Head of Product

Delivery Location: Belfast - (hybrid working arrangement – 4 days per week on site)

Are you an experienced senior leader in operations/programme/engineering management, within a defence or heavy engineering environment? Are you looking for your next high-profile role that will give you the opportunity to use a mix of your technical expertise and leadership skills? We have a fantastic opportunity for a Head of Product Delivery to join our Integrated Airspace-Protection Systems (IAS) UK team in Belfast.

Core Benefits:

• On offer is a competitive salary and benefits package, which includes;
• Performance-related bonus
• Company car allowance
• Half day every Friday, usually finishing around 13:00pm
• 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) plus opportunity to buy up to 40 hours/year (pro rata)
• 24 hours volunteering paid for
• Private healthcare (grade dependent)
• Pension scheme
• Life cover
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app
• Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers
• Gym membership discounts

Key responsibilities:

As IAS UK Head of Product Delivery you will be responsible for leading multiple, integrated product teams to ensure the successful development, manufacture, and delivery of IAS UK products. You will ensure positive customer outcomes are realised by resilient, world-class, managed products, delivered to cost, schedule, and performance requirements. This is a critical leadership role accountable for the successful management of the full product lifecycle, from initial market release to integration into broader system solutions.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading and managing multiple, integrated product teams to deliver products on time, within budget, and to specification.
• Building and maintaining strategic long term relationships with the supply chain and critical partners to assure resilience and overall market demand is understood.
• Supporting business winning through continuous maintenance of validated product baselines for bids.
• Strategic & Business Alignment
• People & Resource Management
• Governance & Performance Management

About you:

• Proven experience as a senior leader in an Operations/Programme/Engineering management role within a defence or heavy engineering environment
• Experience in both commercial and operational aspects of business planning
• The ability to act independently, impartially and objectively - questioning and challenging while seeking consensus
• Knowledge and understanding of the total product lifecycle- including manufacturing, supply chain and technologies
• Expertise in identifying and mitigating technical and operational risk during lengthy development and deployment cycles

Security Clearance statement:

Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions. This role requires you to be a UK National and achieve Security Clearance (SC) without any caveats. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment. If approved by the MOD, a dual national from a Non-ITAR country may be considered. Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance.

To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years. In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years’ residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.