Head of Engineering / Director R&D (f/m/d)

Location: DITZINGEN SRA OME, Germany

We Say HI* 

To your career as:

Head of Engineering / Director R&D (f/m/d) at Ditzingen

Thales in Germany is part of an internationally leading technology group in the defence and security, aerospace as well as cyber security and digital identity markets.  

In Ditzingen, you will encounter security solutions for monitoring and safeguarding borders and for border controls, protection of civil and military facilities and tactical communication. This is the right place for you if you want to work with us on practical highly mobile radars for ground and coastal monitoring or night vision goggles and multifunctional heat imaging equipment. Join the Thales expert team for radar, optronic vision systems for armoured military vehicles or for protecting the field camps of the German Federal Army. We are happy to have you on board!   

Your mission

As Director of Engineering you are responsible for the strategic direction and organization of all engineering functions, effectively translating company goals into a clear technical roadmap and priorities. They lead and develop multiple teams and managers, ensuring efficient processes, high quality standards, and the effective use of resources. In addition, as Director of Engineering you act as a key interface to the executive team and other departments, make critical technology decisions, and ensures that products are delivered reliably, at scale, and on time.

Strategic and Operational Overall Responsibility:

• Assumption of overall leadership and strategic management of multidisciplinary teams at local, regional and global levels within the Country Business Unit

• Ensuring the development and successful implementation of technologically advanced projects and solutions that meet the highest quality standards and fully satisfy customer expectations.

• Responsibility for the implementation and progress monitoring of the group-wide “Engineering Transformation and Competitiveness Plan,” including the make-or-buy strategy, optimization of the global site network, and regular performance reports to the CBU Head and the VP Group Engineering regarding performance, competitiveness, and key KPIs (cost, time, quality)

Organizational Development and Operational Excellence

• Advancement of organizational maturity through continuous improvement of processes, governance structures, tools, and competencies based on design-oriented principles.

• Promotion of a performance-, learning-, and innovation-driven corporate culture that fosters accountability, creativity, and sustainable value creation

• Management of the introduction of modern technical methods and digital tools in alignment with strategic business priorities to ensure operational excellence and drive technological innovation in close collaboration with departments and project management

Technological Leadership and Digitalization

• Leadership of digital transformation across the entire project lifecycle — from process automation and modern system architecture (e.g., microservices, software defined HW use, monetization, AI use to support and drive innovation, modelling, digital twins, etc) to ensuring end-to-end digital data availability

• Promotion of an inclusive, learning-oriented, and forward-looking corporate culture that actively supports change and empowers employees in the long term

• Application of extensive expertise and at least five years of experience in managing large-scale IT programs with budgets exceeding EUR 5 million, particularly in complex hardware / software development projects

Technical Expertise and Industry Experience

• Deep understanding of radar (X and KU Band) technologies.

• Additional understanding of optics and kinetics, mechanics is a plus

• Solid knowledge of modern system architectures, digital interfaces, and safety-critical applications supporting the sensor to effector chain

People Leadership and Talent Development

• Responsibility for capacity and succession planning, identification of competency and development needs, and targeted promotion of diversity, inclusion, and continuous professional development within the team

• Building strong, high-performing teams through clear role and responsibility structures and a value-oriented leadership culture

Strategic Corporate Engagement and Compliance

• Active participation in group-wide strategic initiatives such as the Strategic Business Plan (SBP), Multi-Year Budget (MYB), and Technology & Innovation Strategic Plan (TISP)

• Ensuring compliance with all group-wide ethics, quality, safety, and compliance standards, consistently aligned with the company’s Code of Conduct

• Proven experience working within complex matrix organizations or internationally operating corporate structures in a dynamically growing environment

We are looking forward to: 

• Completed technical studies in Engineering (Electronics, Radar, Optronics, Mechanics, Aeronautics/Space, Computer Science ) or a similar qualification

• Leadership, developing, mentoring and supporting high-performing teams

• Visionary thinking and strategic alignment

• Strategy deployment to enhance competitiveness and organizational maturity in engineering

• Proficiency in cost estimation, risk management, and project delivery within time and budget constraints

• Resource coordination across projects, domains, and geographical regions

• Mastery of the global engineering landscape and business challenges

• Ability to simplify complexity and maintain a comprehensive (“helicopter”) perspective

• An understanding of defence, the complexities, intensity and time scales

• Ability to connect, motivate and support a high-performance team

• Highly committed and results-driven professional with exceptional analytical, technical, and communication skills

• Proactive self-starter, accustomed to performing under pressure, combining creativity with pragmatic, hands-on execution

• Persuasive and inspiring leader, collaborative team player with strong intercultural competence.

• Fully fluent in English and German; French proficiency is an asset, and readiness to acquire it is essential for future advancement  

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 the firm intention to make the demanding challenges of our time safer and more inclusive. With our sustainable value-focused management we support diversity actively. 

Say HI* – Your journey to us 

At times of change our international teams are ready to meet the complexity of today with the industry-leading technologies of tomorrow. Will you be part of it? Your Talent Acquisition contact Maria Gaissert is looking forward to your online application on our Career portal.  

Maria Gaissert – Talent Acquisition Partnerin #LI-MG1

+49 172 8281399

*Human Intelligence