Hardware Engineering Manager

Location: Belfast, United Kingdom

Thales people architect solutions that are relied upon to deliver operational advantage at every decisive moment throughout the mission. Defence and armed forces customers rely on us to deliver the full range of defensive systems for land, sea, and air. From early warning, to threat neutralisation, our platforms cover all levels from very short-range systems, to extended protection across the entire battle-space including Airspace Mobility Solutions, Vehicles and Tactical Systems and Missile Defence, Optronics, and Radar.

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.

Mechanical Hardware Engineering Manager

The Mechanical Hardware Engineering Manager is responsible for the completion of a set of

engineering tasks in the Hardware discipline within the committed cost, schedule, performance, risk management and quality of deliveries in a multi-stakeholders and interdisciplinary environment. They rely on their technical knowledge to provide leadership to the team(s), with particular reference to deploying a structured approach to the required Mechanical & Hardware engineering activities. They are responsible for the Mechanical hardware design, development and delivery of products & projects that comply with the engineering design process and relevant safety & environmental standards, including Ecodesign, DFMAT, REACH /ROHS etc.

The responsibilities may span across various stages of the engineering process, including

addressing customer needs, mission analysis, functional and architectural design, as well as the complete hardware solution life cycle (requirements and specialty engineering, design,

development, integration, and verification). You will work collaboratively with a multi-disciplinary internal team, including engineering delivery, systems, software and Electrical engineers to ensure the design and delivery of the Hardware Mechanical solution meets the needs of the business.

Reporting to the Mechanical Lead, you will be responsible for leading and managing a team of

Mechanical & Hardware Engineers to complete design tasks across any stage of the product or

programme life cycle, and to do this within cost, schedule, performance & quality requirements,

monitoring and delivering value to stakeholders.

Key responsibilities of the role

The role will include the following activities:

• Manage the Mechanical Hardware Development Cycle: Define and manage the hardware development cycle, ensuring alignment with the overall project and system requirements, including dependencies and co-engineering activities. Ensure work carried out by the team is conducted in accordance with company processes and drive key mechanical design processes into team culture (DFx, DFMEA etc.).
• Mechanical Engineering Environment: Customize the hardware engineering environment, encompassing processes, practices, and tools, to meet company and project-specific needs.
• Task Allocation: Distribute responsibilities among individual contributors, ensuring effective task management and clear accountability. Manage the day-to-day activity of a team of engineers (plan, prioritise and allocate tasks within the team, negotiating between projects where necessary) and ensure cost & schedule adherence, resource management, milestone delivery performance.
• Architecture Definition and Interface Specification: Working with Technical Authority’s within the team, participate in the development of the system architecture and liaise with key stakeholders to produce detailed planning to identify resource requirements and detailed tasks to be performed and delivered by the team.
• Work Package Management: Occasionally undertake the role of Work Package Manager, which involves cross-functional responsibilities not covered in this description. Lead the generation of bids and estimates and provide consultancy on Mechanical solutions.
• Technical Direction: Provide technical direction to the team to ensure that technical challenges/risks are being managed and mitigated. Lead or participate in fault-finding activities, technical investigations, reviews and improvement projects
• Collaboration: Engage with a multi-disciplinary team across the project (systems, electronics, software, safety, etc) to develop an optimum solution
• Team development: Contribute to the development of the wider Mechanical team, eg. developing junior members of staff, proposing and implementing improvements and reviewing the work of peers. Deliver high quality, value-adding development discussions with members of the team.

Essential Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in mechanical engineering, or similar higher-level qualification
• Proven experience in Mechanical development processes and engineering management.
• Proven experience in managing engineering design teams to deliver to complex projects
• Excellent communication & Collaboration skills - Proven experience in successful collaboration with multiple functional stakeholders and internal/external customers
• Strong understanding of Mechanical Design life cycle processes, from requirements gathering to verification and validation.
• Demonstrated responsibility for driving innovative technical solutions through the design lifecycle with a proven record of delivering to cost, schedule and quality
• Experience in Mechanical Design CAD Tools (Catia, Creo, or similar)
• Experience in the entire product lifecycle from bid/concept through to system integration/qualification and support
• Comfortable challenging the norm, and directing or influencing approaches and processes
• Proven experience in advising, supporting and auditing activities of multiple projects and resources simultaneously
• Experience in selecting innovative technologies, tools and methods and ensuring they hold traction within the team
• Contribution to defining policies and guidelines for your business unit or department

Desirable Attributes:

• Experience in mentoring / coaching engineers to achieve their potential through development action planning
• Knowledge of the Chorus 2.0 Design, Develop and Qualify the Solution Process Lifecycle, or equivalent ISO9001 compliant engineering management system.
• Chartered Engineer Status
• Experience in leading and managing remote teams
• Knowledge of Lean & Agile Methodology and it’s application to Mechanical / Hardware design

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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.

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