Cost Engineer

Looking to work on bespoke high value products, collaborating closely with shopfloor teams on cutting-edge projects?

What the role has to offer

• Join us for the opportunity to work on high-value, large-scale projects supporting internal GBUs and managing complex bills of materials, with the freedom to shape and make the role your own
• Unparalleled exposure across departments, enhancing your stakeholder management and interpersonal skills, serving as a dynamic gateway to diverse career paths within Thales

Our Opportunity

Reporting to the Manufacturing Engineer Manager, the role plays a critical role at Thales by overseeing the upstream evaluation and quantification of mass production costs from the bid phase through standard product manufacturing. You will collaborate closely with Industrial Architects and bid teams to prepare accurate, fully costed estimates essential for bid submissions and project planning. By liaising across multiple departments, the cost engineer ensures all necessary information is gathered to support precise costing and resource planning throughout project development.

Within the Industrial Engineering Function, Industrial Process Engineers support the production of released products and drive continuous improvement. This team, including Senior Process Engineers, Industrial Architects, and other relevant roles, manages new products from bid through design to production, ensuring designs are reliable, competitive, and economically manufacturable. They apply ‘Design for Manufacture’ and ‘Design to Cost’ principles while considering industrial capabilities and the supply chain.

Applicants can include experienced Cost Engineers, Design & Estimation Engineers, and Estimators. We will consider end-of-career professionals with extensive estimating experience in industrial bid environments.

What we offer you

We offer a competitive salary and benefits package designed to support our employees’ wellbeing and professional growth, which includes:

• Monday – Thursday onsite, 37.5 hours/ week over 4 days
• Pension
• Life Assurance – 2 x base salary minimum (8 x salary if part of the pension scheme)
• Income Protection – 50% of salary less state benefits for 5 years
• Annual Leave – 201 hours, bank holidays, plus 1 company day
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• 24 hours paid leave for volunteering activities
• Access to flexible benefits and discounts – dental insurance, buying & selling annual leave, cycle to work, and many more

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

• Create accurate estimates for Bid teams in collaboration with Industrial Architects, using estimating databases/software and templates, updating them as needed
• Input and analyse estimate data in Work Package format to profile project resources
• Research and source cost data independently and liaise with departments (Engineering, Project Management, Procurement, etc.) to gather necessary information
• Assist Industrial Architects by finding and presenting supporting data; contribute to generating and delivering slide packs for estimate reviews with bid teams, other departments, and senior management
• Collaborate closely with bid teams to understand and incorporate estimate requirements
• Support IPE team activities, including integration through SIM and other reviews, and assist in industrialization tasks when available
• Maintain compliance with Thales’ safety regulations, legal frameworks, risk assessments, and report health and safety issues
• Support UPC reporting and implement 5S lean management setup and maintenance
• Drive continuous improvement efforts using InCIght methodologies by identifying process improvements and ensuring compliance with ISO, IPC, and other relevant standards

About You

At Thales, we are committed to equal opportunities and welcome all talented individuals to consider joining our team. So even if you don't match every statement below but feel you have some of the experience, knowledge or skills needed for this role, we encourage you to apply. It will take all of us working together to deliver solutions to the world’s most critical challenges.

• Proven relevant experience in a similar role, experienced in estimating and manufacturing systems, ideally gained within industrial engineering, manufacturing, NPI, aviation, or Oil & Gas sectors
• Strong communication and analytical skills, with the ability to collaborate enthusiastically and work independently with drive and confidence
• Familiarity with lean principles and comfortable initiating projects with limited information by proactively engaging and gathering insights from others

Ready to make a strategic impact guiding cost-effective manufacturing from bid to production?

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 King dom Security Vetting - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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.