Engineering Workpackage Manager

Thales; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Thales Abu Dhabi is seeking an Engineering Work Package Manager for the Radio communication system to lead end-to-end delivery from development to deployment. You will oversee engineering teams, manage schedules, risks, and budgets while coordinating with system engineering, cyber security and IVVQ specialists.

The role requires a Master’s degree, 5+ years of management experience, and strong English/French communication.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in a work package or project management role
• Experience leading delivery teams of 20+ people
• Proven ability to deliver complex systems (software, cyber, hardware)
• Knowledge of project management techniques: scheduling, risk, estimating, reporting
• Experience in multi-cultural environments and producing engineering documentation

Responsibilities

• Plan and manage end-to-end work package delivery: organization, scheduling, budget control
• Lead reviews with Business Line, project management and customer
• Coordinate activities with system engineering, cyber security, IVVQ teams
• Manage resources and skills across disciplines and geographies
• Ensure successful cross-team collaboration and milestone achievement

Skills

Leadership

Program management

Stakeholder mgmt

English (proficient)

French (proficient)

Education

Master of Engineering or Computer Science

Tools

Microsoft Project

Job description

Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow’s possible.

For over 50 years, Thales has been a trusted partner of the United Arab Emirates, providing innovative and cutting-edge solutions in Defence, Aeropsace and Cyber & Digital, aligned with the nation’s long-term vision. With a strong local presence and more than 500 employees across three offices, Thales is deeply embedded within the UAE’s ecosystem. Thales Emarat Technologies plays a pivotal role as a key industrial enabler, fostering national sovereignty, self-reliance, and innovation. Through localization, strategic collaboration, and exporting ‘Made in the Emirates’ technologies to global markets, we contribute significantly to the UAE’s ambitious growth and development while helping build a future we call all trust.

JOB OBJECTIVE

The Engineering Work Package Manager (WPM) for the Radio communication system.

This role will manage the end-to-end Project Engineering Lifecycle: Development activities, risks and opportunities, schedules and coordinate the delivery activities in order to ensure the performance and milestones.

• Manage the Engineering team to deliver the solution,
• Structuring and mastering the delivery process,
• Mastering the technical debt and the impact on the planning and the delivery,
• Managing the co-contracting and subcontracting activities
• Facilitating collaborative work across teams and stakeholders
• Providing the best engineering solutions for customers, being in close touch with them and being the quality guarantee of the engineering solutions provided to the customers
• Contributing to the future products of Thales group
• Working on complex, disruptive and stimulating projects

His team is composed of different roles and engineering disciplines, from Solution Architecture, System Engineering to Software Engineers and Integration engineers (IVVQ)

In addition to this delivery aspect, the position holder needs to master the technical content to manage the financial, planning and reporting aspects and to anticipate difficulties encountered as well as opportunities available to the team.

This position will require significant experience in used technologies for this project:

• Radio communication technologies,
• System and radio hosting infrastructure.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The position will be in Abu Dhabi UAE.

Role and responsibilities

• Conduct all work packages delivery activities: organization, scheduling, effort & budget control, risk & opportunities management
• Conduct and manage reviews with the Business Line, the project management and the Customer (e.g. monthly reviews, design reviews, etc.)
• Manage and coordinate activities with collaboration with project teams (system engineering, infrastructure & cyber security, IVVQ)
• Liaise with the Project Manager and head of disciplines for all aspects of the work package, especially resources and skills management
• Coordinates work across teams in order to ensure the success of the WP

WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

Work Experience

• Relevant work package management or project management role (minimum 5 years)
• Proven experience of managing za delivery team >20 people
• Have good skillset in delivery of complex systems (Software + New technologies, Cyber and integrated team localized in different counties)
• Project management techniques (scheduling, risk management, estimating, progress reporting, stakeholder management)
• Experience in a multi-disciplined and multi-cultural environments
• Relevant on producing engineering documentation: Specifications, design, IVVQ deliverables, user manuals …

Competencies

• Demonstrated leadership and ability to manage technical engineering projects, meeting the requirements with a clear view of the risks and opportunities
• Demonstrated ability to manage tradeoffs on project: technical choices, on time delivery, technical depth, customer satisfaction, etc.
• You are able to engage and influence a diverse set of stakeholders as well as creating clear and achievable goals
• You are able to take decisions–even in uncertain contexts

Preferred domains of knowledge:

• Radio, Tactical Data Link systems
• Communication Networks
• Infrastructure and IT Solution
• Mission critical systems e.g. C2 / C4
• Large and complex systems

QUALIFICATION, CERTIFICATION & EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• You graduated with a Master of Engineering or Computer Science or in university
• You have a minimum of 5 years’ experience among the following positions: Engineering Manager, IT / Technical Project Manager, or Software Engineering Manager (SwEM)
• Certification in IPMA or PMP is an added advantage
• Proficient in English and French languages

HSE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Take care of your own safety and the safety of others as far as is practicable
• To use safety equipment (including PPE) as required and intended

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.