Software Delivery Lead

Thales; Cheadle; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defense technology company located in Cheadle, UK, seeks an experienced Software Engineering Manager to oversee project delivery, manage risk, and guide a high-performing team. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in engineering project management, agile methodologies, and relevant industry-standard software tools. Benefits include competitive salary, flexible working patterns, and comprehensive employee support programs.

Benefits

Competitive base salary

Employee Assistance Program

Pension scheme

28 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Employee discount schemes

Qualifications

• Knowledge of engineering project delivery across the full project lifecycle.
• Experience in agile methodologies and practices.
• Proven experience in configuration control and change management.

Responsibilities

• Ensure management plans are updated and governance executed.
• Liaise with project customers as needed.
• Plan and monitor performance, manage risks.

Skills

Engineering project delivery

Agile methodologies

Configuration control

Requirements management

Software design and development

Integration and verification

Risk management

Bid management

Industry-standard toolsets

Education

Degree-qualified or equivalent

Tools

Atlassian Jira

Windchill PLM

Job description

Overview

Location: Cheadle, United Kingdom.

Thales people provide armed forces customers with operational advantage at every decisive moment throughout the mission. Defence and armed forces customers rely on us to deliver the full range of defence mission systems solutions at land, sea, and air. Our platforms extend across the battlespace including Above and Sonar, Electronic Combat, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance systems. This role covers the related activities of Software Engineering Management and Software Work Package Management. Due to the nature of the work, Security Clearance (SC) is required. It would be advantageous if currently held; if not, the successful applicant must undergo, achieve, and maintain SC clearance prior to commencing employment.

We offer flexible working patterns where possible to support your lifestyle and ambitions, including part-time hours, job sharing, home working, or flexible start/finish times.

Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions. The Work Environment includes flexible SMART working with a mix of remote and office-based collaboration.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

• Ensure relevant department/product/project management plans are kept up to date and the correct level of governance is executed for the products/projects.
• Ensure development is performed in accordance with these plans.
• Liaise with Project Customers as required.
• Plan, coordinate and monitor the performance of the work, identify and manage risks during all the Work Package lifecycle until closure.
• Capture and monitor metrics appropriate to each stage of the project's lifecycle, and enact plans to continuously improve the project development.
• Review Engineering Forward Load with SWEM and Head of SW Delivery.
• Contribute to bid activities regarding estimates, project scheduling and bid gate review inputs.
• Be proactive in expanding professional knowledge within and outside Thales to develop software, engineering and management capabilities.
• Develop necessary skills through training, mentoring and feedback.
• Encourage innovation and new technology/techniques.
• Provide support to less experienced team members, ensuring adherence to procedures and effective performance.
• Lead by example and utilise the Thales Leadership model to develop a high-performing culture and coaching environment.

Experience

• Essential: Knowledge and proven application of engineering project delivery and processes across the full project lifecycle with cognisance of commercial impacts.
• Essential: Knowledge and experience of agile methodologies and practices.
• Essential: Experience of configuration control and change management.
• Essential: Experience of requirements management, software design and development.
• Essential: Experience of integration and verification activities, risk management, bid management and estimation techniques.
• Essential: Good understanding of current trends in software engineering development techniques and technologies.
• Essential: Experience in the use of industry-standard software engineering toolsets.
• Beneficial: More than 5 years in a SW Delivery role managing deliveries from multiple integrated SW Development and Integration, Verification, Validation and Qualification teams.
• Beneficial: Experience of managing multi-million-pound SW Work Packages.
• Beneficial: Multi-site/multi-country development within a complex stakeholder environment.
• Beneficial: SW subcontract management.
• Beneficial: Experience with specific management toolsets – Atlassian Jira, Windchill PLM.

Qualifications

• Essential: Degree-qualified or equivalent.

Security Clearance

This role requires Security Clearance (SC). Please visit the UK Security Vetting (GOV.UK) for guidance. To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years; in some cases, 3 years may be acceptable with additional overseas checks.

Values & Behaviours

The successful candidate will demonstrate behaviours consistent with the Leadership at Thales Model: Think Big, Make It Happen, Together.

What We Offer

• Competitive base salary with bonus and benefits package.
• Flexibility to support work-life balance and development opportunities.
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app.
• Pension scheme and 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Employee discount schemes and various development opportunities.

About Thales

Thales is an equal opportunities employer; Thales UK supports an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process and will provide reasonable adjustments for neuro-diverse applicants or those with disabilities. Thales is subject to Baseline and Security Clearance requirements. For adjustments or an alternative format, please contact Resourcing Ops or the Early Careers Team as appropriate.