Propulsion Technical & Product Strategy Lead

Location: Oxford, United KingdomA Joint Venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space is a global space manufacturer delivering, for more than 40 years, high-tech solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth Observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Thanks to our diversity of skills, talents and cultures, our customers (governments, institutions, space agencies, telecommunications operators), therefore have Space to Connect, Secure & Defend, Observe & Protect, Explore, Travel & Navigate.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.

Thales Alenia Space UK is the Propulsion Competence Centre and Propulsion Engineering Centre of Excellence for the wider Thales Alenia Space Joint Venture. The purpose of this role is to work TAS-JV wide to direct and inform the propulsion strategy for the wider TAS.

Primary Purpose of Role

In the frame of the Thales Alenia Space (TAS) propulsion capability – This is a transnational role:

A Senior Technical Leader of TAS-UK, influencing bid, design, development, qualification, test and production strategy and implementation of all propulsion sub-systems – TAS-UK achieved over £200m of OI in Propulsion in 2024 – this role is absolutely critical in delivering the capability for the business.

Significant experience in understanding market trends and customer needs, and will use this knowledge to develop the wider TAS JV portfolio plan for space propulsion.

An experienced, knowledgeable senior technical leader who offers deep technical knowledge in the domain of propulsion for space missions. Recognised by their team, the wider TAS JV, the wider business community (industry and customer) as a knowledge leader in the industry.

Ensure key flow down of future developments to procurement team to enable key technology developments.

Will provide informed advice on benefits of technical innovations and new concepts in propulsion

Interact with TAS JV wider to direct and to collect and inform the propulsion strategy for the wider TAS.

Work with the TAS Propulsion Competence Centre to support propulsion systems manufacturing in Belfast, concerning strategy, funding and approach.

Provide technical support/advice to the UK technical Director

Maintain and grow relationships across all TAS domains and the TAS Product manager community.

Lead on the development and delivery of TAS-UK Propulsion strategy.

Lead on the adoption of technical principles that lay the foundations for propulsion excellence.

Manage relationships with UKSA and ESA as a go to technical leader who can influence customer strategy and procurement decisions.

Engage with the Engineering leadership and workforce for high performance.

Refine and improve the phases of TAS-UK propulsion activity, build plans around excellence and work with the Engineering Leadership team to execute.

Working with the procurement function to assure our Supply Chain propulsion activity is of a high technical standard and supporting supplier excellence.

Engaging in CCRs or Gates acting as delegate for Technical Director as required.

Supporting the development of talent through training and education.

Working collaboratively with the Head of Engineering to ensure strong focus on meeting design release dates in line with procurement and production timescales.

Leading a strategy portfolio of Space propulsion projects with over £200m revenue over 3-6 year timeframe (depending on programme).

Principal Relationships with Sales/Marketing and Bids & Projects

Ensure participation in gates to ensure the correct TAS JV strategy is followed across wider JV, across all supporting departments and entities.

Support to technical and project reviews during lifecycle in conjunction with engineering team and project and bid community.

Provides timely and practical advice and direction on overcoming technical/programmatic challenges.

Evaluates the technical approach and makes recommendations to the projects and bids. Assists in managing the engineering approach accordingly. Identifies optimum solutions to deliver strategy.

Analyses market to provide the technical road map to be followed by all sales/marketing and project/bid campaigns.

Supports Tender Evaluation Boards for both “make” and “buy” propulsion bids and projects

Principal Relationships with Propulsion Competence Centre and Engineering Management

Provide recommendations to support business cases for investing in tools & software

Review and develop design and development processes to support capability growth in their skill areas.

Identify opportunities for productivity improvements for discussion with the Skill Leads, Resourcing Manager and Propulsion Product Manager

Experience and Skills

Demonstrate an outstanding record of accomplishment of technical management of propulsion systems for space flight.

Deep experience as a technical lead for multiple space missions from concept through to delivery.

Experience of working in a multi-discipline team environment

Wide customer, supplier, market and intuitional network and awareness, including internal stakeholders to TASUK. .

Experience in Space domain working for institutional and commercial customers

Excellent communication and networking skills on technical topics at the highest levels of an organization

Outstanding behaviours, engaging with people at all levels within the organisation in a positive way, building lasting relationships that deliver value for the organisation.

Education & Qualifications

Relevant engineering degree, preferably PhD level qualification(s).

Personality / Behaviours / Values

A paragon of the Thales Leadership Model, the role-holder leads with outstanding behaviours, tackling complex and challenging problems whilst honouring the need for positive and long-lasting relationships with colleagues at all levels.

Displays energy, drive, agility and resilience in achieving work-related goals under difficult circumstances. Enjoys or thrives on developing and performing through teamwork, and promoting improvements and change.

Ability to interface well and influence effectively, and tenaciously, at all levels including internally and externally with customers, partners and suppliers

Business aware and customer oriented with organisation and commercial awareness.

A strategic thinker who has the ability to work innovatively with sometimes-unclear briefs; a persistent and tenacious high achiever, with the ability to quickly learn new skills and concepts

Be customer/market focused – both internal and external customers – to ensure that the needs of the customers are met.

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