Propulsion Test Lead and Test Authority

Location: Belfast, United Kingdom

A 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) 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.

Due to the growth of our propulsion centre of excellence based at our Belfast and Harwell sites we need to make a number of new hires in to this team. Drawing on your background in testing of fluidic systems and high-pressure systems in manufacturing, test and propulsion, this is an excellent time to be joining this team. If you have extensive experience in fluidic and high-pressure systems and are looking for a new industry/challenge, this role could be for you. The position will be based at the TAS UK Belfast, UK, Facility.

Primary Purpose of the Role:

Reporting to the Head of Propulsion Engineering, the candidate will perform, but it not limited to the following type of activities:

• Be the overall testing authority, for gas and liquid satellite propulsion subsystems, in TAS-UK covering all matters relating to fluidic testing.
• Supporting all other engineers in guidance, review and sign off. Establishing ways of working and associated processes and procedures.
• Establishing, in testing, ways of working, safety approaches, plans, process and general produces for the test team.
• Be the approver of new process and procedures relating to testing, ensuring all needs for space are met, as well as safety, manufacturing and cost.
• Training of team members in process, producers, ways of working, while not forgetting succession planning and removal of single point failures.
• Working all phases of space lifecycle (electric and chemical) - Phases A/B/C/D/E, with focus on C and D.
• Provide technical support to subsystem leads for propulsion trade-offs for optimization of the satellite and mission design and MAIT approach, especially around testing. Including document review and sign off for major project milestones.
• Performance analyses/support of test data in support of non-conformance review board.
• Be an authority in the management of anomalies or non-conformances occurring throughout the project life cycle at equipment or subsystem level with support from product engineers and technical experts and present technical status/progress in NCRs with the customer.
• Demonstrates systems engineering knowledge – across the “Systems V” – to achieve critical project outcomes to time, cost and quality.
• Clear enforcement and adherence to requirement management – traceability, IVVQ and model philosophy (BBM, EM, PFM…) etc.
• Provide regular reporting of technical progress to the project team and TAS management.
• Provide technical input to future propulsion developments and contribute to continuous improvement of products, systems and processes.
• Support the definition and acquisition of testing equipment and related items. Must be able to advise on how to define needs in specifications for such acquisitions.
• Participate/Oversee the propulsion module manufacture and AIT activities if needed.
• Line management is not foreseen, but matrix team management will be expected.

Expected Behaviours

• Clearly demonstrable technical competence and mastery in related field.
• Has a leadership mentality and a get it done approach.
• Work cross-domain, not being limited in focus to own department.
• Can communicate technically with confidence.
• Team player who can confidently interface at all levels within a project and represent the company externally (with suppliers and customers).
• Pro-active and capable of working on own initiative with high level of integrity.
• Proactively seeks to understand the wider TAS organisation thinking beyond own role/technical skill domain.
• Has good commercial awareness of manufacturing and delivery.
• Ability to complete his or her tasks autonomously to cost, schedule and quality.
• Willing to learn and embody the very demanding approach of the space industry.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience;

The following are considered essential for this role:

• Experience in fluidic system and/or high pressure systems.
• Practical experience of testing with pressures up to the order of 300-500bar.
• Helium Leak testing via various methods (sniff, accumulation, pressure decay…).
• Pipe work connections.
• Material specifications.
• Gas/media compatibility.
• Flow control and pressure control.
• Cleanliness control for precision fluidic systems.
• Understanding safety and hazards of high pressure liquids and gases.
• Leading groups / being a experienced figure in such endeavours.

The following are considered desirable for this role:

• Desirable: experience and understanding of related manufacturing techniques (xray, orbital welding, etc).
• Desirable: Direct experience in space engineering and the industry, in particular with propulsion manufacture and test. Space industry experience is not a requirement, but is significantly beneficial.

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