Innovative System Architect/Engineer

About us

‘The people we rely on to make the world go round – they rely on Thales’. In a fast-changing and increasingly unpredictable world full of opportunities, people come to us with big ambitions – to make your life better and more secure. Our employees, who are part of a unique and varied team with many different fields of expertise and a wide range of talents and cultures, develop and deliver outstanding high-tech solutions. Thales employs 81,000 highly talented people in 68 countries. Almost 3,000 of these are based in the Netherlands. We are one of the largest high-tech employers in the field of security and protection.

We help our customers think smarter and act faster in the fields of defense, aerospace, aviation technology and cyberspace, to manage and control their increasingly complex processes and make the best possible business decisions. This is why we play a leading role in digital transformation, focusing on Artificial Intelligence, Big Data & Data Analysis, Connectivity, Mobility, Internet of Things, Cyber Security.

In the Netherlands, we are located in four cities: Huizen, Delft, Eindhoven and Hengelo (head office). Together with an extensive ecosystem of knowledge partners, customers and suppliers, we work on radar systems for seagoing vessels, cyber security solutions, transport systems, communications equipment for land forces, cryogenic cooling solutions, R&D for radar technology (in collaboration with TU Delft), as well as R&D for serious gaming (in collaboration with the University of Twente).

System Architect/Engineer R&D Department

About the Role

The Advanced Development/Studies Systems department (ADSS) based in Delft is seeking a System Architect/Engineer to help find and address future challenges in distributed systems and secure interoperability. As a System Architect, you will play a key role in designing, developing, and optimising complex systems that drive our innovative projects. You will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure the seamless integration of technologies and deliver cutting-edge solutions.

ADSS is the innovation department for Thales Netherlands, with its office in Delft. In your role, you serve as a key coordinator, integrating and combining concepts and software components from various disciplines into a cohesive set of system elements that form proof-of-concept demonstrators and minimum viable products. All activities are approached from an applied research perspective. You will work in the architecture research team and in close collaboration with multi-disciplinary researchers and engineers inside and outside of ADSS. Our architecture team focuses on developing distributed systems that enable information sharing within and across teams or organisations.

The main activities of the team are currently related to the military maritime and land operations domains. Our researchers work with both national and international experts within the business to identify and help address, business challenges in the 5 – 15 year timescale. In practice, you will work closely with the AI, Human Factors, and Security research teams, exploring how to design and build secure and usable (system-of-)systems. Within this role, you will help define the distributed systems research roadmap and will present your ideas and concepts to the research and innovation community across the Thales Group. Your ideas will be developed within our team towards integration into new and existing products. We develop concepts from low to mid technical readiness level (3–6), as well as helping transfer our developments into the business.

Main Responsibilities:

• Architecting and building fault-tolerant services for distributed systems that enable advanced (AI) capabilities.
• Design and implement systems that enable information sharing between platforms and services, requiring distribution- and security-by-design.
• Lead the architectural design and development of sophisticated systems within the R&D department.
• Collaborate with project managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to define system requirements and objectives.
• Develop and document system architecture, including functional and non-functional aspects.
• Conduct feasibility studies and analysis to guide decision-making processes.
• Ensure alignment of system designs with overall business strategies and technical standards.
• Identify potential risks and develop mitigation plans to ensure project success.
• Stay abreast of technological advancements and industry trends to drive continuous improvement and innovation.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior team members.

About You

We are looking for an architect/engineer with a genuine affinity for academic and applied research who excels at translating concepts and designs into practical components distributed systems. You should possess demonstrable skills:

• A thorough knowledge of current information communication and security technology is a must, in addition to demonstratable programming skills and experience in languages such as C, C++, Python, Perl, Java, Ruby and/or Rust.
• Working knowledge of virtualisation and containerisation technologies, such as Docker and Kubernetes, is desired.
• Proven experience with model-based system engineering (Capella/Arcadia/SysML/UML).
• Comfortable in writing system engineering documents (SSDD/SSS/SRS).
• Extensive experience in system architecture and design, preferably within a R&D environment.
• Experience in the defense, security, or related industries
• Skills in distribution-by-design and security-by-design.
• Data management skills in the form of semantics, interoperability, and interaction patterns.
• Skills in robust solutions against network fluctuations / failures.
• Skills in performance metrics / requirements for complex, distributed systems.

You are:

• A team player but can also get a job done without much supervision
• Oriented towards research and innovation
• Experienced in system engineering
• Highly proficient in integrating components into functional systems
• Adept at translating workflows and interaction patterns into practical, interactive components
• Unafraid to tackle new challenges
• Able to convey newly acquired knowledge to colleagues within and outside ADSS
• Willing to regularly travel to Hengelo
• Fluent in both Dutch and English

You have:

• A master’s degree (HBO/WO) in software development, computer science, systems engineering, or a related field.

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 organization, 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 whenever you want. Within Thales, we aim for a 60/40 balance, where you work from home at least two days a week, when your role allows this.
• A good salary, fitting travel allowance, and the ability to personalize your employment conditions: for instance, you can trade PTO for internet costs, our bicycle plan, company fitness and relocation costs.
• 40 days off per year (PTO).

“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

Diversity Statement

We actively support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions. That means that equal opportunities, inclusion and an informal culture are integral to our success. It also means that your well-being and happiness matter to us! That’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, remote working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times.

Security Requirements

In line with Thales' Baseline Security requirements, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in The Netherlands and employment and/or education history. This vacancy requires a security clearance which can require further evidence to be provided. For further details of the evidence required to apply for security clearance please refer to the General Intelligence and Security Service.