Overview
As Senior Missile Architect, you will lead the architectural vision for next‑generation missiles, shaping technology direction and investment. You’ll influence strategy across bids, capability roadmaps, and lifecycle decisions, working with customers, partners, and multidisciplinary teams. The role sits at the crossroads of engineering and business strategy, delivering high‑impact architectures for defence solutions. You will operate across concept through to in‑service support, driving architectural trade studies and technology maturation. This is a high‑visibility opportunity to shape tomorrow’s missile capability and ensure trusted outcomes.
Pay / Benefits
- Performance-related bonus
- Half day every Friday
- 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
- Private healthcare
- Pension scheme
- Life cover
Responsibilities
- Provide technical leadership and governance for missile/concept development and bids
- Develop and apply architectural models and trade studies to support design decisions
- Create future missile concept architectures aligned with strategic objectives
- Contribute to effector strategy, roadmaps, and investment priorities
- Forge strong relationships with customers, suppliers, and industry partners to influence capability development
- Mentor and lead technical specialist groups to grow SQEP and capability across the organization
Key requirements
- Degree-qualified in Engineering or a numerate discipline
- Ability to obtain/maintain UK Security Clearance (SC)
- Significant defence sector experience with missile/effector technologies
- Proven missile or system architecture development experience including concept generation
- Strong understanding of product lifecycle from concept to in‑service support
- Experience applying modelling/analysis/engineering judgment to drive decisions
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- Demonstrated leadership of multidisciplinary teams or strategic engineering activities
- strong communication
- stakeholder management
- leadership
- missile/effector technologies
- architecture development and trade studies
- modelling and analysis for complex decisions
Senior Missile Architect - IAS in Belfast employer: Thales Group
Thales is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration in the heart of Crawley. With a strong commitment to employee growth, we provide extensive training opportunities, competitive benefits including private medical insurance and annual bonuses, and a supportive environment where your contributions directly impact the future of technology. Join us to be part of a team that values diversity, encourages creativity, and prioritises ethical AI solutions.
