Customer Training Manager

About the team

In the Customer Training department of Thales Netherlands, we have made it our mission to transfer knowledge and skills to our trainees, enabling them to safely and efficiently operate/maintain the Thales combat systems and sensors, allowing them to act at decisive moments.

The Customer Training team of Thales Netherlands is a part of the Supportability Engineering department, which consists of 50 domain experts and includes the following disciplines: Logistics Engineering, Customer Documentation, Customer Training and Obsolescence Management.

The Customer Training team is responsible for the delivery of product training on our radar systems and Combat Management System, which are mainly delivered to customers in the Naval domain. The team consists of approximately 15 trainers who deliver training in three main subject areas: Combat Management System operation, Combat Management System maintenance and Sensor (radar) maintenance. The team also includes a Welfare Officer, who acts as a training administrator and host for trainees who are in Hengelo. Training takes place at Thales Netherlands premises in Hengelo, or worldwide at the customer location. The manager function does not require travel.

About your future job

You manage the Customer Training team, consisting of around 15 direct reports. A regular work week consists of activities such as a Customer Training team meeting, check-in meetings with the trainers to align on priorities and current tasks, meetings with project managers ILS to discuss costing and resource planning of an upcoming project and at the end of the week, a short ceremony to hand out certificates to trainees. In addition, you work on topics like planning, improvement initiatives and upgrades to the Customer Training Centre.

Your responsibilities will be:

• Manage the Customer Training team (trainers and Welfare Officer)
• Manage the Customer Training process and tooling
• Manage the Customer Training Centre
• Recruit new hires in line with the needed skills, now and in the future
• Allocate resources and manage the team planning
• Estimate project costs as part of the bid process
• Discuss training results and customer satisfaction with trainees, who are normally military personnel from countries around the world
• Contribute to improvement initiatives along with related departments
• Help with developing the roadmap for Customer Training (process, training methods and tools)
• Act as the stakeholder / subject matter expert for bid / project managers

The Customer Training Managers report to the Engineering Manager for the Services Segment and Head of Discipline Supportability Engineering.

Why you'd be a good match

You have at least a Bachelor’s degree, preferably in a technical field (Electrical or Mechanical Engineering, or similar). You have at least five years of working experience and the following:

• Experience as a line manager with at least 10 direct reports, in a high tech environment
• Experience in the area of product / technical training
• Knowledge of the principles of instructional design and training
• Proven ability to plan / schedule in a dynamic environment
• Familiarity with cost estimation techniques.

The job requires the following skills:

• Leadership and management skills with the ability to “change and deliver”
• Focus on on-time delivery and delivery within budget;
• Inter-cultural skills, ability to interface with customers from around the world;
• Strong communication skills and ability to interact with the team, international customers and internal stakeholders;
• Ability to think from a customer perspective;
• Flexible and open for changes within your profession;
• Proactive
• Open minded and able to bring added value and innovation

What's in it for you

• A challenging job in a great team within our high-tech, innovative work environment. Includes the freedom for initiative and good ideas.
• Room for personal and professional growth within our organisation, for example in regards to technical, commercial or international skills.
• Valuable international collaboration with coworkers from 68 different countries around the globe.
• A comfortable work space in a modern environment, with a focus on flexibility and the right work life balance.
• You can usually work where and when you want to be able to do your work as well and efficiently as possible. Within Thales we implement hybrid working, where you can, for example, work from home two days a week if your role allows it.
• A good salary, fitting travel allowance, and the ability to personalise your employment conditions: for instance, you can trade days off for internet costs, our bicycle plan, company fitness and relocation costs.
• 40 days off per year (PTO). Yes, really.

“Bij Thales krijg ik alle kansen en de ruimte om mijzelf verder te ontwikkelen, en dat als onderdeel van allerlei gave processen en projecten binnen de organisatie!” Anoek, Trainee

“Wat het voor mij aantrekkelijk maakt om hier te werken, is de diversiteit in opdrachten en het werken in verschillende teams met diverse disciplines. Zo blijf je jezelf ontwikkelen binnen het cyberdomein.” Maurits, Cyber Engineer

Over Thales

We vinden dat je baan de juiste work/life balance moet ondersteunen en het platform is om jóuw ambities waar te maken. Dat betekent dat gelijke kansen, inclusiviteit en een informele cultuur een essentieel onderdeel uitmaken van ons succes. Maar ook dat jouw gezondheid en geluk voor ons erg belangrijk zijn! Daarom bieden we je de flexibiliteit om te doen wat voor jóu belangrijk is; of dat nu parttime werken is, of werken vanuit huis, of de mogelijkheid om flexibel te zijn in je start- en eindtijden, we denken met je mee.

In lijn met de basisbeveiligingsvereisten van Thales vragen wij kandidaten mogelijk om bewijs omtrent identiteit, werkvergunning en arbeids- plus opleidingsgeschiedenis. Sommige vacatures vereisen ook een security clearance die verdere informatie vereist. Voor meer informatie over wat er nodig is voor bepaalde security clearance, raadpleeg dan de General Intelligence and Security Service.