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Senior/Principal Human Factors Engineer
Location: Reading (UK Wide Flexible) - Hybrid Working
Our Opportunity
Thales Group designs a range of state-of-the-art solutions for some of the most technically advanced defence and security platforms in the world, and we’re seeking talented Human Factors engineers who can apply their knowledge and skills supporting the Human Factors Capability and Engineering projects/programs. As an expert in Human Factors Engineering you will be responsible for implementing Human Factors best practice methodologies.
The RTI (Research, Technology and Innovation) function is at the centre of Thales UK supporting growth in all of the key market areas, and spearheading activity into future markets identified as growth opportunities.
Creating an environment where staff find working with RTI an enjoyable, empowering and creative experience. As a key capability in RTI, the Human Factors Team are responsible for shaping the future user experience of Thales technology. As a Human Factors Engineer you will be leading our efforts to integrate new technology with users in a range of complex environments, including the challenge of AI integration into systems, novel user interfaces and technology using ‘human-machine teaming’ concepts. The goal is to create technology and a user experience that drives forward Thales as a business and develops technical capability across Thales’ existing and future market segments.
Key responsibilities & Tasks:
This role is based in Research, Technology & Innovation (RTI), and will work with all areas of Thales, in the UK and with our other units worldwide. The group works for the CTO and is part of the Technical Directorate, providing an independent HMT/HF function from other groups within Thales UK.
Represent Thales as a Human Factors & User Centred Design Champion, both within Thales and externally with existing and future customers.
Apply insights from the human sciences, including qualitative or quantitative research methods and UX/design thinking approaches, to understand and solve problems.
Implement experiments – these are likely to be fast-paced and agile research activities, rather than long-term experiments.
Lead internal and external “guerrilla usability” evaluations of equipment, software tools and processes.
Co-lead design sessions, workshops and contribute to prototype design. Design, conduct, and analyse experiments with end users of our systems.
Collaborate engineering team members as they conduct design-based research and rapidly iterate prototypes.
Sensitively interact, in-person and online, with Thales team members, and external contacts, customer or users.
Plan, write, and deliver research outputs at a level suitable for publication
Assist Thales Design Centre London team in setting technical strategy and provide innovation services on projects in close collaboration with business units. Liaise with external technology developers and experts to understand market and technology developments in user centred design, User Experience or human factors, pan domain. • Begin to develop your own external contacts within Human Factors and R&D, focusing on user interface design and human factors, attending.
Provide thought leadership in new and active technology and business areas to meet the needs of Thales UK.
About You
You love to learn and are open to taking on tasks outside you normal skill set, happy to learn as you go – training and support will be provided.
Have a real passion for empathizing with our end users, helping others to express their issues with equipment/software and ability to develop ‘real trust’ with users.
Willingness to engage with users when they have difficult or challenge problems and may have experienced some negative event, you will have the ability to use tact and judgement in how you approach these situations.
You’re passionate about research-driven process and basing decisions on the best evidence you have available. You will also have an understanding that sometimes little or incomplete evidence is available and trusting yourself to make a decision anyway in these situation and adapting to any outcome.
Ability to work with ambiguity – due to our R&D work and early stage interventions, the work we do as a team can sometimes be less well defined, or for us as a team to define. You will be flexible in your approach to problems and willing to adapt to changes. You will also have the ability to take on-board feedback and respond positively, not fearing a proactive approach and seeking help from others when needed. Most importantly, you will be a person who does not struggle to adapt to change.
You will have the ability to work without supervision and have an entrepreneur’s spirit – willing to try new things and take on responsibility. We aim to encourage our staff to follow their passions, and expect you to be clear in how you would like to develop, the types of work you want to be involved in etc.
Skills:
Experience in a technical role - having specialised in one or more of the following areas:
Human Factors
User Experience
Applied Psychology
User centered design
System Engineering
Excellent communication skills - being able to communicate complex concepts clearly, interactively, and persuasively to a range of different audiences.
Ability or willingness to learn how use rapid prototyping tools, such as Figma, Balsamiq, Adobe XD and other audio/visual tools to communicate concepts.
Ability to demonstrate leadership of a project, including management of that project [administrative and financial] – if you have no experience in this area, Thales will develop you in this area.
Ability to demonstrate a track-record of independent work with supervision/support from a senior Human Factors specialist.
Able to demonstrate an aptitude for designing user interfaces or systems that can solved real world problems.
Ability to apply a range of human factors methods and tools such as task analysis, workstation and workstation design, control room design, workload assessment, HCI/HMI design and assessment, user-testing, Human Reliability Assessment (HRA), manpower assessment, and Training Needs Analysis (TNA).
Desirable:
Prior experience of defence projects and working on Human Factors Integration (HFI) activities – knowledge and experience of JSP 912, DefStan 00-251 and relevant ISO standards.
Qualifications/Experience:
We are open to a candidate from a wide variety of backgrounds. Your qualifications may include:
A BSc or MSc in Psychology, Sociology, Ergonomics, Human Factors or other relevant human science
Bachelors in Engineering with experience of Human Factors or Developing user centric designs
Willingness to work towards Chartership in a relevant area (Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors or British Psychological Society, for example)
Security Clearance statement
This role requires SC level security clearance without caveats/restrictions (Either current or ability to gain full clearance is essential). For more information and guidance, please visit the UKSV website.
What We Can Offer
We’re committed to giving you opportunities to be your best. We believe in embracing the passion and potential of our people, and to achieve this we offer market leading training, development and experiences, along with the opportunity to be mentored and coached by some of the smartest minds in the industry. We hire from within as our first priority, so you’ll have a myriad of opportunities within our diverse, global organisation.
Location: Primarily Reading but candidates will also be considered across the UK and who are commutable to Thales sites in Cheadle (Manchester), Crawley, Bristol, Templecombe and are able to travel Thales and customer sites adhocly when required
Flexibility:
Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.
Benefits at Thales
Alongside a competitive base salary, we offer a variable compensation plan bonus and benefits package, which includes;
Thales is an equal opportunities employer and diversity and inclusion are integral to the success of Thales.
#LI-RS1
In line with Thales' Baseline Security requirements, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK and employment and/or education history for up to three years. Some vacancies may require full Security Clearance which can require further evidence to be provided. For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) Agency.
At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working.
Thales UK is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process. We will provide reasonable adjustments and support to ensure neuro-diverse applicants or those with a disability or long-term condition can be their best during the recruitment process. To request an adjustment, if you need this job advert in an alternative format or if you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Resourcing Ops for mid to senior roles, or the Early Careers Team for graduate and apprentice roles.
Great journeys start here, apply now!
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