Interconnects Product Architect

Thales Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) UK is seeking an Interconnects Product Architect at an SME or Technical Expert level. This role involves leading the design and development of interconnect and interface cabinet solutions for domestic and export portfolios. The architect will define and recommend candidate architectures, collaborate with cross-functional teams for optimal design, and support product development throughout its lifecycle. The position requires managing requirements, performance evaluation, and critical parameters within a complex product development environment focused on cutting-edge UAS, EW, and Radar equipment.

Must Have

• Lead the design and development of interconnect & interface cabinet solutions.
• Define and recommend candidate architectures.
• Create a cohesive product line offering.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams for optimal design and integration.
• Support product development through entire lifecycle.
• Establish the solution architecture, making trade-offs.
• Assist in the solution development cycle and co-engineering approach.
• Manage requirements, performance evaluation, and critical parameters.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electro-Mechanical or related field.
• Experience with electrical interfaces (high speed digital, power distribution, RF, optical interconnect).
• Significant experience in cable specification and design.
• Experience in cabinet design (backplanes, cable management, rack integration, modular interface architectures).
• Proficiency in CAD/CAE.
• Product line management experience.
• Experience leading subsystem development activities.

Good to Have

• Experience working in Electronic Warfare or similar field.
• Familiarity with Naval Defence standards and regulation.
• Ability to drive Design for X principles into design.

Perks & Benefits

• Opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career.
• Flexibility (part-time hours, job sharing, home working, flex start/finish times).
• Market leading training, development and experiences.
• Opportunity to be mentored and coached.
• Significant bonus.
• Strong pension contribution.
• Private healthcare.
• Development focused targets.
• Relocation support.
• Variety of learning, development and career enhancement opportunities.
• Support towards academic and membership attainments.
• International career opportunities.
• Inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process (reasonable adjustments for neuro-diverse applicants or those with a disability).

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.

ISR is a highly complex product development environment, focusing 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 Interconnects Product Architect at an ‘SME’ or Technical Expert level to join us and hold responsibility for Interconnect & Interface Cabinet architecture and development.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the design and development of interconnect & interface cabinet solutions for both domestic and export portfolios
• Define and recommend candidate architectures for the corresponding level (solution or solution element) to satisfy stakeholder expectations according to the standards and re-use policies, the technology roadmap and the business strategy
• Create a cohesive product line offering and collaborate with other product line architects to ensure cohesion
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure optimal design, ensuring interface cabinet and cabling integration across multiple projects, working closely with both systems and hardware teams
• Support product development through entire lifecycle from bid concept to manufacture and in-service support
• Establish the solution architecture by making trade-offs between stakeholder expectations, technical and technological solutions and costs, risks and schedule,
• Assist in the solution development cycle and in defining the co-engineering approach
• Manage, all along the project life cycle, the assignment of the corresponding level requirements, the management of the performance evaluation and the critical parameters

Experience required:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electro-Mechanical or related field.
• Experience and understanding of electrical interfaces including but not limited to; high speed digital, power distribution, RF and optical interconnect.
• Significant experience in cable specification and design
• Experience in cabinet design including but not limited to; backplanes, cable management, rack integration, modular interface architectures.
• Proficiency in CAD/CAE (Creo, PDMlink, Ansys, Cadence & Eplan desirable)
• Product line management
• Experience leading subsystem development activities

Nice To Have:

• Experience working in Electronic Warfare or similar field
• Familiarity with Naval Defence standards and regulation
• Ability to drive Design for X principles into design

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)

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!