Director Engineering (m/f/d) Secure Communication and Information Systems
Thales in Germany is part of an internationally leading technology group in the defence and security, aerospace, cybersecurity, and digital identity markets.
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
Your mission as Director Engineering:
* Lead and develop an organization of highly skilled engineering professionals (300+ across two sites in Germany – Kiel and Ditzingen), fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and innovation. You will guide multidisciplinary teams in the development of complex systems involving hardware, software, and systems engineering.
* Drive the engineering strategy for complex system development, including hardware, software, and integrated systems, in both national and international contexts.
* Structure and grow the engineering organization with a clear vision and operational discipline – aligning with both local needs and global engineering objectives.
* Guide and mentor a multidisciplinary engineering leadership team, ensuring alignment with program goals and long‑term business objectives.
* Deploy and oversee the Group’s engineering transformation and competitiveness roadmap.
* Enhance organizational maturity by evolving engineering processes, tools, practices, and governance structures to support delivery excellence.
* Lead the digital transformation of engineering practices (automation, microservices architecture, digital continuity across the lifecycle), including the required cultural change.
* Anticipate skill needs and manage engineering resources across projects, ensuring the right capabilities are in place while promoting diversity, inclusion, and a culture of continuous learning.
* Represent the engineering function in group‑wide strategic processes (10‑Year Strategic Plan, multi‑year budgeting, and Strategic Technology Plan).
* Drive process and performance improvements to support delivery of large‑scale projects.
Qualifications
* Educational background in Engineering (e.g., Electronics, Aerospace, Computer Science) or equivalent; Master’s degree preferred.
* Visionary leader with a strong industrial mindset, capable of delivering structure, scaling organizational capability, and driving transformation.
* 10+ years of experience in engineering leadership roles.
* Proven track record in leading complex system development projects that integrate software, hardware, and systems engineering.
* Skilled in organizational development, capable of building and evolving engineering structures in a fast‑paced, high‑growth, and international environment.
* Strong grasp of engineering fundamentals, resource management, and project governance – ensuring projects are delivered on time, on budget, and within scope.
* Demonstrated success working in matrix organizations and across international teams.
* Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills – capable of influencing across functions and levels.
* Industrial and strategic thinking mindset, with the ability to drive innovation and transformation in engineering practices.
Company Investment & Growth
The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.
For our more than 83 000 employees in 68 countries we open up visionary perspectives, realise individual career paths, and enable creative freedom. This is achieved with courage, versatility and a firm intention to make the demanding challenges of our time safer and more inclusive. With our sustainable value‑focused management we support diversity actively.
Contact
Christian Frey – Head of Talent Acquisition
+49 174 173 73 61
Seniority level
Not Applicable
Employment type
Full‑time
Job function
Engineering and Information Technology
Industries
Aviation and Aerospace Component Manufacturing and Defense and Space Manufacturing
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