Systems Architect

WeAreTechWomen; Reading; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Cycle to work scheme

Employee discounts

Annual bonus

Job summary

Thales in Reading, UK, seeks an experienced Systems Architect to deliver architecture for airborne products in a hybrid role. You will define architectures, trade-offs, requirements, and ensure delivery across multidisciplinary teams, with SC clearance as a consideration.

The role may require time at Customer sites or at other Thales locations, and occasional travel. Strong MBSE skills, toolset proficiency, and clear communication are essential.

Qualifications

• This role requires experience delivering system architectures for complex airborne or defence-related products.
• Proven ability to derive architectures, manage trade-offs and document decisions.
• Strong written and verbal communication across multi-disciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Define and recommend candidate architectures to satisfy stakeholder expectations and constraints.
• Establish solution architecture and document artefacts and lower-level specifications.
• Plan work, write and verify technical requirements, and produce technical reports.
• Model system designs and perform system analyses to meet milestones.
• Manage requirements flow-down from customer to sub-systems.
• Support verification activities and ensure compliance with contract requirements.

Skills

Systems thinking

MBSE

Requirements management

Technical communication

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Tools

IBM DOORS

Enterprise Architect

Capella

Rhapsody

Model Based Systems Engineering

Job description

Location: Green Park, 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.

System Architect

Green Park - Hybrid module

An opportunity has arisen for an experienced Systems Architect to deliver the role of Systems Architect in support of our Airborne products.

The role is based in Reading, but may be required to work at other Thales locations. Depending on the specific projects the role may require periods of time to be spent at Customer sites and/or integration facilities.

Primary Purpose of the Role:

The successful candidate will be a talented Systems Architect with experience of conceptual and detailed design, Integration and delivery, coupled with a proven capability of delivering mission system programmes.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks:

The successful candidate will be responsible for defining and recommending candidate architectures for the corresponding level (solution or solution element) to satisfy stakeholder expectations according to the standards and re-use policies, the technology roadmap and the business strategy. The candidate will be responsible for establishing the solution architecture by making trade-offs between stakeholder expectations, technical and technological solutions and costs, risks and schedule, document the associated artefacts and approve the resulting lower-level specifications (internal or external).

You will be responsible for planning work, using systems thinking to analyse problems, managing, writing and verifying technical requirements, producing technical reports and specifications, performing systems analyses, meeting milestones and working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to deliver successful programmes.

Typical Tasks include:

• Applying a systems thinking approach to architecture design for the lifecycle of the product. Ideally using methods similar to those recommended by INCOSE.
• Deriving and modelling the solution architecture using ARCADIA Architectural Framework, ideally using Model Based System Engineering approaches.
• Identifying methods to test and validate the architecture.
• Detailing the design and documenting design decisions and rationale.
• Developing the system design in accordance with the system architecture and requirements.
• Perform system modelling using system engineering tools.
• Manage technical requirements flow-down and implementation from customer to sub-systems.
• Support development and performing of system verification methods to demonstrate compliance with the customer’s needs.
• Working within the scope of the Company’s Processes and the System Engineering Management Plan.
• Working within the engineering team to accomplish engineering activities to time, budget and quality.
• Contributing to and writing Engineering Plans, Technical Specifications, interface Documents, Test Plans and Technical Reports.
• Ensuring that design certification for contract requirements and appropriate legislation, including product safety, is performed correctly.
• Supporting engineering reviews and prepare associated technical documentation.

Skills

• An understanding of the fundamentals of Systems Engineering methodologies around Design, Verification, Validation, Qualification and Acceptance.
• Experience deriving system capabilities, functionalities and behaviours, ideally using Model Based Systems Engineering & SysML approaches.
• Understanding of the different actors involved in projects with the ability to contextualise and change the perspective (political, economic, social, technical, environmental, legal...).
• Self-motivated and capable of working alone & with teams.
• Proven experience in product design in an engineering or research environment.
• Must have good communication skills.
• Experience producing documentation with clarity and precision.
• Be prepared to challenge other’s views and willing to accept constructive feedback.
• IBM DOORS or an equivalent requirements management tool.
• Enterprise Architect / Capella / Rhapsody or similar MBSE tool.
• MATLAB or an equivalent simulation/modelling tool (Desirable).
• Knowledge of analogue and digital circuit design (Desirable).
• Expertise in Lan Systems and Armoured Fighting Vehicle domains (Desirable).
• Knowledge and experience of open vehicle architectures (Desirable).

This role will require SC Clearance. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant will undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance. Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance.

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.

For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the National Security Vetting (NSV) Agency - United Kingdom Secu

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.