Location: Templecombe, United Kingdom

Thales people provide armed forces customers with operational advantage at every decisive moment throughout the mission. Defence and armed forces customers rely on us to deliver the full range of defence mission systems solutions at land, sea, and air. Our platforms extend across the battlespace including Above and Sonar, Electronic Combat, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance systems.

Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us. At Thales UK, we research, develop, and supply technology and services that impact the lives of millions of people each day to make life better, and keep us safer. We innovate across the major industries of Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space. Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.

Product Programme Manager

Based in Templecombe  - this is a hybrid role with the expectation of 3 days in the office weekly

Do you want to be a part of a team transforming a key pillar of the Thales UWS business critical to maximising naval days at sea for the RN and international navies?  Are you a goal-oriented person who can engage and motivate multidisciplinary teams?

What the role has to offer:

Working with key capabilities and   innovative world beating technology

Contribute to help maximise days at sea for UK RN

Great opportunity for career development

Great opportunity to join a growing business where you can really add value to the business

What we offer you?

We offer is a competitive salary and benefits package, which includes;

Performance Related BonusHalf day every Friday, usually finishing around 13:00pmPension Scheme28 days annual leave (Plus Bank Holidays) Life Cover24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing appEmployee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailersGym membership discountsCareer Development

Our Opportunity

We have a really exciting opportunity for a Programme Manager to join the Towed Array Product group within Thales Underwater Systems (UWS) who provide technology to enhance and secure the future of our world leading Sonar Capability to UK and International Navies.

The Product Delivery Manager is a key role in the implementation of the Integrated Product Team in transforming the way towed arrays are delivered in a period of strong growth and global uncertainty. The role will have an industrial delivery focus requiring execution of return to green activities to improve efficiency and APRU monthly outputs, it will also require execution of outsourcing to enable total module and array output to be met and generate capacity for development activity. You will also be responsible for the implementation of the design and development programmes in accordance with the strategic implementation roadmap whist maintaining obsolescence clearance and product baseline sustaining projects delivering on key milestones to schedule, cost and quality.

This role has accountability to deliver the capability and capacity growth exploiting existing and emergent technologies. This is an environment with significant uncertainties requiring innovation in solutions and operations. This role will be expected to lead the programme team through this and to ensure that market position and growth are secured.

You will be required to be visionary, to inspire and motivate and be agile in an uncertain environment.  Innovation, and dealing with complexity will be essential skills as this as the roles will require developing new capabilities, new ways of working and growing a high performing team to lead the innovation of new solutions from concept through to production applying new technologies as they emerge.

Security Clearance

Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions.  This role requires Security Clearance (SC). 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.  Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels.

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

About You

You will have a proven track record of successful portfolio, bid and project management in a complex, multi-site and multi-function environments to achieve industrial and engineering objectives together with:-

Demand/business planning with a focus on the reliable forecasting of resource requirements (including critical skills) and working with functions to secure required resources

Presenting bids and projects through governance processes

Leading the structuring and planning of complex bids and projects and the tailored deployment of best practice processes

Directing delivery performance with reference to the baseline and critical path, with a focus on proactive risk and opportunity management and controlling variance to time/cost/quality

Leading and managing multi-disciplinary teams

Building collaborative relationships and working with a wide range of stakeholders both internal and external (customers, end users, suppliers)

Building a high performing team and culture that delivers on commitments, is ambitious and operates with teamwork and agility

Working in complex stakeholder environments and at the forefront of emergent fields

#LI-ST1

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 can require further evidence to be provided. For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) Agency.

At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working.

Thales UK is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process. We will provide reasonable adjustments and support to ensure neuro-diverse applicants or those with a disability or long-term condition can be their best during the recruitment process. To request an adjustment, if you need this job advert in an alternative format or if you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Resourcing Ops for mid to senior roles, or the Early Careers Team for graduate and apprentice roles.

Great journeys start here, apply now!