Industrialisation Engineer (NPI) in Crawley

Location: Crawley, United Kingdom

Thales is a global technology leader with more than 83,000 employees on five continents. With over 7,500 people in the UK, operating across defence, space, aerospace, and digital security, we help build a future we can all trust. Thales supports the security and stability of our nation by providing extraordinary technology to our customers, as well as delivering social value to the UK with our products and services.

We're looking for an Industrialisation Engineer (NPI) to join our Industrial Engineering team and play a vital role in transforming new products into successful, scalable production programmes. If you enjoy problem-solving, building strong partnerships, and making a tangible impact on how products are manufactured, we'd love to hear from you.

This is an opportunity to work across a diverse network of engineering, manufacturing, programme management, planning, safety and supply chain professionals, helping to deliver cutting-edge solutions from prototype through to full-rate production.

What you'll be doing

As our Industrialisation Engineer, you'll take ownership of the later stages of the New Product Introduction (NPI) journey, guiding products through Manufacturing Readiness Levels (MRL) 5 to 8 and beyond. You'll:

• Lead the industrialisation process from prototype through to production readiness.
• Develop and implement manufacturing facilities, tooling and processes that enable successful production.
• Drive Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) assessments and ensure key milestones are achieved.
• Host Production Readiness Reviews (PRRs) and coordinate actions across multifunctional teams.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Production, Planning, Health & Safety, Project Management and wider business stakeholders.
• Set up and maintain ERP, MES routes, BOMs and manufacturing routings.
• Support production-released products, resolving post-launch manufacturing challenges.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives using Lean and InCIght methodologies.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, quality, throughput and manufacturing performance.
• Contribute to the development of best practice within the Industrial Engineering community.

What you'll bring

We're interested in your potential as much as your experience. If you don't meet every requirement but believe you have the skills and passion to succeed, we encourage you to apply. You'll likely have:

• Experience within New Product Introduction (NPI), manufacturing, industrial engineering or production engineering environments.
• A strong understanding of manufacturing and production processes.
• Knowledge of Lean principles and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience managing projects, work packages or complex deliverables.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• The ability to influence stakeholders and build relationships across multiple teams.
• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative approach.
• A proactive mindset with a passion for driving improvements and delivering results.

Why join us?

At Thales, you'll be part of a supportive environment where your ideas are valued, your development is encouraged, and your contribution genuinely matters. You'll join a team responsible for introducing innovative products from concept through to production, working alongside Industrial Process Engineers, Industrial Architects and Cost Engineers to deliver world-class manufacturing solutions.

We know that diverse teams drive better outcomes, and we're committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. Whether you're looking for your next challenge, a broader scope of responsibility, or the opportunity to make a lasting impact, this could be the role for you.

Ready to shape the future of manufacturing? Apply today and help us turn innovation into reality. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences and encourage you to bring your whole self to work. Together, we'll build solutions that make a difference.

At Thales, we ensure equal opportunities, pay and working conditions for all. The benefits we offer include private medical insurance, buying or selling annual leave, cycle to work schemes, employee discounts, paid volunteering day, stocks and shares, annual bonus and much more depending on the role.

We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued for who they are and the unique strengths they bring. Discover more about our programmes, employee networks, wellbeing policies, and inclusive features here.

If this role isn’t quite right for you, we encourage you to join our talent community where your details will be shared with our recruitment teams for other potential opportunities.

Join Thales in the UK – Innovate with us and shape the future!