Thales is a global technology leader with more than 83,000 employees on five continents. With over 7,500 people in the UK, operating across defence, space, aerospace, and digital security, we help build a future we can all trust. Thales supports the security and stability of our nation by providing extraordinary technology to our customers, as well as delivering social value to the UK with our products and services.
Quality Manager
Crawley
Are you an inquisitive and impactful individual looking for an exciting, dynamic and interesting new role in Quality Assurance? Where no two days are ever the same? And where you can use your judgement and risk-based thinking to support the programmes at Thales through many different decisions during the project lifecycle?
If so, we’d love to hear from you as we’re currently looking for a Quality Manager to join our A2IS team in Crawley. In this role you will be responsible for leading a team of quality management professionals within the domain, ensuring adherence to Group Quality, Customer Satisfaction, and Quality Assurance policies. You will lead the Industry Quality organisation, promoting the function internally and externally, ensuring QAMs have the requisite knowledge and resources to meet ongoing business requirements.
Thales UK is a Chartered Quality Institute Recognised Employer.
What the role has to offer:
People focussed role, leading, developing and supporting a team of Quality Engineers.
Hybrid working (3 days on site per week)
We’ll also pay for your CQI membership and support formal certified training where appropriate e.g. lead auditor training
What’s does your day look like?
You will lead on improvement initiatives, strengthen customer satisfaction, and drive operational excellence across the domain. You’ll own the CI framework, oversee improvement activity reporting, and manage accreditation and certification readiness.
You’ll be a key interface with customers—supporting satisfaction processes, providing insight on recurring issues, and hosting customer audits and product/process verifications.
You’ll also lead people development activities, including skills assessments, re‑skilling initiatives, objective setting, QAM allocation, and supporting talent reviews and succession planning.
You’ll ensure strong process governance through adherence to the company Reference System, champion improvement initiatives, and support consistent Quality reporting aligned with Group policy.
About you
Ideally you’ll:
Be a strategic thinker who quickly grasps key information, adapts fast, and makes clear, confident decisions.
Have a results‑driven mind-set, with a strong ability to set measurable goals and lead teams to deliver.
Have a continuous‑improvement mindset, proactively driving performance, problem‑solving, and cultural transformation across the business.
Be a collaborative leader who motivates diverse teams, communicates a compelling vision, and develops people through constructive feedback and high expectations.
Thrive in complex, matrix environments, building strong relationships, and navigates conflict with professionalism and integrity.
Related Professional Qualification and Membership of Associations (CQI preferred)
A recognised auditor qualification
Detailed working knowledge of RCA tools and techniques
Knowledge of Quality Management System and Standards (eg. AS9100, ISO9001)
Benefits at Thales:
Performance-related bonus (grade dependent)
Half day every Friday, usually finishing around 13:00 – delete if not applicable to the BL
28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) with opportunity to buy up to 40 hours/year (pro rata)
24 hours volunteering per year paid for
One professional membership per year paid for
Private healthcare (grade dependent)
Pension scheme
Life cover
24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app
Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers
Gym membership discounts
Security Clearance Requirement:
Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions. This role requires Security Clearance (SC). It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment.
To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years. In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years’ residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.
Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels.
At Thales, we ensure equal opportunities, pay and working conditions for all. The benefits we offer include private medical insurance, buying or selling annual leave, cycle to work schemes, employee discounts, paid volunteering day, stocks and shares, annual bonus and much more depending on the role. Read more about our benefits here.
We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued for who they are and the unique strengths they bring. Discover more about our programmes, employee networks, wellbeing policies, and inclusive features here.
If this role isn’t quite right for you, we encourage you to join our talent community where your details will be shared with our recruitment teams for other potential opportunities. Join the Talent Community here.
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