Project Design Authority

Thales Group; Cheadle; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Annual bonus

Cycle to work scheme

Employee discounts

Volunteer day

Stock and shares

Job summary

Thales Group is seeking a Project Design Authority to lead solution compliance for bids and projects in the UK. You will act as the technical leader, interfacing with customers, reviewing risks, and ensuring alignment with policy, MTB strategy, and regulations.

You will approve designs, manage D&JF, and oversee integration and qualification activities. The role requires strong leadership, excellent communication, and a deep understanding of lifecycle engineering for complex systems.

Qualifications

• Technical proficiency in one or more relevant disciplines (e.g., Sonar Systems, Processing, Outboard Hardware).
• Experience across lifecycle disciplines: Requirements, Modelling & Analysis, System Design, Product Development, IV&V.
• Proven ability to lead complex, critical control systems engineering projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead Solution compliance analysis and act as the primary technical interface with the customer.
• Review technical risks, define mitigations, and balance customer needs with policy and MTB strategy.
• Approve design & justification files and oversee integration, verification, and qualification results.
• Organise technical reviews, lead cross-disciplinary meetings, and drive lifecycle development.
• Maintain strong client interfacing and ensure delivery on time and within budget.

Skills

Technical expertise

Systems engineering

Stakeholder management

Technical writing

Leadership & presentation

Education

HND/Degree in a relevant subject

Job description

The Project Design Authority will be responsible for Solution Compliance for a Bid or Project. The PDA acts as the primary technical leader of the bid or project team and as the lead technical interface with the Customer.,

• Analyses Customer needs/requirements and assesses Solution architecture and technical choices.
• Ensures Solution compliance with Customer needs, Product Policy, MTB Strategy & applicable legislation, rules & regulations.
• Reviews the technical risks and opportunities and the related mitigation plans throughout the bid or project.
• Ensures best trade-off between Customer requirements & Product Policy consistent with schedule, costs, MTB strategy & risks/opportunities.
• Checks the production and the maintenance/service aspects of the Solution with the Production Process/Technology Manager (PPTM) and the Service Engineering Manager.
• Approves the technical specification and source selection of subsystems/products to be outsourced, by taking into account Make-Team-Buy policy, export restrictions and offset requirements.
• Checks that the Engineering Environment (E2) for the Solution is consistent with Country/Company E2 Instruction, and overall Solution cost, technical risks & schedule.
• Responsible for ensuring, with the support of Specialty Engineering experts & Safety/HSE stakeholders, that the Solution design takes into account contract requirements and applicable legislation, rules & regulations, including product safety & security and Environmental/HSE requirements & standards, and that related certification activities are performed adequately and correctly.
• Approves the Design & Justification File (D&JF) prepared by the Solution Architect (ARC).
• Approves the completion of integration, verification, validation and qualification results.
• Performs the Complexity Profiler analysis with the Solution Architect (ARC) & SEM. Take into account the resulting actions during the bid or project.
• Alerts first the DA & then upward within CBU/Domain, Country, BL or GBU Technical Directorate.
• Leads the main bid/project Engineering Reviews and approves the main Engineering deliverables at each project decision milestone.
• Organises when appropriate technical meetings and peer reviews together with the SEM (System Engineering Manager) and other technical stakeholders and experts, in order to perform the Solution technical assessment and validation.
• Sound understanding of the development lifecycle and lifecycle products.
• Interfacing with the client (internal/external), to define the solution.
• Keep abreast of technical development both within and outside of the company.
  Good technical writing skills and good interpersonal communication skills.
• Leadership skills - with natural ability to build and sustain good working relationships at all levels.
• First class presentation skills.
• Ability to effectively manage relationships across the business and achieve outcomes beneficial to both own team and the broader business.
• On-budget, on-time delivery, whilst maximising margin and delighting the customer.
• Effective personal organisation and an ability to remain composed and focused under pressure.

Experience

• Technical prowess in one or more of the technological disciplines relevant to the company, eg Sonar Systems, Processing, Outboard Hardware etc, and/or in one or more of understanding of business case generation, resource planning, and budgetary control.
• Experience in the developmental lifecycle disciplines, eg Requirements Capture, Modelling & Analysis, System Design, Product Development, and IV&V.
• Experienced and knowledgeable of whole systems engineering lifecycles for complex systems.
• Proven technical/project experience in critical control systems engineering

Values & Behaviours

• Innovate - Be motivated to search for novel and unique design solutions.
• Team working - Maximise the use of the wider Thales community to produce winning solutions.
• Develop people - Be prepared to share your ideas and experience with the wider Thales engineering community.
• Focus on customers - Be driven to deliver quality solutions to clients.
• Safety - Totally embrace the Thales safety culture to provide a safe and healthy working environment for all.
• Ethics - Thales employees must be exemplary in their ethical conduct and social responsibility.

Job holders will be expected to perform in line with the Thales Code of Practice, Policies and Procedures., HND/Degree in a relevant subject or equivalent., 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.

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. 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.
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. If this role isn't quite right for you, we encourage you to join our talent community where your details will be shared with our recruitment teams for other potential opportunities. Join the Talent Community here.