflow at technical level
• Investigating improvements of quality and procedure
• Managing dissemination of FIL
• Managing data holdings as per guidance
• Investigating in automation
• Advising supervisor on technical aspects and trends
• Performing related ad-hoc tasks as necessary
• Perform tasks in the area of imagery processing for basemap production
• Perform color adjustment
• Perform Seamline creation
• Perform metadata creation
• Create mosaics following multi sensor data analysis of commercial satellite imagery
• Perform data handling and versioning
• Develop quality assurance methodology
• Execute quality control
• Report on progress
• Perform ad-hoc geospatial production support tasks

Essential Skills and Experience

• Minimum 5 years experience in advanced satellite imagery processing, including orthorectification, mosaicking, colour balancing, classification, seamline creation and colour blending techniques.
• In-depth familiarity with commercial satellite imagery formats and specifications
• Minimum 5 years experience using ArcGIS Desktop Software, including data preparation and advanced functionalities of mosaic datasets
• Minimum 5 years experience using ArcGIS Server/ArcGIS Image Server for data optimisation, publishing and caching of OGC web services such as WMS and WMTS
• Minimum 3 years advanced experience in the usage of an image processing software, preferably ERDAS Imagine
• Minimum 5 years of experience in image classification and feature extraction from imagery and collateral data
• Minimum 3 years experience in advanced imagery processing toolchain programming with usage of relevant libraries, such as GDAL, OpenCv, Intel IPP, Intel TBB, MrSID Decode SDK, kakadu SDK, libjpeg, zlib, proven through the participation of relevant GIS projects
• Proven experience in development of tools using ArcGIS Toolbox and ArcPy
• Proven experience in the software development for the implementation of algorithms for color balancing of aerial / satellite imagery
• Proven experience in producing mapping and satellite basemaps to NATO standards for use in NATO theatres
• Expert level understanding of pixel-exact metadata production per source image of mosaic
• Expert level understanding of assessing accuracy of High-Resolution geospatial products
• Expert level understanding of vector data manipulation
• Expert level understanding of raster data manipulation
• Expert level understanding of common raster formats and their pro’s and con’s
• Minimum 5 years experience in raster data compression technologies, with focus on imagery
• Hands-on experience in producing most common compression formats, MrSID, JPEG2000, ECW and others
• Solid understanding of coordinate systems, projections, datums, etc
• Expert level understanding of raster tile creation based on tiling schemas including the ArcGIS/Google/Bing tiling schema
• 5 years experience in GIS project execution
• Expert level experience in GIS (raster and vector) data handling and versioning
• Expert level experience in GIS database management
• Solid experience in quality assurance and quality control, following relevant standards (e.g. ISO 9001/19157), proven through certification or application in projects
• Proven ability to integrate and work in a multinational team
• General Office software familiarity (Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, …)

Language Proficiency

• Business English

Education

• MSc degree in Geography, Geographic Information Science, Geospatial Sciences or related field, or exceptionally, the lack of a university degree may be compensated by the demonstration of a candidate’s particular abilities or experience that is/are of interest to NCI Agency, that is, at least 6 years extensive and progressive expertise in duties related to the function of the post

Working Location

• Remote

Working Policy

• Off-Site

Travel

• Some travel to other NATO sites may be required

Security Clearance

• Valid National or NATO Secret personal security clearance