Lead Process Engineer – Design Phase (Methods, Integration, Test & Deployment)

Thales Group; City of Greater Bendigo; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Family friendly

Tools & PPE

Fitness discount

Parental leave

Veterans leave

Training & development

Job summary

Thales Group in Bendigo is seeking a Lead Process Engineer – Design Phase to define, develop and optimise design‑phase manufacturing strategies, ensuring industrial requirements are embedded early.

You will collaborate with the Product Architect and Industrialisation teams to translate design intent into robust processes for production, testing and integration, while leading design readiness gates and guiding APRU and production teams.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of design for manufacture, design for repair, and design for test principles.
• Experience in industrial management control, cost modelling, and early phase planning.
• Familiarity with Lean methodologies (flow management, Gemba, PDCA, TPM).

Responsibilities

• Establishing design‑phase manufacturing, repair, service, testing, and integration strategies.
• Defining and preparing design‑phase process documentation, tooling concepts, test strategies, and integration plans.
• Validating manufacturability, testability, serviceability, and integration constraints with engineering teams.
• Collaborating with R&D engineering to translate design intent into industrial requirements.
• Developing early test and control strategies for equipment and subassemblies.
• Design Readiness Reviews — lead gates (PDR/CDR/MDR) before design freeze.

Skills

Design for manufacture

Design for repair

Design for test

Lean methodologies

Problem solving

Industrial IT systems

HSE principles

Job description

OUR BENEFITS

• Family Friendly Workplace Certified company with Competitive Remuneration.
• Be a part of a world-class workshop with all tooling and PPE provided.
• Fitness Passport Discount + Employee discounts with a number of affiliates (Travel, Car hire, Tech, Medical Insurance).
• Modernised Paid Parental Leave.
• Veterans Leave.
• Personal & professional training, development and internal growth opportunities.

OUR TEAM

• As part of our VTS business, our PRV team is primarily focused on the design, manufacture, delivery and support of protected mobility vehicles on a global scale.
• We are very proud of everything we do in support of both the Bushmaster and Hawkei platforms as we all work together towards our purpose.
• Most importantly – be a part of a positive team culture that is focused on our people.

YOUR ROLE

Come join our growing Industry team as a Lead Process Engineer – Design Phase. In this role, you will be responsible for defining, developing, and optimising process‑engineering strategies and solutions during the design and early industrialisation phases. Working in close collaboration with the Product Architect and the Process Engineering Manager – Industrialisation, the role ensures that all design‑phase industrial requirements are understood, validated, and translated into robust, scalable processes that support reliable production, testing, integration, and sustainment of Thales products and systems. This position requires strong leadership behaviours aligned with the Lead@Thales Framework, ensuring innovation, agility, collaboration, and long‑term industrial excellence. Working at our Bendigo site, on Dja Dja Wurrung Land, your exciting new career opportunity will see you:

• Establishing design‑phase manufacturing, repair, service, testing, and integration strategies, ensuring industrial requirements are embedded early.
• Defining and preparing design‑phase process documentation, including preliminary ranges, tooling concepts, test strategies, and integration plans.
• Validating manufacturability, testability, serviceability, and integration constraints with engineering teams to ensure industrial feasibility.
• Collaborating with R&D engineering to translate design intent into clear industrial requirements and early alignment on documentation, tooling, and process needs.
• Developing early test and control strategies for equipment and subassemblies, ensuring industrial test requirements are captured prior to design freeze.
• Design Readiness Reviews — Lead and contribute to design readiness gates (PDR, CDR, MDR), ensuring industrial requirements are validated before design freeze.
• Providing early technical guidance to APRU and production teams to ensure design decisions support takt time, flow, and industrial constraints.
• Driving continuous improvement and innovation in design‑phase processes to reduce cost, cycle time, and complexity.
• Contributing to early cost modelling and ensuring objective cost estimates are developed and maintained throughout the design phase.

YOUR EXPERIENCE

• Strong knowledge of design for manufacture, design for repair, and design for test principles.
• Extensive understanding of production and repair processes, with the ability to influence design decisions early.
• Experience in industrial management control, cost modelling, and early phase planning.
• Familiarity with Lean methodologies (flow management, Gemba, PDCA, TPM) applied during design and industrialisation.
• Strong analytical and problem solving capability, particularly in early phase feasibility assessments.
• Knowledge of industrial IT systems, dashboards, and decision support tools.
• Ability to influence engineering teams and ensure industrial constraints are understood and respected.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to mobilise resources, share information transparently, and build long term commitment across teams.
• Demonstrated agility, adaptability, and a continuous improvement mindset.
• Understanding of HSE principles, risk management, and safe design practices.
• As a Defence security clearance is required for this role, applicants must be Australian citizens and eligible to obtain and maintain an appropriate clearance.
• To learn more about clearances please visit http://www.defence.gov.au/AGSVA/.

OUR VALUES

We’re proud to be endorsed by WORK180 as an Employer for All Women, but we know there’s always more we can do. We’ll continue to foster industry partnerships, employee resource groups (ERGs) and development opportunities to make Thales a genuinely equitable employer, for everyone.

We’re committed to supporting a diverse workplace, and that starts here.