Project Design Authority

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.

Primary Purpose of the Role:

The Project Design Authority will be responsible for Solution Compliance for a Bid or Project predominately for hardware. Acts as the primary technical leader of the bid or project team. Acts as lead technical interface with the Customer.

Where required, the PDA may also act as the Principle Systems Engineer on the bid/project.

Principal Relationships:

As part of the Thales Technical/Engineering process you will interact with the following key roles:

• Designers at all levels
• Bid team members
• Project team members
• Testing team members
• Installation team members
• Project Planners
• Sales and Marketing
• Supply Chain
• Commercial
• Major Stakeholders / Client/ Thales Executive Team/Projects/Bids Directors

Key Responsibilities and Tasks:

The list below is not exhaustive nor will individuals be expected to be able to undertake all of them. They are given as a guide for the expected duties of the role and grade.

• Analyses Customer needs/requirements and assesses Solution architecture and technical choices.
• Ensures Solution compliance with Customer needs, Product Policy, MTB Strategy & applicable legislation, rules & regulations.
• Reviews the technical risks and opportunities and the related mitigation plans throughout the bid or project.
• Ensures best trade-off between Customer requirements & Product Policy consistent with schedule, costs, MTB strategy & risks/ opportunities.
• Checks the production and the maintenance/service aspects of the Solution with the Production Process/Technology Manager (PPTM) and the Service Engineering Manager (where applicable)
• Approves the technical specification and source selection of subsystems/products to be outsourced, by taking into account Make-Team-Buy policy, export restrictions and offset requirements.
• Checks that the Engineering Environment (E2) for the Solution is consistent with Country/Company E2 Instruction, and overall Solution cost, technical risks & schedule.
• Responsible for ensuring, with the support of Specialty Engineering experts & Safety/HSE stakeholders, that the Solution design takes into account contract requirements and applicable legislation, rules & regulations, including product safety & security and Environmental/HSE requirements & standards, and that related certification activities are performed adequately and correctly.
• Approves the Design & Justification File (D&JF) prepared by the Solution Architect (ARC).
• Approves the completion of integration, verification, validation and qualification results.
• Performs the Complexity Profiler analysis with the Solution Architect (ARC) & Engineering Delivery Manager (EDM). Take into account the resulting actions during the bid or project.
• Alerts first the DA & then upward within CBU/Domain, Country, BL or GBU Technical Directorate.
• Leads the main bid/project Engineering Reviews and approves the main Engineering deliverables at each project decision milestone.
• Leads the systems engineering activities as required
• Organises when appropriate technical meetings and peer reviews together with the EDM and other technical stakeholders and experts, in order to perform the Solution technical assessment and validation.
• Sound understanding of the development lifecycle and lifecycle products.
• Interfacing with the client (internal/external), to define the solution.
• Keep abreast of technical development both within and outside of the company.

Expected Competence Level:

Skills

• Good technical writing skills and good interpersonal communication skills.
• Leadership skills – with natural ability to build and sustain good working relationships at all levels.
• First class presentation skills.
• Ability to effectively manage relationships across the business and achieve outcomes beneficial to both own team and the broader business.
• On-budget, on-time delivery, whilst maximising margin and delighting the customer.
• Effective personal organisation and an ability to remain composed and focused under pressure.

Experience:

• Technical prowess in one or more of the technological disciplines relevant to the company, e.g. Radio Communication Systems, Sonar Systems, Processing, Outboard Hardware etc, and/or in one or more of understanding of business case generation, resource planning, and budgetary control.
• Experience in the developmental lifecycle disciplines, e.g. Requirements Capture, Modelling & Analysis, System Design, Product Development, and IV&V.
• Experienced and knowledgeable of whole systems engineering lifecycles for complex systems.
• Proven technical/project experience in critical control systems engineering
• Desirable – experience operating as a technical authority in research and low TRL technology and solution development

Values & Behaviours:

As our business continues to evolve and grow, it’s important that we have clear accountability for our respective roles and what it takes to be successful. Therefore everyone is expected to develop their behaviours along three key factors, each of which have two streams as shown below:

Think Big:

• Imagine the Future: See ahead to design new, different and simplified solutions that will anticipate and address tomorrow’s business needs and challenges
• Inspire to Engage: Shares compelling vision, leads with integrity, and engages stakeholders.

**

​​Make It Happen:**

• Deliver User-centric Solutions: Create customer intimacy, listen fully and be accountable for creating value for the client and for Thales.
• Act with Agility: Challenges the status quo, takes smart risks and fosters continuous improvement.

Together:

• Grow Others and Self: Invest energy to develop self and others, ensuring individual and organizational potential is maximised.
• Include Others: Empower others, embrace diversity in partnering beyond organizational boundaries to achieve common goals.

We want a safe and positive environment for all of us to grow, share knowledge and support each other so that we can all work at our best and be proud of our achievements.

Desirable Qualifications and Certification:

• HND/Degree in a relevant subject or equivalent.

Essential:

• Degree qualified in a related subject
• Chartered Engineer

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!