ThalesEQL
Thales is hiring an EQL. Level rates it ; you can apply on Thales.
Level's read on this job
- Level rates this role Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
- Tools and skills the posting cites include quality assurance, apqp and new product development.
- Level classifies it as a mid-level role.
- Level lists 3,600+ other open roles at Thales.
- The role was posted within the past two weeks.
AI in this role
Improve engineering and product quality processes as a Quality Expert for satellite and aerospace systems.
Quality Expert – Thales Alenia Space Belgium
Global Missions
- Ensure the Engineering Quality Leader mission
- Upgrade our New Product Development process through the APQP Core Tools project and become APQP Leader for Thales Alenia Space Belgium
- Change and improve Project and Product Assurance for New Product Development
- Support the Head of Quality Assurance by leading quality improvement projects
Mission 1 – Engineering Quality Leader
Global mission
The Discipline Quality Leader (DQL) is the Quality & Customer Satisfaction partner assigned to the Engineering Discipline. He/she improves the quality performance of the Discipline, in close collaboration with the Discipline Manager, by providing independent analysis on recurring, cross-functional problems.
Major activities
- Represent and speak for the customer and the principal stakeholders (regulations, suppliers, etc.) with regard to the Discipline, to improve quality performance and customer satisfaction.
- Manage quality performance for the Discipline and anticipate risks, so as to achieve long-term operational excellence based on indicators (On-Conformity Delivery, Cost of Non-Quality, Maturity Risk Index, etc.).
- Assist in defining and implementing the Quality Performance Plan (QPP).
- Manage the reduction of non-quality costs in his/her Discipline.
- Measure the maturity of the Discipline, contribute to its improvement and play a proactive role in implementing the resulting changes.
- Identify recurring problems and coordinate cross-functional improvement action plans.
- Ensure the deployment and development of a quality culture within the Discipline, based on a continuous improvement approach.
- Provide methodological expertise in continuous quality improvement practices.
Professional knowledge and experience
- Engineer, Master’s degree or VAE equivalent
- Comprehensive knowledge of New Product Introduction processes or Product Development Plans
- Project management knowledge
- Mastery of problem-solving, root-cause analysis and continuous improvement methodologies (EN9136)
- Proven experience of EN9145 / APQP methodology
- Successful experience in managing transformation plans
- Proficiency in English and French
- 10 years’ experience in the Discipline
Mission 2 – APQP Leader & Project and Product Assurance for New Product Development
Introduction
The development and industrialization of new products is a critical process that determines both risk management effectiveness and future competitiveness. In this context, the management of Thales Alenia Space Belgium aims to improve these processes through enhanced risk management and better control of the cost of poor quality associated with the introduction of new equipment.
The entire mission and its deliverables must follow a clearly demonstrated approach focused on simplification, maximizing the value contribution of people, and drastically reducing the cost of poor quality related to the introduction of new equipment.
Phase 1 – Understand, audit, identify gaps and recommend
- Understand and assess the consistency of the development and industrialization process, including its overall risk management approach and the methods used to ensure project quality.
- Benchmark the process against the APQP Core Tools (FMEA, Control Plan, SPC, MSA, PPAP according to EN9145) and identify gaps and improvement opportunities impacting project and product quality.
- Based on these gaps, provide value-added recommendations for each phase of the process: define required inputs and outputs and their owners, how they should be structured and interconnected, and the roles and responsibilities at each functional interface.
- Provide a recommendation on the draft target schedule and assess its feasibility.
- Define, together with the TAS-B team, a test and validation plan for the APQP tools selected for implementation on one or several pilot projects.
Phase 2 – Test and validate
- Support and coach the teams during the implementation of the test and validation plan on the selected projects.
- The detailed schedule will be defined jointly with the pilot project teams.
The testing phase must follow a progressive, collaborative, practical and pragmatic approach.
Phase 3 – Update the standard process, measure performance and sustain the approach
Based on the test and validation results, support the team in delivering a revised development and industrialization process, including its maintenance, monitoring and associated KPIs.
Process maintenance and monitoring
- The long-term maintenance and monitoring of the process and its new standards are fundamental.
- The project shall deliver a framework for training, deployment, anchoring and monitoring, to ensure effective adoption by operational teams and prevent process deviations.
- Roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders, including Quality Assurance, shall be clearly defined.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Define indicators that measure risks and enable timely actions to reach the targeted maturity level before production start-up.
Mission 3 – Support the Head of Quality Assurance
- Assess and support the Quality Director and the Chief Operating Officer in the overhaul of the Thales Alenia Space Belgium Quality Management System.
- Lead the transformation of quality processes and the deployment of new tools in support of the SAP implementation and associated business process changes.
- Coach and mentor teams in structured problem-solving methodologies to enhance organizational maturity and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Required Profile
Technical and hard skills
- Extensive knowledge of APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning), with demonstrated hands-on experience
- Mastery of APQP Core Tools and ability to tailor them to different business and operational contexts
- Proven experience in project management, product development and related processes
- Ability to develop training programs and coach teams for effective deployment of methodologies
- Understanding of market requirements as well as manufacturing processes and constraints
- Strong knowledge of quality standards and quality management best practices
- Ability to audit, assess and develop quality process documentation
- Proven experience in quality process management
- Ability to lead process redesign and transformation projects
- Expertise in structured problem-solving methodologies
Soft skills
Leadership & change
- Strong leadership and ability to manage complex projects
- Ability to lead organizational change and drive cultural change
- Ability to influence stakeholders and manage complexity
People development
- Strong training, mentoring and coaching capabilities
- Ability to motivate, engage and develop employees and their competencies
Adaptability & mindset
- High resistance to stress
- Strong adaptability while maintaining high performance standards and ambitious objectives
- Flexibility and ability to analyze situations and adapt solutions to specific contexts
- Ability to innovate and integrate new technologies and approaches
Communication & rigor
- Excellent communication skills to promote new methodologies and ways of working
- Strong attention to detail and a methodical, structured approach
- Fluency in French and English
How we rate this
EQL at Thales rates 0 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.
Little AI. AI is not part of the work.
- ●●●● 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
- Tell me about a project where quality assurance was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where apqp was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where new product development was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where process improvement was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where risk management was part of your work. What did you do?
Adapt your resume
- List these exact terms on your resume: Quality Assurance, Apqp, New Product Development, Process Improvement, and Risk Management. 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.
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