Project Design Authority / Systems Design Authority

Location: Templecombe, United Kingdom

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.

Project Design Authority

Flexible on Location: Templecombe/Cheadle/Crawley/Bristol

25% Travel required around the UK

Primary Purpose of the Role:

The Project Design Authority will be responsible for Solution Compliance for a Services Project. Acts as the primary technical leader of the Service Solution project team. Acts as lead technical interface with the Customer.

The role brings together all of the service offerings for multiple business lines, which also include capability upgrades to the various systems. This role provides the overall technical oversight for all of these elements, and will ensure the appropriate system is addressing issues

Key Responsibilities and Tasks:

• 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.

• Analyses Customer needs/requirements and assesses the Support Solution architecture and technical choices.

• Ensures Solution compliance with Customer needs, Product Policy, Make Team Buy (MTB) Strategy & applicable legislation, rules & regulations. Approves the technical specification and source selection of subsystems/products to be outsourced, by taking into account MTB policy, export restrictions and offset requirements.

• Reviews the technical risks and opportunities and the related mitigation plans throughout the bid or project.

• Checks the production and the maintenance/service aspects of the Solution with the Production Process/Technology Manager (PPTM) and the Service Engineering Managers.

• Checks that the Engineering Environment (E2) for the Solution is consistent with Country/Company E2 Instruction, and overall Solution cost, technical risks & schedule.

• Approves the Design & Justification File (D&JF) prepared by the Solution Architect (ARC).

• Approves the completion of integration, verification, validation and qualification results.

• Organises when appropriate technical meetings and peer reviews together with the Engineering Delivery Manager (EDM) and other technical stakeholders and experts, in order to perform the Solution technical assessment and validation.

• Contribute to business strategy and product development as required.

• Sound understanding of the development lifecycle and through life support strategies.

• Interfacing with the client as technical and regulatory point of contact, building trust and understanding to achieve mutually acceptable solutions.

• Keep abreast of technical development both within and outside of the company.

• Sound understanding of Support Contracts and delivery of solutions through support.

• Assures the Assumptions, Dependencies, Exclusions Risks and Opportunities are linked to requirements and protect the company for the duration of the project.

• Understands technical debt priorities and obsolescence resolution to minimise debt and maximise efficiency.

• Assures the Integrated Logistic Support output, ARM reports, handbooks meet safety, through life cost models and ensure availability.

Expected Competence Level:Skills (underpinning Knowledge)

• Good technical writing skills and good interpersonal communication skills.

• A well-proven leadership capability – with natural ability to build and sustain strong 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.

• Effective personal organisation and an ability to remain composed and focused under pressure.

Experience:

• Acknowledged expert in one or more of the technological disciplines relevant to the company, e.g. Sonar Systems, Visual Systems, Electronic Warfare, Processing, Outboard Hardware etc, and/or in one or more of understanding of business case generation.  The developmental lifecycle disciplines, e.g. Requirements Capture, Modelling & Analysis, System Design, Product Development, IV&V, support and disposal.

• Experienced and knowledgeable of whole systems engineering lifecycles for large complex systems.

• Proven PDA with technical/project experience in both development and support fields.

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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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