Location: Crawley, United Kingdom In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible. Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us. At Thales UK, we research, develop, and supply technology and services that impact the lives of millions of people each day to make life better, and keep us safer. We innovate across the major industries of Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space. 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. Head of AI - Data & Digital Competence Centre We are seeking an AI Expert with proven experience of delivering AI solutions to market. This person will drive the technical leadership for AI in Thales UKs newly formed cortAIx Factory and be an evangelist for Thales AI. The Thales UK cortAIx factory aims to bring robust engineering discipline to the development and execution of Thales' AI research and procurements into our products. In this pivotal role, you will maintain a profile and network as an AI thought leader both within Thales UK and externally. You will support the strategic development and delivery of AI solutions applied into Thales' portfolio of complex mission systems, ensuring robust processes for assurance, integrity and in-service support are developed and followed. You will provide functional leadership for all AI practice resources within the Data & Digital Competence Centre and across Thales UK and will work alongside the leaders of our 'cortAIx Lab' (R&D) and our product leaders in our businesses 'cortAIx Sensors' to ensure the smooth transition of Thales AI capability from R&D through to product. This will include assessing both technical feasibility and business / market viability as well as navigating the resultant products through their maturation. Key responsibilities: Strategic Leadership o Be the face of AI for Thales UK o oversee the implementation of the cortAIx Factory AI and MLOPS strategy o Practice leadership across the data & AI job family in Thales UK Design & Governance o Serve as the principal authority on AI design, providing expert guidance on best practices and industry standards. o Ensure the design of AI models, algorithms, and data architectures meets business, technical, and regulatory requirements. o Establish and enforce governance frameworks for AI algorithms and implementation to production. o Promote best practices in AI ethics, robustness, transparency, and governance. Market Engagement o Monitor industry trends, competitive landscapes, and benchmarks to maintain a technical edge. o Identify and engage third-party collaborators to enhance the capabilities of the AI Factory team as needed AI delivery o Work with Head of cortAIx Factory Engineering Delivery and Head of cortAIx Factory Product to enact the cortAIx mission o Work with the Engineering leadership team in the UK to derive and deliver capability improvement plans for AI Team Leadership o Line management responsibility for Data Science and AI resources in the Data and Digital Competence Centre o Work across the Data and Digital Competence Centre to support the planning and execution of our data and digital transformation Required Skills • A degree in computer science, artificial intelligence, or a related field. And / or appropriate hands on experience of practical AI engineering • Strong knowledge of data science and AI solutions, along with experience in data product management • Demonstrable knowledge and experience of MLOps practices. • Familiarity with data analytics, technology, and governance. • Excellent stakeholder and project management skills, with experience in client-facing roles. • Strategic mindset with the ability to balance innovation with business needs. • Experience in user interface design and user experience considerations. • Understanding of the software development lifecycle, including requirements analysis, quality assurance, design, scheduling, implementation, issue tracking, version control, and deployment. • Strong profile in the UK Defence AI sector LI-DM1 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