Lead Engineer - Industrialization and Manufacturing

Industrialization Lead Engineer

Location: Bangalore, 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.

Industrialization Lead Engineer

Primary Purpose of the Role

Thales is expanding its presence in India through the development of a Group Engineering Competence Centre (ECC), reinforcing its position as a leader in all its markets. Launching in early 2019 in Bengaluru, the ECC will expand Thales’ footprint in its core business areas and cement its long-standing relationship with India. ECC in Bengaluru is seeking an Industrialization Lead Engineer (ILE) role to be part of Industry in Operations team of Thales India. In this role, the ILE will be responsible for ensure Manufacturing technology maturity, Industrial targets, perform trade analysis of design to cost, industrial tools efficiency and tests covering for Aerospace products to meet the customer requirements.

The ILE will assist with the Industrial aspects (manufacturing, maturity) of a product during its development phase. Defines industrial requirements of the product, and ensures that manufacturing tools, benches and test equipment are ready and mature for production launch. Works with the product development team, test engineering, manufacturing and suppliers to assist with issues related to production and maturity are resolved in support of on-time delivery of products. The permanent objective of the ILE is to deliver a mature product and manufacturing process at the Production Readiness Review.

The role is based in Bengaluru and requires frequent travel to supplier sites within India and/or international travel to perform the essential functions of the position.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

• Management of Industrial deliverables and manufacturing topics for the new product development.

• Assist with the industrialization and maturity aspect of the products, under her/his responsibility, measured by Production Yields, Rejections Rates, number of engineering changes up to a year after the product’s Entry into Service.

• Coordinate with the BL IFE Operations team (manufacturing engineering and production line) during the development phase of new products.

• Assist with defining manufacturing requirements and constraints for the development of IFE products, including test requirements (e.g. PCBA ICT, ATP and HASS).

• Coordinate the manufacturing of prototypes and implementing necessary changes to improve manufacturability and reliability.

• Review and assist with approving Engineering Change Orders for new products until PRR.

• Responsible for the Process FMEAs and the implementation of the mitigation actions.

• Create the manufacturing plan for new products.

• Support the evaluation of the recurring cost of the product.

• Participates with procurement in the selection and audits of manufacturing subcontractors. Ensures that manufacturing subcontractors have all necessary documentation and manufacturing processes as defined by Thales to produce a product per design specs and quality requirements.

• Assist with the technical aspect of bringing a new supplier up to full production capability when a major production transfer to a new supplier is required.

• Support documenting Lessons Learned during the development of each new LRU.

• Identify and resolve manufacturing and test issues ahead of the impact point.

Skills & Knowledge Required

TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Well versed with Design for manufacturing, testing concepts for Electromechanical modules, PCBAs and box builds.

• Previous experience with ERP SAP system.

• Strong Microsoft Office Skills.

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.

• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.

• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and to the public.

• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

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 partner and work collaboratively and effectively within the team and customers.

• 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 while working with global cross-functional teams.

• Work with a sense of urgency, be self-motivated, critical thinker with strong curiosity to learn

Years of experience

• 8 to 12 years of experience

• At least 6 years of exposure in the industry field (especially in EMS & box build).

• Understanding and experience within aerospace industry.

Educational Qualification

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in industrial engineering, Electrical (EEE), Electronics (ECE), or Mechanical Engineering.

Certifications

• IPC-A-600 (Essential)

• IPC-A-610 (Essential)

• IPC/WHMA-A-620 (good to have).

Values and Behaviors

• Integrity, resilience and empathy

• Open minded, Intercultural interested

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.

Experience Level

Senior Level