Lead Software Architect – Avionics Business (Training & Simulation)

Thales is a global technology leader trusted by governments institutions and enterprises to tackle their most demanding challenges. From quantum applications and artificial intelligence to cybersecurity and 6G innovation our solutions empower critical decisions rooted in human intelligence. Operating at the forefront of defence and security aerospace and space cybersecurity and digital identity were driven by a mission to build a future we can all trust.

In Romania we are advancing innovation through software engineering research and development delivering solutions in key markets in which Thales Group operates. Our engineers design develop and integrate solutions that impact global industries from fully operational systems and subsystems for naval warfare and maritime security operations to air traffic management systems satellite-based solutions tactical indoor simulations identity and biometric technologies and more.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Senior Software Architect to lead the design and development of advanced software solutions within Thales UK Training & Simulation(T&S) and Flight Avionics (FLX) domains.

This role is ideal for a strong individual contributor ready to transition into a leadership-focused position combining architectural ownership with team guidance customer engagement and delivery accountability.

You will operate at the intersection of software architecture and product thinking helping shape solutions from early concept through to deployment while enabling and mentoring engineering teams to perform at their best.

Role balance

• 80% leadership delivery and team enablement
• 20% hands-on development (technical guidance through pair programming code-reviews problem solving)

Key Responsibilities

Software Architecture & Software Engineering

• Define and own end-to-end software architecture (cloud-native distributed scalable systems)
• Lead full-stack engineering practices across frontend backend and integration layers
• Ensure adoption of DevSecOps practices CI/CD pipelines and secure-by-design principles
• Guide teams on best practices coding standards and modern engineering approaches
• Support application and system-level debugging root cause analysis and production issue resolution

Customer & Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as a customer-facing technical lead translating requirements into robust solutions
• Lead technical demonstrations and solution walkthroughs
• Engage stakeholders to align on delivery expectations and outcomes
• Support technical discussions demonstrations and issue resolution throughout delivery

Product & Strategy Evolution

• Contribute to transition toward a Product Owner/Product Manager mindset
• Support roadmap planning prioritisation and value-driven delivery
• Bridge engineering execution with product vision and business goals

Leadership & Delivery

• Lead and guide a multi-disciplinary software development team to deliver high-quality scalable solutions
• Act as the technical authority ensuring architectural integrity and alignment with business and customer needs
• Foster a delivery-focused collaborative engineering culture
• Lead by example through hands-on engagement pair programming and coaching
• Drive accountability clarity and momentum across delivery teams

Required Skills & Experience

• Experience as a Senior Software Architect/Lead Engineer/Technical Project Lead/Engineering Manager
• Proven SWaaP/SaaS/PaaS product development and delivery experience in:
  • Cloud platforms (Azure and/or AWS)
  • Full-stack development (e.g. Backend Express/Django/REST Open API Specification GraphQL React/Next Figma/Material Design/MUI)
  • Micro-services distributed system architectures
• Experience implementing CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps practices using tools such as:
  • GitLab/GitHub
  • Jira
  • Artifactory
  • Docker
  • Terraform/IaC/PaaS
• Strong experience in:
  • Application and system-level debugging
  • Troubleshooting distributed and cloud-based systems
• Experience delivering interoperable systems using open architectures standards and interface specifications
• Experience designing data-centric systems
• Proven ability to:
  • Work effectively in customer-facing environments
  • Lead engineering teams
  • Deliver complex systems to customers
• Experience leading technical demonstrations and customer-facing solution walkthroughs

Desirable Experience (Nice to Have)

• Designing systems with governance provenance data-lineage and traceability
• Implementing data pipelines and large-scale data handling
• Deploying (not developing) AI/LLM architectures tools and frameworks such as LMStudio vLLM open-webui OpenAI API MCP Server LangChain/LangGraph.
• Experience with Digital Twin synthetic environments or simulation systems
• Experience with joint simulation or complex integrated systems
• Experience delivering in Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) or similar large-scale agile environments
• Exposure to full software development lifecycle including:
  • Early capture / concept development
  • Bids and proposals
  • Delivery and sustainment
• Experience with:
  • Test Driven Development (TDD)
  • Static code analysis tools
  • Code coverage and quality metrics
• Background in training simulation defence or regulated (IEC 61508) environments
• Experience with budget management and cost awareness in delivery

What Were Looking For

Most importantly we are looking for someone who:

• Has a can-do positive attitude
• Is delivery-focused and outcome-driven
• Leads by example and enables their team to succeed
• Is comfortable stepping into broader leadership and product-oriented responsibilities
• Can operate effectively in complex evolving environments
• Takes ownership and accountability for customer delivery outcomes

Why Join Us

You will play a key role in shaping future software platforms critical to national defence infrastructure and capability while building and enabling high-performing teams to deliver excellence.

This is a rare opportunity to:

• Lead the development of next-generation mission critical defence systems
• Influence both technical direction and product evolution
• Work on complex high-impact programmes with real-world outcomes
• Grow into a strategic leadership and product-focused role

At Thales were committed to fostering a workplace where respect trust collaboration and passion drive everything we do. Here youll feel empowered to bring your best self thrive in a supportive culture and love the work you do. Join us and be part of a team reimagining technology to create solutions that truly make a difference for a safer greener and more inclusive world.