Antenna Product Architect

Thales UK is seeking an Antenna Product Architect to lead the design, development, and integration of antenna solutions for defence mission systems. This hybrid role in Crawley involves defining product architectures, optimizing antenna systems for performance, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. The architect will be responsible for the entire product lifecycle, from concept to in-service support, including electromagnetic simulations and rigorous testing. Candidates should possess a strong background in RF engineering, antenna design, and experience with complex system integration, contributing to cutting-edge products like Digital Radar Electronic Support Measures and Radar Electronic Countermeasures.

Must Have

• Lead design and development of Antenna solutions.
• Architect and optimise antenna systems for performance and key characteristics.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams for optimal design and integration.
• Define and recommend candidate architectures based on stakeholder needs and technology roadmap.
• Establish solution architecture, balancing expectations, technical solutions, costs, risks, and schedule.
• Manage requirements, performance evaluation, and critical parameters throughout the project lifecycle.
• Support product development from bid concept to manufacture and in-service support.
• Conduct electromagnetic simulations using Anysys Electrical.
• Perform product testing and validation of antennas.
• Hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, Physics or related field.
• Possess experience leading complex Antenna system development.
• Have experience in antenna design, integration, and test, including propagation, radiation patterns, impedance matching, RF design principles, RF testing, anechoic chamber testing, and antenna integration into complex systems.
• Demonstrate excellent problem-solving skills and ability to present complex technical concepts.
• Have experience integrating and qualifying antennas within a larger complex system.
• Be able to work confidently with multiple projects and priorities.
• Have exposure to safety critical systems and governance.

Good to Have

• Experience working in Electronic Warfare or similar field.
• Familiarity with Naval Defence standards and regulation.

Perks & Benefits

• Relocation support
• Significant bonus
• Strong pension contribution
• Private healthcare
• Development focused targets
• Variety of learning, development and career enhancement opportunities
• Mentorship and coaching
• Support towards academic and membership attainments
• Flexible working patterns (part-time hours, job sharing, home working, flex start/finish times)

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.

Antenna Product Architect

Crawley – Hybrid (Relocation support can be provided)

Thales Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) UK is a principal supplier of UAS, EW and Radar equipment to the UK armed forces, as well as an exporter of these capabilities worldwide.

Entering a new phase of extensive product development ISR is focused on delivering cutting edge products including:

• Digital Radar Electronic Support Measures (RESM) that provides situational awareness and identify threats even in busy Electronic Transmission Environments
• Radar Electronic Countermeasures (RECM) that can protect assets by denying tactical advantage and distracting incoming threats.

We’re growing and we are looking for ambitious Engineers and Architect to join us on the journey. We are actively recruiting an Antenna Product Architect at an ‘SME’ or Technical Expert level to join us and hold responsibility for the Antenna Sub-system and integration into the overall system architecture.

Key Responsibilities:

As an Antenna Product Architect, you would be responsible for product definition according to the needs of external or internal stakeholders. Holding responsibility for the viability of the solution your will

• Lead the design and development of Antenna solutions for both domestic and export portfolios
• Create a cohesive product line offering and collaborate with other product line architects to ensure cohesion
• Architect and optimise antenna systems for performance, key characteristics (such as size, weight, power, sustainability)
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure optimal design, driving antenna integration across multiple projects, working closely with both systems and hardware teams
• Define and recommend candidate architectures to satisfy stakeholder expectations according to the standards and re-use policies, the technology roadmap and the business strategy
• Establish the solution architecture by making trade-offs between stakeholder expectations, technical and technological solutions and costs, risks and schedule, document the associated artefacts
• Manage, all along the project life cycle, the assignment of the corresponding level requirements, the management of the performance evaluation and the critical parameters
• Support product development through entire lifecycle from bid concept to manufacture and in-service support
• Conduct electromagnetic simulations (using Anysys Electrical) to model antenna performance
• Perform product testing and validation of antennas, ensuring they meet both product and regulatory requirements

Experience and skillset require of the successful candidate:

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, Physics or related field

• Experience of leading complex Antenna system development
• Experience of antenna design, integration and test including but not limited to; propagation, radiation patterns, impedance matching, RF design principles, RF testing and measurement equipment, anechoic chamber testing and antenna integration into complex systems
• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to present complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Experience integrating and qualifying antennas within a larger complex system
• Ability to work confidently with multiple projects and priorities
• Exposure to safety critical systems and governance

Desirable but not essential

• Experience working in Electronic Warfare or similar field
• Familiarity with Naval Defence standards and regulation

Your Career At Thales UK

Future opportunities will allow you to discover other domains or sites. You will be able to evolve and grow your Competencies in different areas:

• Room and attention to personal development
• Build your talents in another domain of Thales Group, discovering new products, new customers, new country or go to a more complex Solution
• Choose between a technical expertise or a leadership path
• Build an international career within a leading Engineering Group

What we can offer

We are committed to giving you opportunities to be your best. We believe in embracing the passion and potential of our people, and to achieve this we offer market leading training, development and experiences, along with the opportunity to be mentored and coached by some of the smartest minds in the industry. We hire from within as our first priority, so you’ll have a myriad of opportunities within our diverse, global organisation.

Our packages will include significant bonus, a strong pension contribute, private healthcare, development focused targets and relocation support can be provided if required along with a variety of learning, development and career enhancement opportunities. Further support can be provided towards academic and membership attainments.

Security Clearance Statement

This role will require SC Clearance. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant will undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance. 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**.

For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the National Security Vetting (NSV) Agency - United Kingdom Security Vetting - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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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!