Principle Technician

Thales Group; Stockport; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Half day Friday

28 days leave + bank holidays

Pension scheme

Healthcare plan

Life Assurance

Health Insurance

Volunteering day

Employee discounts

Job summary

Thales Group is seeking a Principal Technician for the Cheadle site to support the manufacture, assembly and maintenance of advanced electromechanical systems for defence and naval programmes.

You will work from engineering drawings, qualify cable harnesses, LRUs and assemblies, and collaborate in a high‑performance environment while adhering to safety and quality standards.

Qualifications

• Understanding of IPC/WHMA-A-620D and IPC J-STD-001 standards.
• Experience with military electromechanical assemblies.
• Ability to use military and commercial crimp tools.
• Soldering and wire terminations per IPC J-STD-001; minor PCA rework.

Responsibilities

• Manufacture electromechanical assemblies on time and to quality standards.
• Escalate blockers to Work Cell Leader.
• Liaise with Manufacturing Engineers on technical issues.
• Escalate health and safety issues to Work Cell Leader.
• Maintain COSHH compliance and calibration.
• Ensure 5S standards are met.
• Coordinate with Planning to align with the plan.

Skills

IPC standards

Military equipment

Crimp tools

Soldering IPC-001

Build packs

Manufacturing tooling

Tools

Palma

Oracle

Job description

Location: Cheadle, United Kingdom

Thales is a global technology leader with more than 83,000 employees on five continents. With over 7,500 people in the UK, operating across defence, space, aerospace, and digital security, we help build a future we can all trust. Thales supports the security and stability of our nation by providing extraordinary technology to our customers, as well as delivering social value to the UK with our products and services.

Working Arrangements: Cheadle site based

Working pattern: 37 hours across 4 days a week (Monday to Thursday – 9.25 hours per day)

Overtime may be available on Fridays and Saturdays.

We're looking for a Principal Technician to join our team, supporting the manufacture, assembly and maintenance of advanced electromechanical systems for critical defence and naval programmes. You'll work to engineering drawings and quality standards, contributing to the production of cable harnesses, LRUs and assemblies. This is an excellent opportunity to apply your technical expertise in a collaborative, high-performance environment.

Core Benefits

On offer is a competitive salary and benefits package, including;

• Half day every Friday, usually finishing around 13:00
• 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) plus opportunity to buy up to 40 hours/year (pro rata)
• 24 hours volunteering paid for
• Healthcare Cash Plan
• Pension scheme
• Life Assurance
• Health Insurance
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app
• Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers
• Gym membership discounts
• You can read about some of our other benefits here: UK benefits | Thales Group

About Under Water Systems (UWS)

Our purpose is to be the leading provider of underwater sensors and decision superiority, helping navies across the world keep our friends, families and all of us safe. We cover four sectors: Mine Counter Measures, Anti-Submarine warfare, Services and Future Capabilities.

Main Responsibilities

• On time and to quality manufacture of Electromechanical assemblies
• Escalate blockers and issues to Work cell Leader
• Liaise with Manufacturing Engineers and Engineering on technical issues
• Escalate Health and safety issues to Work cell Leader
• Accountable for COSHH and Calibration
• Ensuring 5S standards are met
• Liaise with Planning and Work cell leader to ensure familiarisation with the plan

Ideal Experience & Skills

• An understanding of Industry Standards IPC/WHMA-A-620D and IPC J-STD-001
• Worked on Military equipment such as 19” Racks and other Electromechanical assemblies
• Able to use Military and commercial Crimp Tools
• Able to Solder, to include wire terminations in line with IPC J-STD-001 and the rework of minor PCA assemblies.
• Can interpret a build pack into a finished product unaided
• Able to use manufacturing tooling, (Palma, Oracle)

Security Clearance Requirements: UK Eyes Only

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 a UK National and achieve Security Clearance (SC) without any caveats. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment. If approved by the MOD, a dual national from a non-ITAR country may be considered.

To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years. In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years’ residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.

Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels.

At Thales, we ensure equal opportunities, pay and working conditions for all. The benefits we offer include private medical insurance, buying or selling annual leave, cycle to work schemes, employee discounts, paid volunteering day, stocks and shares, annual bonus and much more depending on the role. Read more about our benefits here.

We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued for who they are and the unique strengths they bring. Discover more about our programmes, employee networks, wellbeing policies, and inclusive features here.