Job Ref: 213873236

Date: 2021-06-01 16:00:05

Apply Now

Chelton wants you!

Are you on the lookout for an electrifying career in a dynamic, booming industry? Are you passionate about what you do and constantly on the lookout for the next big idea? Then we want you!

Aerospace and defence equipment wouldn’t be able to operate if it wasn’t for avionic manufacturers like Chelton. We pride ourselves on working with customers and being attuned to industry trends to expand the possibilities of aerospace and defence and give our customers a helping hand in achieving mission success. Working in challenging environments, producing failsafe technology with smart thinking – it’s just what we do. But we couldn’t do it without the Chelton A-team. That’s why we’re on the look out to add a Head of Electronic and Software Engineering to our elite workforce.

No two days are ever the same at Chelton, you’ll constantly be faced with new challenges to overcome. From the very beginning, you will be able to take full ownership and accountability to see products through to success. After all, where would we be if it wasn’t for the people behind the products?

If you’re looking to leave your mark on the world, why not choose the exhilarating world of aerospace and defence and better yet, join Chelton for your chance to innovate, create and excite.

This role will be based at our headquarters in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.

Your skills and experience

A Head of Discipline acts as the management focus for the discipline team covering all relevant sites across the BU, ensuring that the business is supplied with the capacity and capability required to deliver against the engineering demands of projects, business development and operations.

The Head of Discipline is responsible for ensuring lessons learned and process inefficiencies are frequently reviewed and highlighted, with causes identified and driving continuous improvement in the discipline. The Head of Discipline will liaise with the discipline Chief Engineer to ensure alignment with technology development and future capability requirements.

* No ownership of budget but responsible for ensuring that agreed engineering budget within their discipline is managed to best effect.

* A number of direct reports with a potential team size of between 20 and 50 dependent on discipline.

* Multi-site management within the UK (and US as applicable

As a Head of Electronic and Software Engineering, your skills and qualifications will ideally include:

* Educated to degree level in a suitable discipline, or equivalent work based experience.

* Evidence of managing a team of technical specialists in a matrix structure.

* Experience of having worked in an aerospace or defence background would be advantageous.

* Experience of working on a multi-site environment

As a Head of Electronic and Software Engineering, your key responsibilities will include:

People

* Defines the optimal structure of the discipline in terms of capacity, capability and hierarchy, and reviews and refines periodically.

* Owns and manages resourcing and recruitment for the discipline, seeking opportunity across sites to maximise utilisation and balance demand.

* Owns contingent resourcing (contractors and design houses) to manage the demand surges and realise opportunities for outsourcing of non-core engineering tasks.

* Develops the team through: skills matrix assessment and gap analysis, training / recruitment plans, monthly one to ones, setting objectives, creating development plans, succession planning, conducting and moderating the staff reviews.

* Providing day to day management and leadership of the discipline.

Process

* Owns the product development process for the function, to include: quarterly workshops to look at PEARS and lessons learned, attendance at lessons learned activities, leading TIPs and supporting change activities.

* Ensures that the engineering processes are followed by all staff and effective induction and training is provided.

* Promotes a culture of continuous improvement within the discipline ensuring all applicable sites share and harmonise on best practice.

Tools

* Defines, creates and maintains the toolset needed to realise the capability and future potential of the discipline.

* Creates and presents the business cases for capability investments.

* Looks to maximise the utilisation of key assets through effective planning and preventative maintenance.

* Looks to harmonise key tools and applications within the discipline across all applicable sites to maximise standardisation and promote cross-site working and project collaboration.

Performance

* Owns and tracks the utilisation of all discipline staff to ensure alignment to budget and actively seeks opportunities for improvement to drive overheads down.

* Owns the performance of all non-project activity (sustaining engineering, technical support, customer support, aftermarket support)

* Owns the performance for RFIs, RFPs and Technical Proposals and establishes improvement targets.

* Meets the forward loads of the projects, ensures that WP’s estimates are achieved, reviews and signs off all work package

Remuneration

In addition to a competitive salary, you will also join a flexible benefits scheme offering private medical insurance, life assurance, matched pension and 25 days holiday per annum with the ability to buy and sell days. We are also happy to offer flexible working and a part-subsidised cafeteria.

About Chelton

Securing success in some of the world’s most demanding environments isn’t just down to Chelton’s failsafe, pioneering technology. From aerospace and defence communications through to navigation and electronic warfare, it’s all driven by the people behind it.

Top-level talent pushing boundaries from the moment we first explore requirements. Always looking for new ways to meet tough challenges. And asking the right questions to find answers that redefine capabilities.

At Chelton, we’re proud to be on our customers’ team. Bringing together smart thinking, technological excellence and future vision – whatever their system ambitions

Apply Now