Mechanical Thermal Architect

Location: Oxford, United Kingdom A Joint Venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space is a global space manufacturer delivering, for more than 40 years, high-tech solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth Observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures.
Thanks to our diversity of skills, talents and cultures, our customers (governments, institutions, space agencies, telecommunications operators), therefore have Space to Connect, Secure & Defend, Observe & Protect, Explore, Travel & Navigate.
Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us.
At Thales UK, we research, develop, and supply technology and services that impact the lives of millions of people each day to make life better, and keep us safer.
We innovate across the major industries of Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space.
Your health and well-being matters to us and that's why we offer you the flexibility to do what's important to you; whether that's part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times.
Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.
As a Mechanical Engineer and Architect, you will have to take responsibility for the development and delivery of Mechanical and Thermal systems and subsystems for space projects: To lead the design of the Mechanical and Thermal architecture of space systems, equipment and GSE, including: Development planning, De-risking activities, Sizing and design justification, Design of space hardware and ancillary equipment (ie, test hardware), Verification and testing, Industrialisation, delivery and post-delivery support.
To coordinate mechanical and thermal design with other disciplines, request needed inputs and deliver required outputs to a good standard.
To coach and train less-experienced staff members in spacecraft Mechanical and Thermal Architecture.
To lead and develop the Mechanism Architecture capability in TAS-UK.
Principal Relationships: Relationships will be required to be built and maintained with the following stakeholders: Mechanical/Thermal Team Engineering Manager, Project Managers and Workpackage Managers, Team members and Architects from other disciplines, and design levels (from satellite to component level) Suppliers, Customers, including Space Agencies and commercial entities, Engineering stakeholders within the wider TAS organization.
Key Responsibilities and tasks: Main Responsibilities are: Delivery of spacecraft propulsion subsystems and mechanisms to meet customer needs.
Leadership of the Mechanical/Thermal architecture evolution of space projects at equipment and subsystem level, from conception through to delivery.
Coordination of the activities of Mechanical, Thermal, CAD and be the interface to other related engineering teams for the assigned project.
Define required inputs from other disciplines and design levels, and produce required outputs.
Provide technical support to mechanical and thermal deviations impacting the subsystem from all levels.
Requirements management and evolution.
Establishment and justification of development logic flows.
Justification of the architecture.
Responsibility for forecasts, costings and schedules for Mechanical/Thermal activities.
Delivery of review datapacks, and manage reviews and RIDs.
Management of the non-fluidic, technical side of the assembly, integration and test activities, including mechanical and thermal non-conformances.
Specific Tasks are: Negotiation with customers and suppliers in establishing requirements and technical specifications.
Contribution to negotiation with suppliers on price, lead times, risk mitigation, IPR etc.
Support management to secure the correct resources to deliver the product.
Establish, manage and update technical requirements, and justify all Mechanical/Thermal aspects of the architecture against them.
Establish requirements for suppliers and subcontractors, assess their compliance, support reviews of suppliers' developments and deliveries.
Lead accommodation studies.
Management of development activities needed to validate a product and its performance at all stages, including analysis and testing.
Plan, perform and evaluate the results of Mechanical, Thermal and performance testing for space systems from breadboard to flight levels - including functional testing, environmental testing (thermal-vacuum, vibration, shock).
Plan and oversee the calculations needed for sizing and verification of spacecraft hardware, including hand calculations, FEA, Thermal design, Rigid Body Analysis as required.
o Assess new suppliers, materials, components, manufacture methods.
Manage the communications, inputs and outputs needed for the technical team, including documents, meetings and reviews.
Provide inputs for budgets, schedule and forecasts maintenance.
Provide inputs for risk register maintenance.
Provide inputs for compliance and verification matrix management.
Manage subcontractors, including inputs to the procurement and selection process.
Generate, validate and sign-off documents produced for internal or external reviews, manufacture and testing.
Provide technical feedback for mechanical and thermal NCs, RFDs, RFWs and CCNs.
Report project status appropriately within the management team and within the program team.
Key Performance Indicators: KPIs for the role will be specifically developed with the role holder, however these will cover: Delivery of architectures and associated documentation within the constraints of Project schedules and resources.
Delivery of test and space flight hardware to customers, compliant with their needs.
Meeting project milestones.
Quality of documentation.
Experience and Skills: An experienced, knowledgeable engineer who offers deep technical knowledge of spacecraft Mechanical and Thermal Architecture and a strong track record of space project development, including a knowledge of best practice.
The following is necessary for the role: Experience as an Architect, Analysis, System Engineer or Technical Lead for complex engineering project, in mechanical and/or thermal fields, preferably at a senior level.
Knowledge of how to present technical subjects to stakeholders, by means of technical reports, models, presentations.
Experience coordinating technical inputs/outputs.
Experience/knowledge of manufacturing techniques for prototyping and also production (conventional and advanced) and how these affect the design.
The following would be an asset: Experience in space subsystems.
Knowledge of the space environment in different orbits and mission scenarios.
Experience of propulsion or mechanisms hardware.
Experience with spacecraft system-level design and development.
Propulsion Module architecture.
#LI-DB1 In line with Thales' Baseline Security requirements, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK and employment and/or education history for up to three years.
Some vacancies may require full Security Clearance which can require further evidence to be provided.
For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) Agency.
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