Senior Systems Engineer

Location

Cheadle, United Kingdom

Overview

Thales provides armed forces customers with operational advantage at every decisive moment, delivering a full range of defence mission systems across land, sea, and air. With a global presence, we research, develop and supply technologies that improve lives and enhance safety, innovating across Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space.

Primary Purpose of the Role

To manage the Systems Engineering Process to company and international standards for defined packages of work, delivering technical leadership to Systems Engineers.

Principal Relationships

• Designers at all levels
• Bid team members
• Project team members
• Testing team members
• Installation team members
• Project planners
• Sales and Marketing
• Supply chain
• Commercial team members

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

• Convert requirements into conceptual designs and prepare associated documentation by performing operational analyses, simulations and technical trade‑off studies evaluating alternative design configurations and features.
• Demonstrate a good understanding of the development lifecycle and lifecycle products.
• Interface with the client to gain approval of test specifications and to host acceptance testing activities.
• Help develop and execute test specifications, including support for test plans, test strategy documents, and test specifications from system requirements.
• Execute test specifications according to test plan and project schedule, record and authorise results, raise and investigate defects, and maintain quality standards.
• Create and authorise outline designs from requirements using a variety of design toolsets, and modify concepts to fulfil requirements where necessary.
• Prepare system & subsystem requirement specifications, interface requirements and test requirement documents by analyzing, decomposing, modelling and refining customer requirements.
• Prepare system operational plans and reports explaining how the equipment meets requirements, evaluate operational design limits, and produce performance analyses and simulations.
• Perform technical/engineering tasks to define system design and subsystem requirement details.
• Analyse and simulate as necessary to identify design feasibility and drive requirements.
• Supervise staff, defining their work, coaching preparation, monitoring progress and directing priorities.
• Propose work package estimates and descriptions based on knowledge of the work and project requirements, ensuring compliant solutions at optimum cost.
• Develop, implement and maintain tools relevant to the Systems Engineering function, and manage the assessment of relevant tools.
• Define or propose updates of processes and standards covering the work and its products based on knowledge of systems engineering.
• Maintain awareness of technical development in relevant domains (e.g., sonar systems) both within and outside the company.
• Manage the production of quality metrics to measure the soundness of the System Engineering processes under your control.

Key Performance Indicators

• Quality of work produced against agreed standards
• Delivery to timescales
• Delivery to budget
• Performance against Thales key values
• Attendance
• Performance against mandatory training

Skills

• Proficient in a range of IT tools (e.g., MS Office, MS Visio)
• Experienced with system engineering tools (e.g., DOORS, System Architect, JIRA)
• Working knowledge of configuration control
• Ability to manage a project through a defined process and tailor CHORUS2 to project needs
• Capability to define metrics as part of quality assurance & control
• Working knowledge of project plans
• Working knowledge of Engineering Safety Management

Experience

• Proven record of working in a Systems Engineering environment and resolving all issues, problems, questions and conflicts in the entire system.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate at all levels, monitored by written and spoken word, self‑motivation and the ability to work under pressure.
• Evidence of team working, as the success of the Systems Engineering job family relies on interaction at all levels.

Values & Behaviours

• Innovate – be motivated to search for novel and unique design solutions.
• Team working – maximise the use of the wider Thales community to produce winning solutions.
• Develop people – be prepared to share ideas and experience with the wider Thales engineering community.
• Focus on customers – be driven to deliver quality solutions to clients.
• Safety – totally embrace the Thales safety culture to provide a safe and healthy working environment for all.
• Ethics – uphold exemplary ethical conduct and social responsibility.
• Perform in line with the Thales Code of Practice, Policies and Procedures.

Desirable Qualifications and Certification

• HNC/HND/Engineering Degree or equivalent

Essential

• Have attained, or be working towards an appropriate professional status or equivalent.

Security Requirements

In line with Thales\’ Baseline Security requirements, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK and employment and/or education history for up to three years. Some vacancies may require full Security Clearance, which may require further evidence.

Career & Inclusion

Thales UK is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier‑free recruitment process, supporting neuro‑diverse applicants or those with a disability or long‑term condition with reasonable adjustments. We encourage mobility, flexible working and the development of careers both locally and abroad.

Senior Level & Employment

• Seniority level: Not Applicable
• Employment type: Full‑time
• Job function: Information Technology