Principal Engineer - HW Electronics

Location: Bangalore - Indraprastha, India

Thales is a global technology leader trusted by governments, institutions, and enterprises to tackle their most demanding challenges. From quantum applications and artificial intelligence to cybersecurity and 6G innovation, our solutions empower critical decisions rooted in human intelligence. Operating at the forefront of aerospace and space, cybersecurity and digital identity, we’re driven by a mission to build a future we can all trust.

Present in India since 1953, Thales is headquartered in Noida and has other operational offices and sites spread across Delhi, Gurugram, Bengaluru and Mumbai, among others. Over 2200 employees are working with Thales and its joint ventures in India. Since the beginning, Thales has been playing an essential role in India’s growth story by sharing its technologies and expertise in Defence, Aerospace and Cyber & Digital sectors. Thales has two engineering competence centres in India - one in Noida focused on Cyber & Digital business, while the one in Bengaluru focuses on hardware, software and systems engineering capabilities for both the civil and defence sectors, serving global needs. The Group has also established an MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) facility in Gurugram to provide comprehensive avionics maintenance and repair services to Indian airlines and support the growth of the local aviation industry.

Position Summery: HW Lead -IFE

The primary responsibility of the Inflight Entertainment System (IFE) HW Team Technical Lead is to:

• Guide, develop, and coach a HW group of electrical, mechanical, PCB and test engineers;
• Lead design development and qualification of IFE LRU products; Lead HW re-design projects in all aspects of embedded HW development;
• Responsible for HW project risk management (anticipation, action and escalation);
• Ensure the deployment of HW development processes, process enrichment with lessons learned and traceability to process changes, methods, tools and HW engineering policies while managing efficiency and effectiveness.
• Maintain regular formal communication via team meetings to provide flow down, guidance, discussion and obtain feedback to/from TIECC (Thales India Engineering Competence Center) HW team members.
• TIECC IFE HW Team Technical Lead works closely with IFEC LRU HW development leadership team across the globe. Communicates and interacts with the Product Mangers (PM), Project Engineer (PE), Industrial Engineer (ILE), to present project status, progress, risks, opportunities, action plan as necessary.

• Internal Customers: IFE HW engineering management, Project engineering, Program Management, SW engineering, IVVQ engineering, Industrial OPS, Purchasing and Procurement teams.
• External coordination: development partners, contract manufacturers, suppliers, and vendors.

• Leads new development projects, sustaining engineering investigations, obsolescence reviews, process and documentation updates in collaboration with Thales global HW development team, Thales Systems, SW, Operations staff and manufacturing partners.
• Conducts comprehensive design reviews with global engineering team and partners to confirm that design parameters, cost and manufacturability requirements have been met.
• Ensures that all engineering aspects of projects are completed in a timely and cost-effective manner and will integrate efforts from various functional groups to accomplish design goals.
• Participates in the design, development and test activities state-of-the-art embedded digital and analog high speed, mixed signal communication circuits.
• Identifies the required skills, skill gaps, required training, allocates responsibilities to the various individual contributors and leads these contributors as a team. For the team, he/she schedules, co-ordinates and monitors the implementation of tasks.
• Leads, sets goals and facilitates progress, work and performance for the team members.
• Writes technical specifications, documents.

Requirements:

  Technical skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering;
• 12+ years of previous experience in embedded hardware design for high-speed digital and analog avionics communications systems;
• 8 years’ hands-on experience in AC/DC and DC/DC power Supply and analog circuit design for Avionics;
• Must be proficient in the design principles of switch-mode AC/DC and DC/DC power conversion, analog and digital control regulation, power factor correction, feedback loops stability and compensation, rejection, efficiency, load balancing;
• Hands-on technical knowledge and experience in Power Systems Engineering practices and analysis techniques associated with systems sizing, system characterization & evaluation, fault determination, and requirements flow down;
• Strong experience in debugging and solving power and EMI issues;
• Experience in schematic capture and layout viewer (ORCAD, Cadence, Mentor Graphics, PCAD, etc.), Thermal and airflow Analysis, Electrical Component Stress Analysis, PCB layout, test/debug, documentation and product release;
• Design knowledge using high-performance ARM processors;
• Design knowledge in Ethernet 10Gb, 2.5Gb and 1Gb communications and protocols, Ethernet embedded Switches and routers;
• Knowledge and experience with USB interfaces USB PD, USB3.2, USB3.1 USB 3.0;
• Basic knowledge of Linux OS and scripting language;
• Experience using digital test equipment such as Oscilloscopes, Logic Analyzer, Spectrum Analyzer, Emulators, Debuggers, etc.
• Minimum 5 years of previous experience in planning, implementing, and administering engineering programs and projects;

• Master’s degree in electrical engineering;
• Experience in avionics electrical design, development, DO-160-line fit qualification and documentation;
• Hands on design experience with FPGA/CPLD;
• DO-160 FAA and FCC/CE certification experience;
• Advance knowledge of Linux OS and scripting language.

Personal skills:

• Ability to multitask in an environment requires a high level of detail and accuracy, work independently and take ownership of all assigned tasks;
• Ability to relentlessly track and follow-up on open issues and action items;
• Ability to work collaboratively in a highly dynamic environment;
• Ability to prioritize tasks while meeting deadlines in a high-pressure environment;
• Ability to drive for results, hold self and others accountable, and continuously improve;
• Self-starter with the ability to work through ambiguity and evolving requirements;
• Excellent written and communication skills, effectively managing projects and working with global cross-functional teams.

At Thales, we’re committed to fostering a workplace where respect, trust, collaboration, and passion drive everything we do. Here, you’ll feel empowered to bring your best self, thrive in a supportive culture, and love the work you do. Join us, and be part of a team reimagining technology to create solutions that truly make a difference – for a safer, greener, and more inclusive world.