Assistant Project Manager

Job Description

Thales people architect solutions that enable two-thirds of planes to take off and land safely. We create in-flight entertainment systems that engross 50 million fliers every year and we develop the avionics that control the world’s largest commercial aircrafts. Our simulators train the next generation of pilots for fighter jets, transporters and search and rescue helicopters. And, together, each and every member of our aerospace team makes a difference.

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 five major industries; Aerospace, Defence, Ground Transportation, 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.

One of the world's only technology providers serving both the civilian and military markets, Thales UK is a key participant in an extensive range of major aircraft programmes. Guiding, protecting, equipping, tracking, controlling – Thales’s technology is making fixed and rotary wing aircraft of all types safer and more efficient, all around the world.

Primary Purpose of the Role:

The project manager will be responsible for management, execution and performance of projects within the Customer Services Helicopter, Flight Avionics Business reporting into the Head of Customer Services as part of the campaign to maintain business performance and grow the level of acquisition and post-acquisition support business.

The primary purpose is to lead and direct a defined portfolio of customers and projects within the Helicopter Customer Services Business. The principal responsibility and objective is to manage bids and contract fulfilment, and hence on-time-in-full end-to-end service delivery. The role ensures that all activities and deliverables are met within the agreed terms of contract including timescale, specifications, quality and budget, to the satisfaction of and acceptance by the customer.

Key Tasks and Accountabilities:

The Project Manager is ultimately responsible for all activities during bid and or/contract fulfilment of all associated programmes including, but not limited to:

• To ensure projects are planned, set-up, organized, documented, executed and concluded consistent with Chorus 2 requirements
• To carry out day-to-day activities effectively and efficiently within the framework of Thales corporate policies, directives and instructions.
• To present and report project process and activities to the Head of Customer Services and Planning Flight Avionics and Excom Flight Avionics, as required.
• To assist Marketing to achieve market and business objectives as part of the offer and contract negotiation team.
• To define, establish, manage and lead a high performing and successful integrated project organisation, including individual and team resource profiling.
• To provide robust leadership to build team confidence, competence and talent, and be their mentor and role model.
• To delegate duties and responsibilities to the project organisation/team.
• To set and implement project delivery strategies, including the maximizing of opportunities, and the mitigation of risks.
• To set and drive improvements to project cost budgets.
• To conduct audit assessments and associated reports/actions including implementation of suitable actions.
• To implement Customer Relationship Management techniques and develop where implemented, where appropriate, the CSM, LSM, TSM structure for key customers.
• Responsible for maintaining an ethical approach to business, in line with the Thales ethics policy.

Technical & Professional Skills

• Experience and a proven track record for delivery in a technical, complex and sizeable project environment or equivalent customer service environment.
• Thorough understanding of project/programme management including: integration, value, scope, quality, procurement, time, finance, human resource, risk, opportunities and communications
• Good working knowledge of project management tools/software including enterprise tools such as Oracle or similar.
• Comfortable in a customer-facing environment and developing business opportunities.
• High-level influencing, networking & communication skills developed within global organisations – ideally enhanced through international assignments or secondment.
• Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills and written presentation / report writing skills should be developed to Board-level.
• Innovation and creativity to think differently and move the business away from the norm.
• Strong administrative, organizational, managerial, leadership and team working skills.
• Experience in the development and delivery of service bids and programmes
• Earned Value Management, and/or business accounting practices.
• Builds future capability through coaching, mentoring and competency-based development of subordinates (and peers).
• Hands-on experience that covers project control, financial reporting, customer services management, budgeting, process development, lean manufacturing, quality or environmental management.
• Engineering familiarity likely to include s/w, h/w and systems engineering would be advantageous.

Education & Qualifications

• Degree level education – most likely technical.
• Project Management certification to minimum level C through a national/international recognised authority (APM, PRINCE, PMI or equivalent) is preferred or at least a defined plan for achieving this.
• Alternatively a Masters degree with specialisation in Project Management or similar is an advantage.

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 65,000 employees in 56 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. Great journeys start here, apply now!