About the role

AI summarised

This role is for an Infrastructure Lead at Thales, a global aerospace and defense technology company, within the Airspace Mobility Solutions business. The position involves leading the infrastructure team in designing, delivering, and operating complex server/storage solutions for air traffic management systems, with a focus on technical leadership, strategy, and team development.

Aerospace & DefenseFull-timeGeneral

Key Responsibilities

Guide the infrastructure team in implementing server and storage solutions, serving as a technical lead to drive transformative changes in these domains.
Assist the HoD in managing part of the team, with a focus on practices and standards for compute and storage systems.
Review technical architecture and cost models for compute and storage-focused infrastructure bids and projects.
Support the HoD in defining the digital transformation strategy for infrastructure, with a focus on server virtualization, storage platforms, and automation.
Contribute to governance of infrastructure discipline; define, tailor, and enforce best-practices for server platforms, storage solutions, infrastructure-as-code, and automation processes/tools.
Ensure best practice sharing and capitalisation by curating technical documentation, lessons learned, and case studies related to server and storage infrastructure.
Support efficiency initiatives (e.g., automation, standardisation) to improve cost, quality, and delivery of infrastructure solutions.
Promote Lean and Agile practices within infrastructure projects, particularly for automation, platform deployment and continuous improvement.
Drive adoption of modern technologies in infrastructure—such as AI-driven monitoring, predictive analytics, hybrid cloud, hyperconverged infrastructure, and automation platforms.
Own and update the cost model for infrastructure implementation, considering server, storage, and platform TCO.
Assess technical skillsets for current and future server/storage project requirements; lead workforce planning for upcoming bids and projects.
Champion ongoing technical and professional development, coaching, and career management for the infrastructure team.

Requirements

Degree in Engineering, ICT, or a related discipline
Postgraduate studies in Systems Engineering (desirable)
Proven experience in leading the design, delivery, and operations of complex, mission-critical server/storage infrastructure (including virtualization, compute platforms, storage arrays, backup/recovery, and automation) and networks (7+ years)
Proven people management and staff coaching experience
Strong technical leadership, with the ability to coach and upskill high-performing teams
Solid foundation in basic networking concepts, including an understanding of switching and routing principles
Deep expertise in modern server operating systems (e.g., Linux/RHEL, Windows Server), server hardening, virtualization platforms (e.g., VMware, Hyper-V, Proxmox, KVM), and container environments (e.g., OpenShift, Kubernetes)
Broad experience in infrastructure architecture/design, including physical/virtual servers, SAN/NAS storage solutions, data centre server/storage deployment, and lifecycle management
Proficiency in infrastructure automation – Infrastructure as Code (e.g., Ansible, Terraform), Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD), and automation scripting for infrastructure operations
Experience in product/project development under both traditional and agile/iterative lifecycle methodologies
Ability to report regularly on progress against agreed planning and budget
Ability to highlight any issues or risks relating to testing to the manager
Ability to provide timely status updates to the manager
Demonstrable success in delivering outcomes in multidisciplinary, multicultural environments
Exposure to Safety, Security, and Human Factors as applied to data centre and infrastructure environments
Familiarity with cost modelling and TCO analysis for server/storage solutions
Experience developing high-performing teams and a culture of continuous improvement
Excellent judgment, independent decision-making, and accountability