Head of Mechanical and Design Office

Lieu : Herstal, Belgium

LIFE AS A HEAD OF MECHANICAL & DESIGN OFFICE MANAGEMENT ROLE

As Head of Mechanical & Design Office at Thales, you will: 

• Lead the Mechanical & Design Office through the Team Leaders and Mechanical Technical Leader, ensuring an organization and team structure aligned with business needs.
• Be accountable for the overall delivery and performance of the department, including quality, maturity, planning, resources and commitments.
• Develop and manage the Team Leaders and Mechanical Technical Leader, supporting their performance, development and career progression.
• Define and implement the department’s people and competency strategy, including recruitment, career paths, succession planning and internal mobility.
• Consolidate RLA, resource allocation and workload projections with the Team Leaders and provide clear visibility on current and future capacity and resource needs.
• Support the prioritization of projects and deliverables by balancing business priorities, commitments, available resources and risks.
• Monitor the progress and maturity of development activities and ensure that the appropriate technical governance and approvals are applied through the Mechanical Technical Leader.
• Define and continuously improve the operating model, workflows and interfaces of the Mechanical & Design Office with other Engineering disciplines and departments.
• Develop the make / team / buy strategy and ensure that the organization evolves in line with the product roadmap and future business needs.
• Ensure effective two-way communication with Engineering Management and the ECC, translating strategic objectives and organizational changes into clear priorities for the teams and providing reliable bottom-up information.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, technical excellence, continuous improvement and people development.

COMPETENCES

• You are able to build and lead high-performing engineering organizations through Team Leaders, creating clear responsibilities, effective delegation and strong collaboration.
• You are able to develop people and competencies through recruitment, career development, mentoring, training, succession planning and internal mobility.
• You are able to translate business strategy into an organizational vision, defining the capabilities, structure and competencies required to support current and future activities.
• You are able to consolidate RLA, resource allocation and workload projections and use this information to identify capacity gaps, anticipate needs and support prioritization.
• You are able to establish efficient workflows and interfaces within the Mechanical & Design Office and with other Engineering disciplines and departments.
• You are able to develop and implement a relevant make / team / buy strategy, balancing internal capabilities, workload, cost, flexibility and strategic competencies.
• You understand the principles of technical governance and are able to ensure that the appropriate technical reviews, decisions and approvals are performed through the Technical Leader and relevant experts.
• You are able to challenge the organization on delivery, quality, maturity, risks and commitments while creating an environment that promotes accountability and continuous improvement.
• You demonstrate strong strategic thinking, communication and stakeholder management skills and are able to translate management objectives into clear and actionable priorities for the teams.
• You know how to apply Lean Management and Agile principles where relevant to improve organizational efficiency and team performance.

PROFILE

• You have a Master’s degree in Engineering or a relevant technical field and significant experience in engineering and people management.
• You have proven experience leading engineering teams through Team Leaders and developing organizations, competencies and careers, ideally in mechanical engineering, design office, aerospace, defense or another demanding industrial environment.
• You have a solid understanding of engineering and mechanical design activities, allowing you to understand technical challenges and risks and to effectively interact with technical experts without needing to be the technical authority yourself.
• You are comfortable managing and challenging Technical Leaders and experts, while balancing technical excellence with the concrete needs and criticality of each deliverable, and influencing stakeholders to reach the right level of technical ambition.
• You have experience or a strong understanding of resource and capacity management, workload planning, prioritization and organizational development.
• You are a strong communicator and stakeholder manager, able to operate effectively from engineering teams to senior management.
• You are a collaborative and people-oriented leader, with a strong sense of accountability, initiative and continuous improvement.
• You have a very good command of French and English.