Head of Bid and Project Management - Thales

Crawley, West Sussex
Competitive
10 Jul 2019
07 Aug 2019
R0061227
Permanent

Head of Bid and Project Management

Job ID: R0061227

Location: Crawley, England, United Kingdom 
Full time, Regular Employment

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.

Thales UK has a fantastic opportunity for an individual to join our world renowned Avionics team as the Head of Bid and Project Management, working and leading a team at our state-of-the-art facility at Crawley. As Head of Function, the post holder will operate in a dynamic position, providing the over-arching functional leaderships to the Bid and Project Management team across the Avionics business unit within Thales UK. The role is required to ensure the best practice is applied to Bid and Project Management with regard to the use and development of people, processes and tools.

The role will have a number of direct reports covering the Heads of Project Management from the Function and Head of Bid Management, as well as hold overarching People Management responsibility for the entire Avionics Bid and Programme Management Community. The post holder will operate in a key position to drive change and improve overall capability within the team to successfully bid and delivery to projects today as well as in the future.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks:

  • Ensure the Business has robust Project governance, in the Bid and Delivery phases including Commitment Control and Project Reviews, in order to ensure clear visibility of the status of each Project (cost, schedule, risk).
  • Be accountable on a functional basis for the delivery of successful Bids and Projects to the CBU business and operations management teams.
  • Provide overarching functional guidance to the Avionics Bid and Project Management team (relating to people, process and tools).
  • Drive the Strategic Capability Planning for Bid and Programme Management, ensuring that we are ready for today and fit for tomorrow, with a particular focus on leadership capability and anticipation of future needs.
  • Be the People Manager for your first line and act as a ‘role-model’ within this capacity.
  • Providing robust leadership, coaching and mentoring to build team confidence, competence and talent across the project management community.
  • Participate in the identification of training needs and the provision of training within the business.
  • Ensure that effective networks and frameworks are established to drive development, improvement and learning for the advancement the CBU’s B&PM capability.
  • Create an environment of bid and project management knowledge share throughout (business unit, UK, Global Business Unit), supporting the lessons learnt process and ensuring the adoption of best practice techniques.
  • Evaluate project delivery strategies and play a leading role in assessing and mitigating risk and maximising opportunity.
  • Ensuring bid and project teams work within processes, policies and standards as defined by the UK Function and Group. Tailor and drive continuous improvement of local processes in line with Group policies and ‘Best Practice’.

Key Requirements:

We are looking for an individual that possesses excellent leadership skills with ability to drive continuous improvement in a complex matrix environment. In addition, below are some of the desirable skills, experience and personal attributes we are looking for:

  • Extensive knowledge of the full business lifecycle management, including capture and qualification
  • Evidence of ability to provide coaching and development for managers and future leaders
  • Extensive stakeholder management capability
  • Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills with written presentation and report writing skills
  • Engineering or Business Degree/Diploma (desirable)
  • Agile and Innovative
  • Accountable and committed to excellence

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!