ThalesChief Data & AI Officer
Thales is hiring a Chief Data & AI Officer. Level rates it ; you can apply on Thales.
Level's read on this job
- Level rates this role Works on AI ●●●○: the daily work is on AI products, without building the model.
- The posting mentions LLM, AI agents and data governance among its tools and skills.
- Level classes it as an executive role.
- Thales has 3,500+ other open roles on Level.
- Posted in the last few days.
AI in this role
Lead the worldwide Data & AI transformation programme, defining roadmaps, governance, and accelerating AI solution deployment across AMS.
Construisons ensemble un avenir de confiance
Thales est un leader mondial des hautes technologies spécialisé dans trois secteurs d’activité : Défense & Sécurité, Aéronautique & Spatial, et Cyber & Digital. Il développe des produits et solutions qui contribuent à un monde plus sûr, plus respectueux de l’environnement et plus inclusif. Le Groupe investit près de 4,5 milliards d’euros par an en Recherche & Développement, notamment dans des domaines clés de l’innovation tels que l’IA, la cybersécurité, le quantique, les technologies du cloud et la 6G. Thales compte près de 85 000 collaborateurs dans 65 pays.
Nos engagements, vos avantages
Une réussite portée par notre excellence technologique, votre expérience et notre ambition partagée
Un package de rémunération attractif
Un développement des compétences en continu : parcours de formation, académies et communautés internes
Un environnement inclusif, bienveillant et respectant l’équilibre des collaborateurs
Un engagement sociétal et environnemental reconnu
Votre quotidien
Rejoignez-nous sur le campus Vélizy qui héberge une grande diversité d’activités Thales, aéro, défense, civile,... A l'ouest de Paris, ce site offre un environnement de travail équipé des dernières innovations technologiques et propose des services permettant de concilier vie professionnelle et personnelle.Within Thales AMS (Airspace Mobility Solutions), you will lead the worldwide Data & AI transformation programme, covering products, engineering and business functions.
Based in Vélizy and reporting to the VP AMS Operations, you will define and execute a cohesive Data & AI roadmap, strengthen data governance and accelerate the deployment of AI solutions across AMS. You will work closely with international teams and stakeholders to drive innovation, operational efficiency and the adoption of data-driven practices.
In this role, you will:
- Lead Data & AI governance across AMS, including the deployment of processes and tools, data assessments, Data Galaxy catalogue consistency and the establishment of reliable Data Foundations.
- Oversee data engineering initiatives, covering data ingestion, transformation, storage, quality, availability and performance optimisation to support scalable AI solutions and LLM development.
- Coordinate the development and lifecycle management of a global AI agent marketplace, promoting reusable AI solutions and supporting the AI ambassador network.
- Drive the modernisation of business processes through AI, lean engineering and agentic approaches, while strengthening knowledge management and supporting the deployment of AI-based solutions.
- Lead and develop multidisciplinary teams of AI engineers, data engineers and specialists, fostering collaboration, innovation, continuous improvement and a data-driven culture.
- Shape long-term Data & AI priorities alongside functional leaders, Product Owners, architects and Product Managers, while acting as a trusted advisor and technology-watch contributor to the LAS Global Business Unit.
The role involves collaboration with international stakeholders and partners, approximately 30% domestic and international travel, and occasional work outside standard business hours due to global operational requirements.
Your Profile
Are you an experienced Data & AI leader with the technical expertise and strategic vision to drive large-scale transformation across an international organisation?
You hold a Bachelor's degree in Engineering with at least 15 years of professional experience, including more than 5 years in data engineering management, agile teams, software, AI/ML or cybersecurity.
You bring:
- Strong technical expertise in at least three of the following areas: AI/ML engineering, data engineering, cybersecurity and modern lean engineering.
- Proven experience delivering complex Data & AI programmes, supporting enterprise-wide digital transformation and deploying AI products into production.
- Solid knowledge of cloud platforms and modern data engineering practices, supported by formal education or relevant certifications in cloud and data technologies.
- Demonstrated people leadership, with the ability to attract, develop and retain talent, manage multidisciplinary teams and successfully lead organisational change.
You demonstrate excellent communication, stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills, together with the ability to influence strategic decisions and align teams around shared objectives.
A Master's degree in Engineering or MBA, as well as experience in agile data engineering, cloud-based SaaS solutions, microservices, APIs, event-driven architectures or distributed teams, would be additional assets.
Experience in the Aerospace, Defence or Transportation industries, particularly in Air Traffic Management (ATM), would also be appreciated.
Strategic thinking, leadership, adaptability and a strong commitment to innovation, continuous improvement and operational excellence are qualities that define you.
Then this position is for you!
Thales, entreprise Handi-Engagée, reconnait tous les talents. La diversité est notre meilleur atout. Postulez et rejoignez nous !How we rate this
Chief Data & AI Officer at Thales rates 65 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Works on AI (AI Level 3 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.
Works on AI. The daily work is on AI products, without building the model.
- ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
- ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
- ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
- ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39
Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.
Prepare for this job
Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.
Skills and AI tools this role asks for
Questions you could be asked
- How do you decide when an AI agent can act on its own versus asking for approval first?
- Tell me about a project where data governance was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where data engineering was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where ai governance was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where strategy was part of your work. What did you do?
Adapt your resume
- List these exact terms on your resume: AI agents, Data Governance, Data Engineering, AI Governance, and Strategy. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
- Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
- Show where AI is part of your daily process, not a one-off project. This role expects it to be a running habit.
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