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.
Our work is organised into two portfolios that guide strategic growth in Secure Communication and Protection. The Land Communications team focuses on tactical radio and electronic countermeasures for UK and global markets. Our Security and Naval Communications team draws on over 100 years of partnership with the Royal Navy, delivering an evolving portfolio of integrated voice and data systems that support resilient, mission‑ready communication.
We are looking for a Senior Principal Systems Engineer to lead the delivery of complex, large-scale naval communications programmes for UK and international customers. This is a high-impact role at the forefront of advanced defence technology, combining technical leadership, systems thinking, and programme delivery across the full engineering lifecycle.
Location: Crawley, Reading & Fareham
The Role:
You will play a critical role in defining, developing, and delivering end-to-end systems solutions for naval communications. Working across bids and live programmes, you’ll lead multidisciplinary engineering teams, shape solution architectures, and ensure successful delivery through all lifecycle phases—from concept through to deployment and in-service support.
Key Responsibilities:
Lead the definition of technical solutions, from requirements capture through to system architecture and design
Provide technical leadership across multidisciplinary engineering teams to deliver solutions to cost, schedule, and quality
Support bid activities by interpreting customer requirements and shaping robust, competitive solutions
Plan, estimate, and deliver engineering work packages aligned to programme objectives
Ensure compliance with engineering governance, including Thales Chorus 2 and project Engineering Management Plans
Manage technical risks, opportunities, and mitigation strategies throughout the lifecycle
Own and maintain the system design baseline through to customer acceptance
Support integration, verification, validation, qualification, and acceptance (IVVQ) activities
Lead technical investigations and resolve system-level and equipment-level issues
Review and manage design changes, problem reports, and technical queries
Prepare and present key design documentation, including validation and certification artefacts
About You:
Proven experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams on complex systems programmes
Strong background across the full systems engineering lifecycle (requirements, design, integration, V&V, acceptance)
Experience working within structured governance frameworks and design review milestones (SRR, PDR, CDR, etc.)
Ability to define system and subsystem specifications from high-level requirements
Strong stakeholder engagement skills, including customer-facing experience and leading design reviews
Knowledge of naval environments and constraints (e.g. shock, vibration, EMC, TEMPEST, safety, cyber, ILS)
Experience with naval communications systems, infrastructure, and operational architectures is highly desirable
Familiarity with installation, commissioning, and trials in a naval or defence context
Proactive, collaborative, and comfortable working in complex, fast-paced programme environments
Why Join Thales?
This is an opportunity to lead the design and delivery of mission-critical naval communication systems at scale. You’ll work on cutting-edge programmes, influence system architecture decisions, and collaborate with global teams to deliver innovative solutions that operate in some of the most demanding environments.
Benefits:
Performance-related bonus
Half day every Friday, usually finishing around 13:00
28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) with opportunity to buy up to 40 hours/year (pro rata)
24 hours volunteering paid for
Private healthcare
Pension scheme
Life cover
24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app
Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers
Gym membership discounts
Security Clearance Requirement:
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.
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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.
Join Thales in the UK – Innovate with us and shape the future!
Skills Required
- Proven experience leading a small multifunctional engineering team through design, development and qualification phases
- Strong knowledge and practical experience of Systems Engineering lifecycle activities (SOR, SRR, PDR, CDR, PRR, TRR, TQR)
- Experience deriving and preparing system and sub-system specifications and engineering design artefacts from requirements
- Knowledge of Naval transverse characteristics and qualification activities including temperature, humidity, shock, vibration, EMC and TEMPEST
- Knowledge and experience of Naval communications systems, equipment, infrastructure and management architectures
- Experience of engineering work package definition, estimation and management to cost, quality and schedule
- Experience supporting IVVQ, integration, commissioning, trials and acceptance activities
- Proven ability to produce and review technical documentation with clarity and precision and to chair design reviews
- Ability to identify and manage technical risks and maintain the design baseline through to customer acceptance
- UK National able to obtain and maintain UK Security Clearance (SC) without caveats (residency requirements typically apply)
- Willingness to travel to supplier and customer locations as required
- Good team-working, delegation and people-motivation skills
What We Do
Thales is a global high technology leader investing in digital and “deep tech” innovations – connectivity, big data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and quantum technology – to build a future we can all trust, which is vital to the development of our societies. The company provides solutions, services and products that help its customers – businesses, organisations and states – in the defence, aeronautics, space, transportation and digital identity and security markets to fulfil their critical missions, by placing humans at the heart of the decision-making process.
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