Systems Engineer

The Systems Engineering team at Crawley carries out Systems Engineering activities covering the full lifecycle for complex defence programmes. A vacancy has arisen for an experienced Systems Engineer, primarily to help deliver a new arm of Thales's Underwater Systems business from the Crawley site. This is an exciting opportunity in an area of the business currently undergoing rapid and sustained growth, both in domestic and export areas.

The individual is expected to be capable to take on the role of Systems Engineer for parts, or the whole, of a Sonar Design from bid to contract acceptance and completion. This will entail being responsible for Solution Compliance for a Bid or Project, acting as a technical leader for the bid or project team reporting to the programme Solution Engineering Manager & Project Design Authority., * Analyses Customer needs/requirements and assesses Solution architecture and technical choices.

• Ensures Solution compliance with Customer needs, Product Policy, Make-Team-Buy (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.
• System definition activities - requirements definition, functional and physical definitions
• Preparation and presentation of system level design reviews
• Monitoring of emerging detailed design within various implementation teams - acoustic, hardware, mechanical, software etc.
• Ensures, with the support of Specialty Engineering experts & Safety/HSE stakeholders that 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 correctly.
• IVVQ planning and execution, including platform trials from time-to-time
• Requirements sell-off and contract acceptance with customer
• Customer and end-user liaison
• Analysis of system performance
• Alignment of Product vs Project - Contribute to business strategy and product development as required.
• Sound understanding of the development lifecycle and lifecycle products.

Skills, Competence and associated Behaviours

• Evidence of capability against the following competences (INCOSE based):-

• Systems Thinking: System Concepts (context, complexity); Super-System Capabilities
• Systems Design - Concept Generation; Architectural Design; Maintain Design Integrity; System Robustness;
• Safety - Identifying Hazards

• Strong analytical abilities with a methodical approach
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate technical issues to team members, Design Authorities and varying levels of senior management.
• Is a self-starter, capable of working on own initiative with a high level of integrity.
• Well organized individual; ability to plan & schedule activities (and produce associated plans)
• Team player who can interface at all levels within engineering and manufacturing company, represent the company to outside government and customer organisations, and who can operate successfully in a multi-cultural environment.
• Ability to work professionally and constructively within a team environment providing advice and consultancy.
• Good people management skills and the ability to influence and challenge others

Desirable

• DOORS practitioner
• System modelling skills (with either Rhapsody, Enterprise Architect or similar tool)
• Familiarity with Agile / Lean engineering techniques, e.g. SCRUM methodology (in support of software development)
• An ability to quickly assimilate and utilise a knowledge of the technical and market environment and apply this to the commercial requirements of the business.

Experience / Knowledge

Essential

• Demonstrable relevant systems engineering design and development experience in the defence industry (typically complex systems with software content)
• Design Authority responsibility, or similar.
• Sensor-based system domain experience (from sensor, to (signal and data) processing, to operator), e.g. Radar, Sonar.
• Proven track record of articulating / defining system design, i.e. production of design definition such as SSDD, ICD.
• Proven track record of working in a complex Internal & External stakeholder environment, i.e. strong stakeholder management
• Proven track record in customer liaising, negotiating and issue resolution

Desirable

• Experience of working internationally (coordination of geographically separated engineering teams)
• Knowledge of maritime domain operations and/or products
• Sonar knowledge and factors affecting performance
• Knowledge of acoustic design and/or performance in underwater environment
• Experience of Sonar signal and data processing (in support of inboard processing)
• Practical experience of platform installation, integration and acceptance
• Experience of Design for Manufacture
• Knowledge of Safety Integrity Levels

Education

• Higher level Degree/Doctorate, or equivalent.

#LI-MC2

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.

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, 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.