Human Factors Engineer

Location: Reading, 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.

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 RTSI (Research, Technology and Solution 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.

As a key capability in RTSI, the Human Machine Team Research Group are responsible for shaping the future user experience of Thales technology. 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 the Research, Technology & Solution Innovation (RTSI) department, and will work with all areas of Thales, both in the UK and with our other units worldwide. The group works for the Chief Technology Officer (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.
• Build strong relationships, interacting 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’ Human Machine Teaming research group 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 any relevant conferences and seminars.
• 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 your 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 situations 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
  • Systems Engineering
  • Software 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 to 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 solve 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:

• Software skills (e.g., Python, C, Java)
• Prior experience of agile working practices
• 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 a relevant Engineering degree such as Electronic or Aerospace Engineering, or 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:

Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions. This role requires you to be a UK National and achieve Security Clearance (SC) without any caveats. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment. If approved by the MOD, a dual national from a Non-ITAR country may be considered. Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance.

To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years. In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years’ residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.

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 when required.

Flexibility:

Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer 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;

• Half day every Friday, usually finishing around 13:00pm
• Pension Scheme
• 28 days annual leave (Plus Bank Holidays)
• Life Cover
• Progression and Development Opportunities
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app
• Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers

Thales is an equal opportunities employer and diversity and inclusion are integral to the success of Thales.

Great journeys start here, apply now!