Description:
Thales Defense & Security, Inc. is a global company serving the defense, federal, and commercial markets with innovative solutions for the ground tactical, airborne and avionics, naval/maritime, and public safety and security domains. In addition to mission-critical communication systems, the company provides helmet-mounted displays and motion tracking technologies; SATCOM terminals; advanced sonar systems; and data protection solutions. Furthermore, the company serves as a gateway for technology, leveraging Thales-wide solutions—such as combat management systems; naval, airborne, and ground ISR; and electronic warfare—to address U.S. requirements.
We currently have an opening in our Aurora, IL office for a Principal Systems Architect. This position reports to the Visionix Director of Engineering. The Principal Systems Architect provides Technical Leadership on Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) design activities including bids, requirements decomposition and flow down, verification, testing and troubleshooting. The candidate will work as a member of a design team that includes Systems, Software, Electrical, Mechanical and Field Service. The candidate must be comfortable working directly with customers and potential customers, and will work with and support Business Development in the early phases of business capture. The candidate will need to possess extensive knowledge of head and helmet mounted display systems.
Top Benefits
- Competitive Salary
- Yearly Incentive Bonus Program
- Generous 401(k) program - up to 7% company contribution and 100% immediate vesting
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Paid wellness, vacation, and holiday leave
- Paid maternity, paternity, and parental leave
- 9/80 Work Schedule (every other Friday off)
Responsibilities:
- Support Business Development with customer meetings, requirements elicitation, architecture development, and systems implementation.
- Provide subject matter expertise as a project design authority of Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) systems.
- Support product development teams with use case analysis, requirements capture and allocation, architectural analysis and design, unit level testing, integration, verification and validation efforts, and transition to manufacturing.
- Collaborate with our European divisions in the development of new products and product roadmaps capturing unique requirements for the U.S. market.
- Develop technical proposals and support cost estimations.
- Evaluate competing product and solution offerings.
- Represent Thales at relevant industry forums.
- Serve as a customer liaison, supporting design reviews and other technical interchanges.
- Support field installation, testing, evaluation, and troubleshooting of equipment.
- Provide technical consultation for solving design issues in HMD, Crash and Ejection safety analysis and tests.
- Provide technical consultation on emerging and adjacent markets.
- Provide technical counsel to engineering management.
- Travel up to 25% of the time.
Qualifications:
The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- US Citizenship Required.
- May be selected for work that requires ability to obtain and maintain US Secret Level Security Clearance.
- Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering or related discipline.
- 8+ years as a Systems Engineer in Aerospace (Military or Commercial) or related industry.
- Expert knowledge of Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) products and related technology is required.
- Must have working knowledge of relevant industry standards (DO-254, DO-160, DO-178, MIL-STD-461 and MIL-STD-810.
- Experience integrating subsystems onto aircraft or helicopters.
- Experience working within AS9100D or similar process environments.
- Ability to take ownership of assigned work.
- Must have experience in troubleshooting and resolution of technical problems.
- Experience in requirements definition, bidding and execution.
- Must be capable of working independently or as part of a team on assigned tasks.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills. – Fluent in English
- Ability to comply with all Company guidelines, policies, procedures and embrace Company Core Values.