Principal Hardware Architect

Principal Hardware Architect

Location:

Templecombe, United Kingdom

Thales Underwater Systems (UWS) design, develop and support Sonar Systems applications for anti‑submarine warfare and mine hunting. We offer a fantastic opportunity for a Principal Hardware Architect to join a close‑knit, friendly and hardworking team.

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.

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 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.

• Provide support to the PDA (Project Design Authority) and PLA (Product Line Authority) in a technical capacity.
• Analyses the customer’s and other stakeholders’ needs whatever the used means (e.g. advanced studies, simulations, mock‑ups, models, prototypes).
• Describes the requirements, functions and interfaces on the component or sub‑system.
• Formalises the specification and the architectural design to develop the component or sub‑system.
• Prepares and performs the component or sub‑system, verification and validation tests.
• Ensures that hardware architecture stability is maintained across lifecycle phases from Bid to Delivery.
• Directs and coordinates hardware architecture studies.
• Approves the technical, technological, and methodological choices taken in respect of the selected hardware architecture.
• Guarantees adherence to in‑scope standards, reuse policy and product development plans.
• Identifies modelling, simulation and prototyping opportunities.
• Co‑ordinates product definition, and assessment of trade‑offs between aspects of cost, customer requirements and technological possibilities.
• Prepares the Design & Justification Files.
• Provides knowledge on state‑of‑the‑art hardware architecting, taking account of future developments.
• Monitors technological developments.
• If mechanically or electrically biased in experience, lead the design elements specific for that discipline.
• Support and mentor other members of the team.

• An ability to work collaboratively within a team environment and demonstrate:
• Good interpersonal skills,
• Good communication and presentation skills,
• Proactive “can‑do” mentality,
• Logical problem solving approaches.
• Ability to understand and implement Product Line Engineering strategies.
• Ability to technically lead design and development activities, interfacing with other technical disciplines as required.
• The holder of the role must be able to demonstrate knowledge of the following:
• Systems Engineering Toolsets, Practices and Life cycles.

• Hardware design and development.

• A minimum of five years’ experience in an Engineering role in an appropriate engineering field, e.g. Maritime, Aerospace, Defence, etc.,
• Equivalent experience in a relevant technical field, either mechanical or electronics design will also be considered.

• Experience working on underwater acoustics and/or sonar.
• Experience with in Systems Engineering.
• The design of equipment for the sub‑sea environment.
• Experience with Design for Cost / Design for Manufacture, manufacturing specifications and transition to production environment.
• Experience of IVVQ activities.

• HNC / HND / Degree OR Proven experience in a similar role of at least 10 years.

Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions.
This role requires you to be…