Head of Industrial Excellence

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.

Head of Industrial Excellence

Lead Transformation. Drive Performance. Shape the Future of Manufacturing.

We are looking for an experienced Head of Industrial Excellence to lead our continuous improvement, digital transformation, data analytics, and performance management activities.

Leading a multidisciplinary team of Lean Leaders, Digital Engineers and Data Analysts, you will champion Lean principles, embed a culture of operational excellence, and deliver measurable business improvements through digitalisation and data-driven decision making.

About Underwater Systems (UWS)

Our purpose is to be the leading provider of underwater sensors and decision superiority, helping navies across the world keep our friends, families and all of us safe. We cover four sectors: Mine Counter Measures, Anti-Submarine warfare, Services and Future Capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Lean, Digital, Data and Performance functions across the organisation
• Drive continuous improvement through Kaizen, Gemba Walks and structured problem-solving
• Develop and deliver the digital transformation roadmap
• Build high-performing teams through coaching and leadership
• Partner with senior stakeholders to improve operational performance
• Manage transformation projects, budgets and business cases

About You

• Degree qualified in Engineering, Manufacturing or a related discipline
• Proven experience in complex manufacturing environments
• Strong Lean expertise (Six Sigma, Kaizen, 5S or equivalent)
• Experience leading business transformation and digital initiatives
• Exceptional leadership, coaching and stakeholder management skill

Core Benefits:

On offer is a competitive salary and benefits package, which includes;

• Up to 10% annual bonus
• 201 hours annual leave (plus bank holidays and 1 company day given during Christmas)
• 24 hours volunteering paid for
• Private healthcare (Couple cover through Aviva)
• Pension scheme (Thales pay 2% above the employee contribution with an 8% cap)

You can read about some of our other benefits here: United Kingdom benefits | Thales Group

Security Clearance Requirement: UK Eyes Only:

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.

If you're passionate about operational excellence, digital innovation and leading transformational change, we'd love to hear from you.

#IndustrialExcellence #Manufacturing #Lean #ContinuousImprovement #DigitalTransformation #Leadership #EngineeringJobs #OperationsExcellence

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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!